The organizers of the first annual Bier & Musik Festival had lofty goals. When the idea was conceived earlier this year, there were thoughts of a big fall festival, with lots of craft brewers on hand and some big name headliners.
While that didn’t come together, they’ve still put together a big day of entertainment that they hope will lead to something bigger in the future.
“This year will be a smaller version so we can sit down and plan appropriately for a larger version,” said Jean-Marc Laflamme, one of four organizers of the event.
Bier & Musik Fest will take over the Powder Springs Hotel this Saturday, Oct. 13, with events in McGregors, the Last Drop and on the patio. Mount Begbie will be the featured brewery and Shane Philip and Vortex will headline the night’s festivities.
The festival is being organized by Laflamme, Joey Norsworthy, Randy Jones and Scott Duke.
The idea is to tie it into Oktoberfest and create a large festival that can pump some tourist dollars into the Revelstoke economy during the slow shoulder season, Laflamme said.
“Let’s get together and with 3-400 people and multiple brewers and some fantastic music over the course of one day in a very, very, needed month, in October when things are especially slow we get together and push some money into the community,” said Laflamme about the idea behind the event.
What’s on tap for the day? The McGregor’s room will be turned into a beer hall, where Mt. Begbie will be serving up their assortment of brews and DJs Ray Ray and Marty Beats will play music. On the patio, local duo 45 Minutes will be playing during the day.
At night, new local band Classically Spun will kick off the festivities. They will be followed by Nelson’s Vortex, an improvisational electronic group that blends old school funk, disco, house and modern electronic beats, using both instruments and DJ techniques.
Shane Philip, a Revelstoke regular, is the headliner. The one-man-band plays drums, guitar, didgeridoo and more to create a rhythmic dance beat.
Over the next year the organizers plan to create a bigger event that they hope will turn into an annual destination event. This year will serve as a warm-up.
“Everyone likes Oktoberfest,” said Laflamme. “It’s a great time of the year to try to inject some money to kickstart the winter season and it really falls nicely with beer and music in a modern way.”
Bier & Musik Fest is free from 12-8 p.m. Afterwards, entry will be $20 if you buy your ticket in advance, or $25 at the door. For more information, visit www.beerandmusic.ca.