Hoppy times in Westmont: Annual Winter Beer Festival set for Saturday

The Westmont Park District’s fifth annual Winter Beer Festival will feature more than 50 beers from breweries across the area.

The event will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at Ty Warner Park, 800 Blackhawk Drive.

Tickets can be bought in advance on the Westmont Park District website.

VIP admission is sold out, but general admission and at-the-door admission still is available at $50 and $70, respectively. Each ticket includes 20 4-ounce pours from a wide selection that features not only beers, but ciders and seltzers, said Luke Wyss, event coordinator and the park district’s superintendent of recreation.

“There really is something for everyone and what we try to focus on is bringing new breweries and food every year to make sure we’re providing what people want,” Wyss said. “We’ve always had great feedback on how intimate the event is and that’s something I think makes our fest unique.”

Wyss said the intimate nature of the Winter Beer Festival gives patrons a chance to talk to brewery owners and learn more about the beers they are sampling. The event draws between 750 and 1,000 attendees. Wyss said about 25 breweries from the area will be featured.

Many attendees are Westmont residents, but Wyss said it’s not unusual for folks from surrounding communities such as Downers Grove, Woodridge, Naperville and Hinsdale to mix in.

For participating breweries, the event is an opportunity to reach customers outside their area, said Emily Slayton of Skeleton Key Brewery.

“We don’t do a lot of fests, but we always make it a point to do this one,” Slayton said. “The breweries are always well-curated and the event is always well-organized. It’s just one of those events where everybody always has such a great time.”

Skeleton Key Brewery, located at 8102 Lemont Road, Suite 300, in Woodridge, has participated in the event since its inception and plans to continue doing so, Slayton said. They plan to serve two beers at this year’s fest – “Don’t Blink,” which Slayton described as a Scottish export beer with hoppy and malty nodes, and “Friends Don’t Lie,” a dry, hoppy pale ale.

For those who want to attend but also plan to drive, the fest offers a designated-driver admission option for $10, which includes free nonalcoholic beverage options.

“Being hosted by the park district, this event isn’t out to make a profit,” Wyss said. “We really just want to bring people together and give them a chance to get out, try some new beers and be with friends, and that’s what this is all about.”