The third annual Mancos Valley Summer Brewfest welcomed hundreds of patrons from near and far for music, food and beer – all for local charities.
The Mancos Brewing Co. teamed up with Mancos Valley Resources to bring the event together.
“The Mancos Valley Summer Brewfest is a fundraiser for local nonprofit groups in the Mancos Valley,” Kathy Hands, owner of Mancos Brewing Co., said. “We partner with Mancos Valley Resources to host the event. They take care of the liquor license and selling liquor tickets, and I take care of organizing the event and lining up the musicians and the vendors.”
This year’s event will benefit Mancos Valley Resources, a community-based nonprofit charitable organization, as well as Mancos Farmers Market and Chicken Creek Nordic, which is responsible for 12.4 miles (20 km) of track for classic and skate-style Nordic skiing on U.S. Forest Service land near Mancos.
Hands founded the festival in an effort to benefit the community through the success of her own business.
“My entire adult life I have been involved with businesses that support local nonprofit groups,” Hands said. “So I wanted to do my own thing that would do the same here in Mancos.”
The event continues to grow each year with more exposure bringing in out-of-town patrons to the festival.
“Really, the first year, second year and third year have all been well attended,” Richard Fulton, a festival volunteer and Mancos resident said. “ It is kind of a really nice community vibe to them all and people come from all over. Every year, it gets more and more established.”
As the festival grows, so does the amount to benefit the local charities.
“We have raised anywhere from $8,000 to $10,000 the last two events for those groups,” Hands said. “We definitely have a lot of local business sponsors that sign on to help support the cost of putting on the event.”
For first-time festivalgoer Reggie Garcia, of Durango, Brewfest’s community aspect is evident.
“The festival is great,” Garcia said. “We haven’t been here for this one and we love it so far. We love the community, we love how there are a lot of different dogs here too, and love music and the beer is also good.”
For Fulton, the festival is a great way for Mancos to wind down the summer season.
“For the community, it is a nice kind of end of the year,” Fulton said. “It is great to relax before school starts and see everyone at the end of the summer.”
Bands played at Cottonwood Park, 320 Cedar St. from 1-7 p.m. They included the Lawn Chair Kings, Charlie Milo Trio, Jade Masque and The Outskirts. The Afrobeatniks led an after-party concert at the nearby Mancos Brewing Co. in its new location, 484 East Frontage Road.
Craft beer for the festival came from Mancos Brewing Co., the Dolores River Brewery, and Fruita’s Copper Club Brewing Co. Guy Drew Vineyards brought wine from local vineyards.
