By Hayden Seder
Father’s Day is this coming weekend and for those unsure of how best to celebrate, two local events offer good times for a good cause: the 5B Father’s Day Bash & Chili Cook-Off and the Sun Valley Brewfest. Both events are family-friendly and all proceeds benefit local organizations.
5B Father’s Day Bash & Chili Cook-Off
Put on by the Hailey Fire Department with help from The Chamber – Hailey & the Wood River Valley, this annual event pairs delicious eats with fundraising for a good cause. On Sunday, June 16, from noon to 4 p.m., on Carbonate Street next to the Sun Valley Brewery, come decide who makes the best chili and also enjoy beer from Sun Valley Brewing Co.
Tickets to this event are $10 and include eating all the chili you want. This year, the fee to enter the contest is being waived so contestants can spend that money on making more chili, as many cooks have run out of chili in previous years.
There are a number of categories for chili, including General Public, Restaurant, and Public Safety. When attendees purchase a ticket, they will receive a tasting wristband and tickets to vote for various categories. Chili cook-off winners receive trophies as well as bragging rights for the year.
Attendees can also buy a pint glass (an additional purchase to ticket price), which comes with a free beer. All the money from this event will be split between the Hailey Fire Department and the Hailey Fourth of July celebration. Music will be provided by Michaela French.
“This is a great family-friendly, community-focused event,” said Mike McKenna, executive director of The Chamber – Hailey & the Wood River Valley. “It’s the perfect way to celebrate Father’s Day—cold beer and hot chili in the beautiful backdrop of downtown Hailey and all to support the two great causes of the Hailey Fire Department and the Fourth of July celebration.”
Sun Valley Brewfest
Now in its sixth year, the annual Sun Valley Brewfest is Ketchum/Sun Valley Rotary’s biggest fundraiser. Held at Town Square in Ketchum, the $25 admission price gets attendees unlimited beer samples and a souvenir pint glass for the first 1,200 people. Proceeds go to the Ketchum/Sun Valley Rotary Club, which uses the money over the course of the year to donate to local organizations and nonprofits like The Hunger Coalition, The Advocates and Holiday Baskets.
Attendees to Brewfest on Saturday, June 15, can spend the hours of 12 to 6 p.m. exploring the 37 brewers, including locals Sawtooth Brewery, Warfield Distillery & Brewery, Sun Valley Brewing Co. and Hayden Beverage. Several award-winning brewers from this year’s International Beer Awards—hosted by the North American Brewers Association—will be in attendance, including gold medal winner Bella Brewing from Garden City, silver medal winner Mad Swede Brewing Co. from Boise, silver and bronze medal winners Payette Brewing Co. from Boise, and more.
“Brewers come from all over the region, but the majority are Idaho brewers,” said Holden Morgan, Brewfest chairman and Ketchum/Sun Valley Rotarian. “Brewers come from Montana, Jackson Hole, east Idaho, Idaho Falls, Victor, Utah, Oregon; it’s really kind of a Northwest sampling of great breweries.”
Morgan says they expect about 1,600 people this year, a huge increase since the roughly 500 that showed up to the first Brewfest six years ago. He estimates that over $150,000 has been raised for local charities over the lifetime of the event.
Aside from just great beer, attendees of the event can expect food from the food trucks of KB’s Burritos, Sawtooth Brewery, The Smokey Bone BBQ, and Diavola, and the Mason family’s pizza truck. There will be water stations, ice cream at Leroy’s stand, a DJ, and fun games like cornhole, giant Jenga and Hammerschlagen.
“We’re really proud we’re able to do this,” Morgan said. “It’s getting to be one of the really important festivals for the local area. Our mantra is: We’re not only a ski town, we’re a beer town.”
New this year is the opportunity to buy tickets to Brewfest online before the event, which will automatically enter the ticket buyer into a raffle. Two winners will be announced during Brewfest with a first prize of a 2019-2020 Sun Valley ski pass, courtesy of Sun Valley Resort, and a second prize of a free two-night stay for the 2020 Sun Valley Brewfest, courtesy of Alpine Lodging.