The first-ever Bexley Brewfest is taking place on Jeffrey Mansion Lawn this Saturday, featuring breweries, music, and food trucks, with all proceeds benefiting a cause close to the founder’s heart.
Nineteen breweries, one cidery and one meadery will be sharing samples of over 50 locally-created brews at this weekend’s event. It will also feature live music, food trucks, and “community togetherness.”
For Tim Pitts, founder of the Brewfest, the event means more than just a good time.
“The whole drive behind this, outside of having a fun community event … is that 100 percent of the profits are going to raise money for Alzheimer’s research,” Pitts said.
Pitts is also a father of five and community member who has been personally impacted by Alzheimer’s; he lost his father-in-law to the disease in January, and his own father was recently diagnosed.
“It impacts people often at a lot younger age than you would expect, and you start to realize that it’s really not just a function of getting older; it’s a really horrible disease that turns aging into something pretty bad,” he said.
Although he planned the event because of the impact Alzheimer’s has had on his family, he quickly realized how many people in the Bexley community had a similar experience. He said many of those who stepped up to volunteer have also seen the disease first-hand.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the organization who will receive profits from the event, every 65 seconds another person in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease, and 10 percent of people ages 65 and older have the disease.
Although Alzheimer’s was discovered over 100 years ago, “we’re basically no better off than we were … in terms of how to slow it down, how to reverse it or how to stop it,” Pitts said.
Along with his passion for finding a cure for Alzheimer’s, Pitts and his wife love exploring the Columbus brewery scene. So they decided to combine these two passions into a fun community event.
“The thing that’s making this event kind of neat is that the brewery scene in Columbus is out of control,” Pitts said.
Of-age attendees will get the chance to sample over 50 locally-crafted brews, and Pitts said there’s a little bit of something for everyone.
“Our selection was purposeful so that it’s very varied … there’s going to be everything from IPAs to peach ciders,” he said.
Pitts also mentioned that you don’t have to be 21 and you don’t have to buy a ticket to enjoy the music and food trucks that will make their way to Jeffrey Mansion this Saturday.
Although he isn’t sure how much money the event will raise for the cause, Pitts said “something is better than nothing.”
He couldn’t share many details, but Pitts said he’s planning another event for next year that’s more music related.
“I think it’s fun to let things evolve … I just want to change it every year so it’s always a little bit different, new and exciting,” he said.
Bexley Brewfest is set to take place this Saturday, Sept. 28 from 2-5:30 p.m, with a VIP hour from 1-2 p.m. Tickets and more information can be found at bexleybrewfest.com.
