With new programming, Stumptown Ales hopes to serve Fairmont more than beer

Nov. 2—FAIRMONT — In the months since its summertime opening, local brewery Stumptown Ales has become a staple of Fairmont's bar and nightlife scene.

Now, with its anchors in place, the brewery is expanding into community programming, from recurring book clubs to team trivia nights.

Coupled with the same high-quality service, Stumptown Ales hopes the new programs can help spearhead a revival of fun and community engagement on Fairmont's East Side, according to bartender Sarah Hutson, who oversees many of the brewery's events and programming opportunities.

One of the bar's first moves into events and activities was the creation of its monthly book club — an idea sparked by an outpouring of support from regulars at the brewery's first location in Davis, West Virginia. "We thought it would be a great idea to have here as well," Hutson said.

"It's taken off," she added.

Just months after the venue opened, "we're already on the fourth book." Hutson said that 12 to 15 individuals attend each session.

The bar has also expanded into more eccentric activities, such as tarot card readings, Halloween handouts and, soon, pop-up kitchens hosted by local chefs, Hutson said.

The bar has also looked into advocacy opportunities, last month hosting a period product drive in partnership with Planned Parenthood. The drive aimed to connect West Virginia women and girls in need with complementary, community-sourced period products.

The bar's latest announcement is "Stump'd" team trivia night, slated for Nov. 7 in partnership with Morgantown-based Crafted Events. "It's something a lot of folks have been asking about particularly," Hutson said.

Previously, Stumptown Ales had been hesitant to make its foray into the world of team trivia, because another local bar, the Rambling Root, hosted trivia nights. But with the Root's recent closure and an uptick in interest from community members, "everything kind of fell together at the right time" to begin hosting trivia, she said.

These events and initiatives will mark the beginning of Stumptown Ales expanding beyond just serving drinks to members of the local community, Hutson said.

For the brewery's team, developing community programming is a way to breathe new life into Fairmont's East Side, and restore residents' excitement to get outside and get involved in their community.

"There's not a lot of events over on the East Side like this," Hutson said. "There's clearly a lot of hunger for community events, and particularly ones that are regularly occurring."

Hutson emphasized that the brewery will always serve beer, but that it hopes it can be more than just a bar for its regulars.

"Obviously, craft beer is great. We love it. People love it," she said. But we want "to have more to do" and "foster that sense of community here on the East Side."

Ideally, that means bringing members of the local community together, and helping patrons forge connections with one another.

"People can come in and meet other people in the community," Hutson added. "A lot of people grew up here, but there's also people that have moved to Fairmont, and we want to help people meet new people."

Hutson said that the bar's reach has extended beyond Marion County, too. Patrons drive all the way to Fairmont from Harrison and Monongalia counties to participate in the book club, which uplifts local business, she said.

"It's really fun just to see it all come together in that way," Hutson said.

For the team at Stumptown Ales, receiving so much support and attention from people across North Central West Virginia is a testament that they are doing something right.

"It's been really cool to see how welcoming Fairmont has been for a business like ours," Hutson said. "Folks have been so supportive."

Likewise, Hutson said she and her coworkers appreciate community feedback, and new ideas from patrons for events and activities that can help the bar grow.

"People coming in and offering suggestions and things that they want to see" shows "their support and their desire to see us do well," she said. "It's so delightful to see. People will be so passionate about Fairmont and about the East Side."

"They want to see Fairmont be successful," Hutson said.

Reach Jack Walker by email at jwalker@timeswv.com.