BY OWEN MORRIS
The American Royal is known nationwide for its barbecue festival. Now it's expanding into spirits. The first-ever Wine and Brew-Ha-Ha takes place this Saturday from 6- 9 p.m at Hale Arena in the American Royal Complex. Participants include such local companies as Boulevard Brewery, 75th Street Brewery, Weston Brewing Company and St. James Winery. There's also a keg's worth of Midwestern, national and international brewers at the event handing out unlimited(!) samples of 100-plus beers and wine.
The event is the brain-child of Jolene DeMoss, the American Royal's barbecue special events coordinator. She says she was inspired by her family's trips to the Great American Beer Festival every year in Colorado and wanted to try something similar in Kansas City. She imagined kicking it off in 2009, but when she presented the plan to the American Royal Board, they liked it so much they asked her to do it this year.
"I've been planning now for one year and fortunately, there's been a great response from the vendors," she says. "We're hoping to attract many of the same people who come each year for the barbecue to also make it to the Brew-Ha-Ha."
Tickets can be purchased for $22 in advance through TicketMaster or for $27 at the door.
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'Unlimited beer samples' is code for 'get there early.'
Hopefully the breweries learned something about KC's thirst for beer at least year's Beerfest, or there's going to be a lot of people crowded around Boulevard's area because they're the only ones not collecting empty bottles.
I'll wait until next year when some kinks get worked out.
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