Kiwanis AleFest invites you to celebrate their annual festival at home, with an exclusive 8-pack to help raise money for local charities.
Founded in 2015, the Kiwanis AleFest is a volunteer-run fundraiser organized by Kiwanis Prince George as an annual signature event to support local children charities and Ronald McDonald House. It typically takes place in Prince George in January each year and has grown to be one of B.C.’s most highly anticipated annual beer events.
The annual event usually includes two beer festival nights along with brewmaster dinners and cask events. Tickets sell out in minutes, according to festival organizer Jamie Cunningham, a volunteer with Kiwanis Prince George. And it’s all for a good cause — AleFest brings in about $70,000 for the Ronald McDonald House and other local charities.
Proceeds from an exclusive 8-pack will go to charities
This year, they’re bringing the festival to your living room and raising money for local charities by donating the proceeds from an all-new 8-pack, which includes one beer each from 8 Northern BC breweries.
“It was apparent by spring 2020 that we were not going to be able to host Kiwanis Alefest in 2021,” said AleFest organizer Jamie Cunningham. “However, we felt collectively that if there was a time that the breweries needed a little extra attention and people needed a little bit more happiness, it was this year. This project has been so much fun to plan, and the cherry on the top is that all the proceeds go to the Ronald McDonald House BC and Yukon, and charities that support kids and families in the North.”
Cunningham said she travelled across northern BC last summer.
“I visited every brewery and sat down with them to pitch the idea,” she said. Cunningham asked them all to produce a unique beer for inclusion in a special 8-pack of cans.
For Craig Outhet, brewmaster at Wheelhouse Brewing in Prince Rupert, it was a no-brainer. “Wheelhouse Brewing has participated in the Kiwanis Ale Fest in Prince George every year since it started in 2015. It’s a joy to attend this well-run festival,” Outhet said.
“Wheelhouse Brewing is happy to give back and support the Prince George Kiwanis charity by participating in the 8-pack super pack!”
These limited-edition, never-before-canned beers will be available for sale at breweries and liquor stores throughout Northern and Interior BC beginning on Friday, January 29, 2021.
The 8-pack includes one beer each from the following breweries (listed in geographical order from west to east):
- Wheelhouse Brewing (Prince Rupert)
- Sherwood Mountain Brewhouse (Terrace)
- Smithers Brewing (Smithers)
- Trench Brewing & Distilling (Prince George)
- CrossRoads Brewing & Distillery (Prince George)
- Barkerville Brewing (Quesnel)
- Three Ranges Brewing (Valemount)
- Mighty Peace Brewing (Fort St John) in collaboration with Iron Road Brewing (Kamloops) and Smithers Brewing (Smithers)
For info on the beers check out these two Instagram videos featuring tastings with the brewers themselves:
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Virtual Events
The BC Ale Trail’s Virtual Hoppy Hour will showcase the beers on Thursday, January 28 at 6:00pm on Instagram, followed by a Virtual Tasting of all eight brews on Friday, January 29 at 7:00pm, co-hosted by Aaron Johnson, the Cascadian Beer Podcaster, and me.
Kiwanis AleFest Prize Pack
It’s been a tough year for everyone in Prince George, and Kiwanis wants to support the city’s great local restaurants – many of whom have supported Kiwanis AleFest since the beginning. In addition to buying the 8-pack, Kiwanis is encouraging folks to #SupportPG with a chance to win a Kiwanis AleFest prize pack. For information on how to enter the contest, visit the Kiwanis AleFest site.
One lucky winner will win an amazing prize pack valued at approximately $270 that includes: two tickets to Kiwanis AleFest 2022, four Kiwanis AleFest beer glasses, and a $100 gift certificate to one participating downtown Prince George establishment of your choice. The draw date is March 2nd, 2021.
Bring the party home!
The Kiwanis AleFest planning committee, breweries, restaurants, and volunteers are going to miss partying with everybody this year! To help make 2021 more of an all-around experience, they have reached out to all of the breweries and requested their favourite songs to play in-house or while brewing. Visit www.kiwanisalefest.ca/turn-it-up/ to check out the free Apple Music and Spotify playlist. (Please note the playlist is recommended for a 19+ audience!)
