Owner Joe Gould pours a sampler glass of a Two Gramps Brewing beer at the Kennebec River Brewfest in Augusta in 2018. Over 30 brewers and distillers from across the state will travel to Mill Park on Saturday for this year’s event. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal file
AUGUSTA — On Saturday, Maine’s capital city will also be the capital of craft beverages as the Kennebec River Brewfest returns for its sixth year.
The event, put on the by the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce, brings together beverage makers from across the state and hundreds of people who want to sample them to Mill Park on the shore of the Kennebec River.
“We have 30 breweries this year, but when I say brewers, it’s kind of a mix,” Katie Doherty, president and CEO of the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce, said. “We have seltzers, we have wineries, we have brewers, we have meads. We have a good mix.”
That mix is coming from across the state. Along with local favorites like Cushnoc Brewing from Augusta and the Liberal Cup in Hallowell, beverage makers are coming from as far away as Orono, Hartland, Bangor, Scarborough, Yarmouth and South Portland.
Among the newer beverage businesses to join are Run Amok Mead from West Gardiner, Sideral Farm Brewing from Vassalboro and Absolem Cider Co. from Winthrop.
Also on tap that day will be food vendors, live music from Country Roads, The Court Jesters, and Ellis Falls, as well as lawn games to entertain ticket-holders at the event, which is expected to draw people from across New England. Doherty said tickets have been sold to people from Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
“We are at the peak of our summer tourist season,” said Michael Hall, executive director of the Augusta Downtown Alliance. “So I expect we’ll see an uptick in visitors for the event.”
Any time an event is put on by an organization like the Chamber of Commerce in downtown Augusta, attendees tend to extend their visit to have dinner or stop at other businesses.
“Mill Park is the perfect venue,” Hall said. “It’s got parking spaces and places for people to go after the event is over.”
In addition to the pavilion at Mill Park, the chamber is also providing a 40-by-80-foot tent. Doherty said the event will take place rain or shine. The event runs from 2-6 p.m.
Advance tickets are $50 and available through the brewfest’s website: www.kennebecriverbrewfest.com/tickets. On Saturday, tickets are $60. Designated driver tickets are available for $5, and that gives them access to the event and complimentary water.
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