Patrons praise Fest of Ale
Annual beer festival lauded for atmosphere, offerings, charity
Mandy Zach has missed the Okanagan Fest of Ale only once in 23 years.
“I come every year. I missed one year for work and I was definitely missing out,” said the Penticton resident, who works in a seniors home.
“Friends, fun, beer, food, everything. The atmosphere here is wonderful,” she said. “I love trying all the different beers. Chronic Ale still is my all-time favourite. We always try and dress up when we come. We love all the swag.”
The 23rd annual event began Friday at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre and includes 65 different breweries, 175 kinds of beer, plus representation from 12 restaurants.
The format changed drastically about 10 years ago when the number of available tickets was limited.
“It’s way better now because you don’t get the line-ups,” Zach said.
Another significant change happened a few years ago when an outdoor patio was added.
Zach and her friends came dressed with unique sunglasses with pictures of beer glasses on the lens. Others wore crazy costumes including one man who dressed as a kangaroo.
Penticton MLA Dan Ashton, who was chatting it up with friends Bruce and Jan Johnson, praised the local event.
“I generally know most people by face when I walk into something like this,” Ashton said. “Tonight, I don’t recognize a whole lot of people and that’s great because that means there’s people visiting Penticton. This is a superb event with all of the volunteers and it raises all kinds of money for local charities.”
Bruce Johnson, a former president of the Penticton Childrens’ Charity, said he’s seen firsthand the generosity of Fest-of-Ale.
“There are about 20 worthwhile causes that are helped every year because of this wonderful event,” Johnson said. “You also see people of all ages, 19 and over, enjoying the festival.”
The two-day event, which includes live music, concludes today.