The Most Wonderful Time of the Year for BEER!
The most wonderful time of the year for beer…obviously that is a trick statement. The answer, of course, is all year! In Cooperstown you can find a beer for every season and every flavor and a beer festival to go along with it. This week I am going to tell you about 3 can’t miss events for all craft beer lovers!
Main Street Cooptoberfest
Saturday, October 6th, 2018
This event is near and dear to my heart. Through my job at the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce, I have had the pleasure of planning and co-coordinating Main Street Cooptoberfest since its inception in 2015. Cooptoberfest is a day-long festival held each year on the Saturday of Columbus Day Weekend. Main Street, Cooperstown is shut down to vehicular traffic and comes to life in a street fair style atmosphere with vendors, bounce houses, live music, cornhole tournaments, games, food, drink and more! It is a full day of fun for the entire family.
This event originally began as the brain child of event staff from Brewery Ommegang in 2014 under the name Cooperstown Field Day. In 2015, the Chamber partnered with Townsquare Media to include Cooperstown on Tap as part of the festivities and rebranded the day Main Street Cooptoberfest, sponsored by Brewery Ommegang. This year we have even more exciting news, we are switching things up yet again! In 2018 we are excited to announce that Cooperstown On Tap will be upgraded to…. *drum roll please!* Eat Drink Cooperstown, we’re not just Beer anymore! Set to the backdrop of delicious food, local vendors and great music, this tasting celebration not only serves as a destination for craft beer, wine, ciders and distillery lovers but also provides local food tastings as well. Eat Drink Cooperstown takes place in the historic Doubleday Field Parking Lot offering attendees a new experience that showcases a variety of local beverage styles and foods from our own hometown, and America’s hometown – Cooperstown.
Tickets go on sale August 10th! Click HERE to purchase yours and for more information visit the EatDrinkCooperstown webpage.
Snommegang
Saturday, March 9th, 2019
Snommegang takes beer tasting street festival to the extremes! March in upstate New York is always quite unpredictable. Any given day in March the weather could be 70°F and sunny or it could be 10°F and snowing. It might sound crazy, but for upstate New Yorker’s that is the “norm”. I have attended Snommegang festivals, back to back years, in both conditions and I have to say they were both amazing! If you are not having fun sampling delicious craft beers on Main Street… that sounds like a “you problem”!
Each year approximately 40 breweries from around the states come together on Main Street of Oneonta to sample their delicious specialty beers at a day long festival brought to you by Brewery Ommegang and Townsquare Media. This festival is unique for so many reasons. For starters, it is an outdoor event in March, something most event planners wouldn’t dare to attempt, yet each year it comes together flawlessly. Secondly, unlike many other beer tasting festivals, breweries send their brewers, the ones who put their heart and soul into making these beers, to pour the samples. Being the beer lover that I am I think that is the greatest thing, being able to speak to the brains and the passion behind the beer. This festival also tops the charts in my book, because rather than bringing beers that are easily accessible in stores, the brewers bring limited release and sometimes even pilot beers which means you could help be the deciding factor in a new classic.
Snommegang 2017
BCTC
First Weekend in August
Each year during the first weekend in August, thousands of beer lovers from all over the world join together at Belgium Comes to Cooperstown, affectionately known at BCTC at Brewery Ommegang. This event is nearly as old as the brewery itself and has grown each year, along with the brewery. Every summer the Ommegang crew transforms the back yard of the brewery into a beer lover’s paradise. Past themes have included “The 90’s” featuring all 1990’s everything, “The More the Murray-er” featuring Bill Murray, “Big Top BCTC” and in 2018 the theme was a throwback to the basics and honored the original Ommegang, a renowned festival from Brussels, Belgium.
The weekend long festival begins Friday evening with a 5 course VIP pairing dinner featuring Ommegang beers, followed by an after party, late night movie and a bonfire. Attendees have the option to purchase camping tickets as well, making the weekend like summer camp for adults! What’s better than waking up with the sun in a field, behind a brewery, surrounded by friends, old and new?! Saturday is the main event of the weekend, beer tastings by nearly 100 Belgian style breweries! Nearly 3,000 lucky guests have the opportunity to taste the very best Belgian style beers in the world, including hard-to-find Belgian imports.
Hanna finds gold at the end of the rainbow… it’s beer! BCTC 2018
Although BCTC just came to close, I already can’t wait until the next festival of beer! Good thing we are only 2 months away from Main Street Cooptoberfest! As always, I love to hear from you! What are some of your favorite breweries in upstate New York? Share your Cooperstown adventures with me by posting on Instagram using #wearecooperstown and #hannashints or by emailing me at hanna@www.wearecooperstown.com and don’t forget to check back each week for the Friday 5 and Hanna’s Hints!
BONUS BEER EVENT:
Mark your calendars for Saturday, August 18th for Hopsego at The Farmers’ Museum. “This Family-Friendly, Hop-Centered Event brings together traditional ways, paired with contemporary craft. From the growing of hops to the making of food, beer and other products, families will get an all-encompassing experience and learn how the hop flower and vine rooted our region, formed family traditions and brought us into the resurgence of hop growing and craft brewing today. Vivid memories will be made; those that will endure a lifetime.
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About the Author: Hanna Joy Bergene, Director of Marketing and Events, Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce
Contact: hanna@www.wearecooperstown.com
Hi, I’m Hanna!
I am a born and raised Cooperstownian who is deeply, madly in love with this AMAZING small town and the beauty of Upstate New York! I am currently serving as the Director of Marketing and Events at the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce where I have the pleasure of working with over 400 small local businesses.
It is my goal to share my knowledge and passion for Cooperstown and deliver to you some insider secrets. Cooperstown has been named America’s Most Perfect Village and I want to show you why. Whether you’re from across the country or just a few minutes down the road, I hope I can inspire you to come for a visit, or maybe even call this place home!