What's better than sipping an ice cold craft beer? Well, how about helping raise money for the fight against cancer? Luckily, you’ll be able to do both on Friday, Sept. 22, at the 23rd annual San Diego Festival of Beer.
Set to take place at downtown’s scenic Broadway Pier (1000 N. Harbor Drive) from 6-10 p.m., the yearly event is a massive fundraiser organized by the San Diego Professionals Against Cancer, which donates 100 percent of its proceeds to local cancer-fighting charities including the Seany Foundation, Rady Children’s Hospital, Cancer Angels of SD and more.
To date, the festival has raised nearly $700,000 -- all of which has been donated back to community nonprofits.
To make it such a success, more than 45 breweries will be donating 100 percent of their product to this year’s festival. Participating breweries include Coronado Brewing Co., Thorn St. Brewery, AleSmith Brewing Company, Fall Brewing Co., Mother Earth Brew Co., Modern Times Beer, Mikkeller Brewing, Mission Brewery, Lagunitas Brewing Company and Karl Strauss Brewing Company (among many others). In all, more than 120 craft beers will be offered at the Sept. 22 event.
What good is beer though when you don’t have live music to jam out to while you’re drinking it? SDPAC (which is a 100 percent volunteer nonprofit organization) has tapped two big name local bands to accompany all the suds: Hip-hop/electro-pop/funk group Vokab Kompany and experimental indie-rock band the Verigolds.
They’re excellent choices, too: We've invited both groups to headline SoundDiego LIVE parties over the past couple of years and can say firsthand that they will not disappoint. Vokab Kompany’s busy these days touring the nation and landing songs in Kia commercials and TV shows like “The Today Show” and “Franklin and Bash,” while the Verigolds most recently took home Best Indie/Alternative Album at the 2017 San Diego Music Awards and played Oysterfest this past June.
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Beer, bands and a healthy helping of much-needed philanthropy? Doesn’t get much better than that.
Tickets to the 23rd annual San Diego Festival of Beer are on sale now, starting at $50 each. General admission tickets include unlimited 2-oz tastings and the event is 21-and-up. Purchase tickets here.
Dustin Lothspeich books The Merrow and runs the music equipment-worshipping blog Gear and Loathing in San Diego. Follow his updates on Twitter or contact him directly.
