Friendship Botanic Gardens’ Octo-BEER-fest Brings The Bubbly

Friendship Botanic Gardens’ Octo-BEER-fest Brings The Bubbly

If you were looking for a brewfest with a view, then Friendship Botanic Gardens’ Octo-BEER-fest was the place to be. The scenic landscape added bonus atmosphere to the event. Held on Sunday, October 16 brewers and drinkers congregated under a large tent, but luckily the rain held off. Attendees sipped their favorite lagers or porters surrounded by the last few colorful bouquets of the season and the changing autumn leaves. The gardens were open to explore, and many took advantage of the nearby walking paths.

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The brewfest featured many local and regional breweries all serving up a variety of flavors to try. Those who purchased VIP tickets gained entry an hour early for extra time to sample. The event served as a fundraiser for the current revitalization efforts of the over 100 year old Gardens.

“[The Friendship Botanic Gardens] was opened around 1936, we’re going through a lot of the historic paperwork still,” said Rubia Jasinevicius, “back in the day there were a lot of people who immigrated here and were living in apartments. So, they opened the gardens to give them a place for greenery. That’s one of the reasons we have the national gardens”

Statues originally from the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 can be see amongst the plant life. The Gardens act as not only a place for greenthumbs to admire, but a landscape full of history worth preserving.

“There were a variety of concerts and dance,” Jasinevicius said of the vibrant history, “the bands would play on one side of the lake and use the water as a natural amplifier.”

“We really wanted to support this event and the gardens,” said Tom Uban, from Figure 8 Brewing located in Valparaiso. Figure 8 was just one of the local vendors slinging their suds. Other breweries included: Shoreline Brewing, Burn ‘Em Brewing, Zorn Brew Works, Bell’s, Greenbush Brewing, Round Barn Winery, Ironwood, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Perrin Brewing Company, Triton Brewing, Misbeehavin’ Meads, Sun King Brewery, Small Town Brewing, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and Mike’s Hard.

While many patrons and vendors had never been to the Friendship Botanic Gardens before the brewfest, the Carpenters from Wanatah, IN are long time fans.

“I love The Friendship Gardens,” said Suzi Carpenter, “it’s always so beautiful here. And we love a good craft beer, so put those two together and it’s a perfect combination.”

While the beers were pouring, attendees were treated to live musical performances from Matthew Gabriel and The Crawpuppies. The Redamak’s “Patty Wagon” was also on site, offering a chance to “bite into a legend.”

“It’s our first brewfest,” Jasinevicius said, “We wanted to host an event outdoors, so people can become familiar with the gardens. This way people can come down and explore the gardens with a glass in hand. Our mission is to provide a harbor for respite and a green space for our community.”

To learn more about the Friendship Botanic Gardens, visit http://friendshipgardens.org/