With the first official weekend of the fall season in the rearview mirror, many people are beginning to transition from the hot days of summer to the brisk days of autumn. However, for one East County town, an annual fall tradition still felt like a summer party.
The 13th annual Monte Brew Fest kicked off Saturday in Montesano. With temperatures surpassing 80 degrees and county music echoing block by block, crowds of people could be seen enjoying the festive occasion.
The event, which was hosted by the Montesano Chamber of Commerce out of Whitney’s Auto Detail, featured several different breweries, food vendors and an intense cornhole competition.
Jason Atwood, who serves as a member of the Montesano Chamber of Commerce, was thrilled by the outcome of the festival and the community reception in the first few hours.
“This has been a great brew fest so far. We got 30 teams playing cornhole, the weather is beautiful, and we have some amazing breweries keeping people happy,” Atwood said. “We couldn’t have asked for a better day. The fact that it feels too hot is great.”
Atwood, who said he was normally expecting 25 teams for the cornhole tournament, was adamant to share his excitement that the tournament had more teams even though it meant more work in organizing the winner’s bracket for the competition. He said this is the first year of the festival. They started the tournament in the early afternoon citing they had problems with the championships being played in the dark with only patio light. Atwood said the top three teams took a cash prize home with them, with first place getting $200
While many people were stationed outside soaking up the sun and watching the tournament, a vast array of people were getting their drinking game on from five unique breweries operating in Grays Harbor County.
Matt Mee, who works for Willapa Brewing Company, was ecstatic to be serving for the brew fest for the first time in several years.
“This is probably one of the coolest brew fests I’ve ever been to. I think the last time I was here was four years ago, but this event takes the cake. The people are fun, and the event just gives some really nice vibes.” Mee said.
While some people could be seen overindulging themselves in their alcoholic beverages, other guests could be seen making sure they had water and a safe place to sit while they got under control.
“This is just a great opportunity for the people of Montesano to come together and enjoy a low-key festival that is tailored to the people in this town,” said. Ann Stevenson, a Montesano resident. “It’s nice to live in a city that hosts events like this to keep the morale up.”
