Clay Street really goes live for Aug. 23 VOLKSFEST

Remember when I said I'm new on the board and have been to all of 2 meetings? I can't answer all of the questions posed (I asked some of them myself when I first heard of things), but from the way I understand it, Todd's explanation is close. The rules by which the committee had to operate seem to have changed from previous years, and one of the issues was that the person they dealt with for years at the "OFFICE" (as someone else put it) was out on an extended leave, and no one else they spoke with gave a consistent answer. Agreed, the rules governing liquor licensing and sales are arcane and inconsistent at best, but when planning for an event is already well underway, you have to adjust - and I think that is what has occurred.

I agree that it is a shame how much of this year has turned out, and I wish I had more answers. Given that I tend to be a largely positive person, I believe there is common ground to be found - as Roger, David, Todd and others have valid points - and hurt feelings aside, time will tell. It is good, and important, to hear where everyone is coming from. I (and many other new people involved for the first time) can't make up for what has happened in the past, but I know I am glad to see the commentary and discourse that we can hopefully learn from and apply constructively.

lots of laughter

you mean that the laws governing liquor in Jefferson County really are subject to the whim of whomever is in the "OFFICE"

this is hilarity at its finest

i'm just playing devil's advocate here, so please don't take offense

How long have the plans for this event been underway?
How many years has BATZ been serving beer to the public?
How many times have the rules for this event changed?

and no one is calling SHENANIGANS on the liquor police or the BATZ organizers

on a positive note
perhaps you can attempt to change the current legislation by informing the folks that come to the BATZ with an informational pamphlet containing the contact information for their local and state government representatives and why the current laws should at least be clarified if not completely rewritten
and perhaps this could be helpful to the local brewers and engender a spirit of cooperation with the potential Brewers Guild by supporting an issue near and dear to the beer lovers' hearts

the potential members of the potential Brewers Guild should probably consider the various issues affecting the BATZ as reasons why they should use their collective powers for the GOOD of BEER

anyway
2 more of my cents
shawn

When it comes to festivals, beer lineup changes are inevitable.

For Volksfest on Saturday, Great Lakes Oktoberfest is a scratch. It turned out that the local supply had been allocated, and we couldn't tap into it (and rightfully so -- they belonged to someone else, anyway). The best substitute we could find on short notice is Samuel Adams Oktoberfest, from Boston Beer ... now, after Anheuser-Busch's merger, the largest American brewer. Wow.

On the micro side, Barley Island begged off owing to boiler problems that have left the Noblesville IN brewer pretty short on stock. NABC will be throwing substitutes into the fray and taking three taps instead of two.

Here's the revised lineup.

INSIDE THE BBC TAPROOM
All current BBC draft selections will be available, including favorites like APA, Amber (Alt), Dark Star Porter, Nut Brown, Jefferson’s Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout and others. Check the selections at BBC’s web site for further details.

OKTOBERFEST TRAILER
BBC Main & Clay Oktoberfest
Hofbrauhaus (Newport) Oktoberfest
Schlafly Oktoberfest
Samuel Adams Oktoberfest
Brooklyn Brewery Oktoberfest

MICROBREW TRAILER
BBC-St. Matthews Heine Brothers’ Coffee Stout
Browning’s St. Hildegard Helles
Cumberland Cream Ale
NABC Elector all day
NABC Croupier all day
NABC 1/4 bbl. of Elsa (Imperial Pils) from 2-7 pm (or blown) followed by NABC Hoptimus (one 1/2 bbl)
Upland Dragonfly IPA

I don't know what all of the Hubbub is about... Sounds like a tasty beverage lineup to me....

Me and the misses will probably be in attendance(I get the very rare Saturday night off) but I will be more in the mood for a Street Party..Not for the pontification of whose hops and barley came from where and why this brew is different from that one...

Good Music and a Good time is what I'm looking for......(As I drink a Tetley's from an Imperial pint)

Headed down there now. I hope the beer is cold, because it is HOT out!

Well, I had a good time. [/end post ]

The facts of my excursion to the corner of Main and Clay in downtown Louisville:
I enjoyed the BBC Oktoberfest, New Albanian Croupier, Upland Dragonfly, and the Summit Oktoberfest.
I enjoyed Brigid Kaelin's set.
I enjoyed hanging out in the middle of Clay St. with a number of good friends, some acquaintances, and hundreds of other Louisvillians that were cordial, behaved, and excited to be there.

My longer analysis (speaking to the BATZ v. Volksfest debate; and more):

I've never been to BATZ. I was going to buy tickets last year, but a friend talked me out of it citing issues with crowd control, product distribution, and limited supplies. He said to enjoy the zoo and to enjoy the breweries, but not to do both on the same day at the same location. Made sense to me. So more now about Volks, with BATZ left behind.

The best word to describe Volksfest, at least last night's version, is "organic." The event seemed to have a really natural vibe to it, starting with the location (in the middle of a single "downtown" block) and the cost (free admission). I liked that it was not a "pay-one-price sampler event," because such events tend to lead to crowd control issues and also general public drunken behavior. Not only did I see a limited number of intoxicated folks, but, more importantly, it seemed like many, many people were discussing beer - with friends, with the people at the beer tents, with all the people wearing brewery shirts. I also appreciated the "refill ticket idea" as compared to an admission fee, as it allows all people to participate at whatever financial level they can (even poor graduate students). Sure, I could have had a few more drinks. I also would have regretted spending that money. Not having those additional drinks in no way affected the enjoyment I had.

I think both Roger and David will be happy to hear that it seemed that much education and sharing was occurring. In talking to a friend from Milwaukee on the phone last night during the event, I described it as a "premiere event to welcome the local microbrewed Oktoberfest beers." I'm not sure if that is the best way to describe it, but I do think that 1)the crowds were allowed to learn about and drink from a number of local breweries in one location; 2)the breweries were able to present a unified event that showed they are interested in working together, and 3)although drinking was the featured draw, the event actually turned into a "community gathering" that featured beer and other things. I liked some of the other things - Brigid Kaelin, for example. I didn't like some of the other things - thought the movie awards sent the event in an odd direction, for example. [The movie idea was cool, in general. A summer "in the street" beer and movie event would be cool, I think.] What I really liked was the amount of "random people" I talked to. Seems like anyone and everyone can be friends over good, craft beer.

I also liked the mug. I appreciated the thought went into the mug, as the handle kept my warm hand from warming my beer too quickly. The handle also lowered the chance of dropping a drink from the Gods - an important consideration on a very hot and sweaty day. The mug was the best substitute for glass, for sure.

Cheers to the organizers. FTR, I enjoyed the Croupier above and beyond all the other offerings I tasted.

P.S. I left around 10pm. So if anything happened after that, it is not covered in my "review."

Thanks for the spot-on review. Volksfest had a fine vibe, and incorporating a few of the suggestions offered, it should be improved next time around.

I'd like to add that my first three hours outdoors in yesteday's stifling humidity were spent at the Zoo, and judging from the crowds I saw, all seemed prosperous there.

I ran out of gas circa 10:00 pm and missed the movie. There's always Netflix.

I thought last night went very well and people certainly enjoyed the Fest of the People! I actually had a booth and was able to talk to numerous folks and only heard good reviews! This event will get only Bigger and Bigger and will have to close down a few more streets...Congrats to all at BBC and NABC as well as George from Louisville Film Society and all the restaurants who participated! Roger it was nice meeting you last night!!!

Thanks to everyone who attended our first Volkesfest. To echo some of Matthew D's comments; The strongest and reoccurring comments I heard on the street were organic, energy, and good vibe. If you didn't come you missed a diverse group of well behaved people. Through the evening we had not only brewery reps. but the actual brewers from all our great local breweries, including Louisville's own Eileen Martin (ex-Silo & Brownings) from Upland in Bloomington.

I had the pleasure of bar tending in the Tap Room and meeting a whole group of new people. I also set a new Tap Room record for most amount of ice water poured in one day. We dispensed 120+ lbs of ice through the course of the day only with water, the food vendors outside had the soft drink market.

Again, thank you to all that helped make Volkesfest a success. I can't wait for version 2.0!

But make no mistake: Dave, Scott and the BBC Main & Clay crew brought the event together. Congrats, beer dudes.

We went down fairly late, after coming in from the fair. It was a great time and a great vibe, as others have said - mellow and fun and inclusive all at the same time. A wide range of ages and activities plus visible but mellow security officers made it feel safe and welcoming at the same time. There was a free photo booth, free music and movies. We weren't there during the film awards, so I can't speak as to whether they seemed out of place. I will have to say the movie being projected on the building opposite was a cool idea, but suffered in the technical execution department.

But it didn't matter. Literally every single person seemed to be having a good time, and everyone was talking about how successful an event it seemed to be, given that it was organized and publicized on such short notice.

Here are some pictures I took in and around the warehouse:

I didn't show up until 9pm, but it was a laid-back vibe the entire time I was there. Getting to see the 48 Hour film fest winners was very cool and inspiring. And to top it off, the closing band played "Lovelight" as the final song! A great way to end a very successful street party.

I'm already looking forward to next year's Volksfest.

Great job to everyone involved in the event. Very laid back and diverse crowd. We enjoyed great beers and great conversation.

I loved the BBC video commercials. If BBC Nut Brown does regrow hair in 30 days, I am hooked!

The gumbo from Cafe Lou Lou was excellent, loved the short lines for beer. I was very impressed that everything went as smoothly as it did in such a short planning time.

Being at Volksfest early on, there was a good atmosphere and a nice array of Octoberfest choices. One disappointment was that there were actually no big chewy German pretzels. If nothing else food-wise, please have the pretzels (as advertised). The head-scratcher was having bean bag toss, because frankly that's what it is. It seemed not really appropos, considering.

Oh the joys of being an event organizer. Can't seem to please everyone.

I "voted" against the movie idea, while someone else said it was a good thing. Now there's a vote against cornhole ("bean bag toss"), while I don't see the harm of a casual drinking game that could be easily avoided/ignored if one so desired. It's cheap, social entertainment - if nothing else.

Different strokes for different folks. In the big picture, "everyone" seemed to like the overall idea and implementation. I guess we have this forum to discuss the smaller details that amount to personal preference.