People from across the Okanagan and beyond flocked to SilverStar Mountain Resort Saturday to sample some of the province’s best beer and cider offerings during the second annual Beer and Cider Fest on the mountain.
Roughly 700 people bought tickets for the event, up from 500 last year, said Cassandra Zerebeski, executive director of Destination Silver Star.
“It’s been awesome, we could not have asked for better weather, and we’ve got 20 awesome vendors featuring beer, cider, ready-to-drink beverages and a couple of craft cocktails as well, so we’re really thrilled,” Zerebeski said.
Many vendors from last year’s event came back for this year’s festivities, but there were also some new faces up at the mountain, including After Dark Distillery from Sicamous and Copper Brewing from Kelowna.
Vernon was also represented at the fest, with Marten Brewing Co. and Cambium Cider Co. taking part and pouring their products for visitors. The two local vendors helped out event organizers by bringing extra product to the mountain after ticket sales jumped by about 200 from Thursday night up until the start of the fest.
The event ran from 1-6 p.m. Sept. 9 and there was live music throughout the day. A shuttle service ran between the Village Green Shopping Centre and the mountain to get people to and from the event safely.
The event was listed on the B.C. Ale Trail website, the province’s online guide to local craft beer, and Zerebeski says Destination Silver Star is hoping to get featured on the Ale Trail year round.
“We’re super thankful for all of the locals that have come out to be a part of the event and be great supporters, and we’re looking forward to making it even bigger and better next year,” Zerebeski said.
For those who missed out on the beer and cider fest, SilverStar is planning to host smaller pop-up events through the winter season to help showcase craft beer and cider products in B.C.
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