Wild West Brew Fest[/caption]
Four years ago the Katy Rotary Club was looking for an innovative way to raise money for Katy ISD programs and local charities, said David Loesch, the chairman of the Wild West Brew Fest.
After a trip to the Breckenridge Beer Festival in Colorado, members of the Katy Rotary Club decided to put together their own brew festival, Loesch said. Now celebrating its fourth year, the Wild West Brew Fest is taking place at Katy Mills on May 2 with more than 200 kinds of beer and live music from country music artists J.T. Hodges and Curtis Grimes.
"The first year we had 17,000 people and raised $17,000. We gave $7,000 to charities and held $10,000 to host the next event," Loesch said. "The second year we had between 25,000 and 28,000 people and gave $17,000 away. Last year, 44,000 people came, and we gave $60,000 away."
Some of the organizations that have benefited from donations are Katy Christian Ministries, KISD after-school programs, Rainbow Room and Casa de Esperanza, which helps young children in crisis, Loesch said.
"There will be a launch party [on May 1] and a VIP lounge [on May 2] featuring beer from Texas breweries and distributors," Loesch said. "We'll have 280 taps—all craft beer—and four bands, two of which have Texas No. 1 singles."
Loesch said BeerYeti.com named Wild West Brew Fest the second-best beer event in the country. It's second only to the largest beer event in the country, the Great American Beer Fest in Denver, he said.
"What makes us different is we're a 100 percent nonprofit event. We donate all our time, [and] we don't take any fees. We need all the help we can get," Loesch said.
Designated drivers can purchase discounted tickets, and several hotels in the Katy Mills complex are within walking distance of the festival and offer a group-rate discount May 1 and 2.
Wild West Brew Fest[/caption]
Four years ago the Katy Rotary Club was looking for an innovative way to raise money for Katy ISD programs and local charities, said David Loesch, the chairman of the Wild West Brew Fest.
After a trip to the Breckenridge Beer Festival in Colorado, members of the Katy Rotary Club decided to put together their own brew festival, Loesch said. Now celebrating its fourth year, the Wild West Brew Fest is taking place at Katy Mills on May 2 with more than 200 kinds of beer and live music from country music artists J.T. Hodges and Curtis Grimes.
"The first year we had 17,000 people and raised $17,000. We gave $7,000 to charities and held $10,000 to host the next event," Loesch said. "The second year we had between 25,000 and 28,000 people and gave $17,000 away. Last year, 44,000 people came, and we gave $60,000 away."
Some of the organizations that have benefited from donations are Katy Christian Ministries, KISD after-school programs, Rainbow Room and Casa de Esperanza, which helps young children in crisis, Loesch said.
"There will be a launch party [on May 1] and a VIP lounge [on May 2] featuring beer from Texas breweries and distributors," Loesch said. "We'll have 280 taps—all craft beer—and four bands, two of which have Texas No. 1 singles."
Loesch said BeerYeti.com named Wild West Brew Fest the second-best beer event in the country. It's second only to the largest beer event in the country, the Great American Beer Fest in Denver, he said.
"What makes us different is we're a 100 percent nonprofit event. We donate all our time, [and] we don't take any fees. We need all the help we can get," Loesch said.
Designated drivers can purchase discounted tickets, and several hotels in the Katy Mills complex are within walking distance of the festival and offer a group-rate discount May 1 and 2.
