The third annual Hoptoberfest organized by Hopkinsville Brewing Co. has new partners this year and an expanded schedule of activities running Friday and Saturday.
“This is the first year we have invited all of downtown to get involved with us,” brewery co-owner Kate Russell said.
The autumn festival will center mostly around the brewery property on Fifth Street between Main and Virginia streets. Downtown partners involved this year include Hoptown Chronicle, Milkweed Health and Harmony Emporium, Main Street Tavern, The Local, The Mixer, the Hopkinsville-Christian County Public Library, the Museums of Historic Hopkinsville-Christian County and Griffin’s Studio.
Every year there’s a new beer release, and Hoptoberfest 2020 is an “amber lager with a malty, light sweetness,” Russell described. She said it is her favorite beer. Russell and co-owner Joey Medeiros doubled the batch this time.
Another highlight of the weekend is the annual Beards of the Brewery on Saturday. Anyone interested in competing can enter in advance by emailing Medeiros (joey@hopkinsvillebrewingcompany.com) or by signing up at the brewery between noon and 4 p.m. Saturday. Brooke Jung, executive director of the local Convention and Visitors Bureau, will emcee the contest. Judges are Medeiros, Roger Tison and Daphne Shivar. Tison is a hair stylist and employee of the brewery. Shivar, also a stylist, works at The Hair Studio.
Last year, the beard contest had 15 competitors.
A Hopkinsville trivia contest, sponsored by Hoptown Chronicle, will occur during breaks in the beard competition. Several prizes donated by local businesses and organizations will be awarded. The trivia questions are about local history and downtown.
Russell said organizers are encouraging social distancing and masks to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Arranging for the city to block Fifth Street beside will allow for more distancing, she said.
The museum has organized a scavenger hunt for Saturday. It starts at the museum, and the cost per team is $8. Teams will be hunting for puzzle pieces at various locations downtown, said Alissa Keller, executive director of the museum.
Friday’s activities will include:
- 3-7 p.m.: Halloween/Fall Canvas Painting Party at Griffin’s Studio on Sixth Street
- 4 p.m.: Hoptoberfest 2020 new beer release at the brewery and three downtown restaurants (The Mixer, The Local and Main Street Tavern)
- 5-7 p.m.: Haunted Library at the Hopkinsville-Christian County Public Library on Bethel Street
Satuday’s activities are:
- 10 a.m.-1 p.m.: Stroll, Sip and Shop on Fifth Street, including booths by The Mixer (coffee and pastries), Main Street Tavern (hot chocolate and dessert), The Milkweed Health and Harmony Emporium, Hopkinsville Convention and Visitors Bureau, M.B. Roland and Casey Jones distilleries, Hopkinsville Downtown Renaissance and the public library (pop-up book sale)
- 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Downtown Scavenger Hunt at the Pennyroyal Area of the Museum, East Ninth Street
- 2 p.m.: Stein-Holding Contest at the brewery
- 5 p.m.: Beards of the Brewery competition at the brewery
- 6 p.m.: Black Cat Cadillac playing live music at the brewery
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
