It’s not official, and you won’t find it on your calendars, but I am calling this Labor Day weekend “craft beer season” here in our reading area. If you missed the craft beer festival last week at Daniel Vineyards, don’t fret because you still have a few more opportunities to celebrate this popular and ever-growing industry.
Let’s start with The Lost Paddle at ACE Adventures in Oak Hill. On Saturday, Sept. 3, they are hosting the WV Craft Brewery Showcase. You are invited to grab a glass and take a tasting tour of some of West Virginia’s best breweries.
Tickets are $40 at the door or $30 in advance and include a commemorative glass, five tastings, and great live music on the deck all day long. Whiskey & Wine kicks off the music at 2 p.m., followed by the Long Point String Band, Matt Mullins & The Bringdowns, and The Company Stores.
If you end up having a few more “tastes” than you originally intended, ACE has you covered with plenty of cabins and campsites available for the night.
While you are there, you can also take advantage of the waterpark, ziplines, and, of course, the delicious food. The Lost Paddle is located at 1 Concha Road, and the festivities begin at 1 p.m.
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Sunday, Sept. 4, brings you yet another chance to try some great local craft beer. The Great Beckley Beer Festival 3 is happening from 3 to 7 p.m. on the Beckley Intermodal Gateway. That’s fancy city talk for the parking building.
They will have over 60 different beers from around the globe, and many from right here in the Mountain State. There will also be vendors of all sorts for you to visit, including artists, artisans, food and all things local. This is a family-friendly event, so there will be children’s activities as well.
You can’t have a festival without live music, and that will be happening all day long with Alabaster Boxer, Pink Casino, and Shelem. The $40 ticket to this event will land you more beer options than you probably need, and they even have a $10 designated driver option for those who just want to visit the vendors and see the live music. This event is brought to you by WV Collective and their partners, who have been instrumental in bringing performing arts and live entertainment to our reading area, so try to get out and show your support. Don’t forget to ask about VIP access to meet radio celebs Lola and The Snowman.
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Now let’s talk about some of the dinner and live music options on Friday, Sept 2, and some of the places you can kick off your holiday weekend.
Starting in Beckley, The Southern Three are playing at the Mad Hatter Club. They will be on stage there playing some classic country music from 5 to 8 p.m.
Also on Friday, Rendezvous River Lodge in Lansing is kicking off the Labor Day weekend with The Kind Thieves, taking the stage from 8 to 11 p.m. This is a free show, and in keeping with our theme this week, you can also find several local craft beers on tap there.
Verdeant is playing in Fayetteville at the Southside Junction Taphouse at 7:30 p.m. The band describes itself as a folk-rock band with piano lead music, filled with thoughtful lyrics.
The menu here is amazing, and they also have many unique craft beer options.
Back in Beckley, Calacino’s will be ramping up their Friday night with The Best of Times live on stage. From classic rock to country and blues, TBOT covers classic tunes that we all love, as well as some of today’s hits. Calacino’s has added a new smoker to their kitchen, and it’s pork shoulder with a choice of several sides on the menu for this event.
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Now for some dinner and music choices for Saturday, Sept. 3.
Rendezvous is right back at it with Friendly Fire live from 8 to 11 p.m. Friendly Fire is a melodic pop-rock band from Huntington, and they invite you to spend part of your long weekend with them.
Calacino’s in Beckley never lets you down on a Saturday, and this week the Makenzie Phipps Band is featured.
Maloney’s Pub in Summersville will have Ryan Smith on stage Saturday. Smith is a bluegrass singer from Fayetteville, and you can catch him from 7 to 9 p.m. If you make your way there, check out their Coliseum Sandwich. It’s a hand-sliced ribeye, mushrooms, onions, peppers and melted provolone cheese, on a grilled hoagie.
I know you are thinking that the Coliseum is just a Philly cheesesteak in disguise, but trust me, this one stands out in a crowd.
Maloney’s is located at 603 Church St. and plans to be open seven days a week starting this weekend.
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Friday, Sept 2, through Monday, Sept 5, the city of Pineville is holding its famous Labor Day celebration. This tradition has been going on for over 60 years, and it all starts on Friday evening. JB Inflatables will have water slides, bouncy houses, and more set up for the kids from 4 to 9 p.m. They will also remain open through Monday for you to enjoy throughout the entire celebration.
There will be food and craft vendors of all sorts set up Saturday through Monday, as well as cornhole tournaments, live music, and even movies in the evenings. Some of the food vendors set up will be Tropical Sno, Harvest Moon Kettle Works, Uncle Brother’s BBQ, Francie’s Sweets, and others. You are encouraged to bring your own chair so you can stay and enjoy all of this and more.
The music lineup for this event is quite impressive. Saturday, the Blue Spoke Band plays from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday, you can catch the Oceana Church of God Worship Team from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and Big Planet from 8 to 10 p.m. Monday, Shawn Benfield takes the stage from 5:30 to 7 p.m., followed by Lilly Comer from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The Pineville Fire Department invites you to stay after Monday night’s music to see the fireworks display they have planned to top off this weekend.
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On Monday, Sept. 5, the Gaines Estate in Fayetteville will be open to the public from 4 to 8 p.m. for The Monday Market. Come visit some of the area’s best food trucks, along with produce vendors, artisans, and even live music. The Gaines Estate is located at 225 W. Maple Ave. just behind Pies & Pints. For more details, or if you would like to be a vendor, you can email them at mariahleeharrison@gmail.com.
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Jimmie’s Place in Beckley wants to do its part to keep comedy alive in our area. On Thursday, Sept 1, they invite you to come try out your material on stage from 7 to 10 p.m. Stage fright? That’s OK, invite your friends out and see what kind of talent shows up.
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Enjoy your long weekend, and if you visit any of the unofficial “craft beer season” events mentioned here, let me remind you to please drink responsibly.
Please let me know about any upcoming events you would like to see in my column, or tell me about an experience you had at a local event. You can send all correspondence to events@register-herald.com.
