Here are 2 things to do this weekend in Johnson County, including a beer festival in Coralville
Amana Colonies proved that fun doesn’t stop for the cold with Winterfest last weekend.
This weekend, Coralville and North Liberty continue that mission with an annual beer festival set during the winter and a series of outdoor activities embracing the season.
Here are two things to do this weekend in Johnson County.
BrrrFest in Coralville
Coralville’s annual winter beer festival returns Saturday after a hiatus in 2021.
BrrrFest celebrates 10 years. It began in 2012, committee member Lynn Snyder said in an email to the Press-Citizen.
“We are honoring Jake Simmons, who started Backpocket Brewing, this year as it was his idea back in 2011 to have a winter indoor beer tasting event,” she said.
BrrrFest brings out Midwestern breweries, including Iowa City-area familiars like ReUnion Brewery and Wild Culture Kombucha, for an afternoon of beer sampling.
Proceeds from BrrrFest benefit Coralville’s 4thFest and the Iowa Brewers Guild. Snyder said that the Veterans Liberty Center in Iowa City will receive all profits from the festival’s mug sales.
Masks will be available and hand sanitizing stations will be present at the event.
You must be at least 21 to attend. A photo ID will be required to enter.
There are 60 breweries attending, and 12 are new to the event, Snyder said.
Here are some of the participating breweries:
Brightside Aleworks is based in Altoona. Molly and Andrew Frana, founders of the brewery, began their brewing journey in 2011 as homebrewers. Three years later, the pair opened a brewery and taproom in Altoona. In 2017, they founded Brightside Aleworks. The brewery will offer its Perk Up (Crème Brûlée) dessert beverage, Swipe Right pastry sour and Wild Magic pastry sour at BrrrFest.
Aaron Ickes is the founder of Nerdspeak Brewery in Bettendorf. The brewery, which opened in 2021, is about having craft beers in a “retro atmosphere,” according to its Instagram page. Nerdspeak Brewery was born from Ickle’s “nerdy comments” and interests, capturing that in the beer can’s designs and the brewery’s décor. The brewery will offer its Belgian style beer Dubbel Dragon, I Aim to Misbehave stout, It’s All in the Reflexes citrus IPA and a German style of beer Kolsch Meow at BrrrFest.
The brewery began in 2009 in Knoxville, with a location there and in the East Village in downtown Des Moines. Peace Tree Brewing Co. gets its name after a historic meeting place for Native Americans and traders, a sycamore tree, at what is today Lake Red Rock. In 2021, the Des Moines Register reported the brewery’s launch of beers under its War Tree label, which would differ from Peace Tree’s usual offerings. The brewery will offer its Get A Little Hazy IPA, Lake Loop pale ale, a raspberry sour and Red Rum red ale at BrrrFest.
Firetrucker Brewery, established in 2014, was built in an old fire station in Ankeny. It was founded by Dan Heiderscheit, Neil Zaugg and Scott Kaven, all home brewers before coming together and creating Firetrucker Brewery. The brewery will offer its Acova Black Walnut brown ale, Arson Oatmeal stout, Brigade golden ale, Burnout brown ale, a wheat ale and Tropical Burn Mango IPA at BrrrFest.
Visit BrrrFest's website for a full list of participating breweries and a list of featured beers.
Before the festival, join Backpocket Brewing for a BrrrFest preparty from 9-11 a.m. Saturday.
A ticket to this event includes an all-you-can-eat breakfast and samples of the BrrrFest Dark Day German Chocolate Cake stout and Maple Syrup BA Waffle stout.
Tickets for the preparty are $30. Backpocket Brewing is located at 903 Quarry Road in Coralville.
BrrrFest is located at the Hyatt Regency Coralville Hotel & Conference Center exhibit hall at 300 E. Ninth St. The event starts at 1 p.m.
General admission is $40. Tickets can be purchased online.
North Liberty’s Beat the Bitter
North Liberty is keeping the community busy with Beat the Bitter, a series of events starting this weekend for those looking for fun during the wintertime.
Beat the Bitter begins with a kickball tournament Saturday at Penn Meadows Park, located at 170 N. Dubuque St. People are invited to register a team of 9-12 players, bundle up and participate in the game.
There will also be a free family day on Sunday called Fire & Ice hosted at Penn Meadows Park.
From 4-7 p.m., there will be horse-drawn carriage rides.
There will also be an ice sculpture walk, a community bonfire and a fire juggling and fire breathing performance. The festivities complete with a 15-minute firework show starting at 8 p.m.
Marcos Grilled Cheese and Paco's Tacos food trucks will have food for purchase.
Here are all the Beat the Bitter activities:
Winter Storywalk: Jan. 28 through Feb. 28
North Liberty Lights: Jan. 29 through Feb. 27
KICK Winter in the SnowBALL: Jan. 29
5k-ish Glow Run: Jan. 29
Fire & Ice: Jan. 30
Ice Sculpture Walk: Jan. 30
Fireworks: Jan. 30
Ice Fishing: Feb. 5
Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Reach her at PBarraza@press-citizen.com or (319) 519-9731. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Things to do around Iowa City this weekend, including BrrrFest
