The Moorpark Morning Rotary Foundation hosted its second annual Beer Festival on Friday night. All of the proceeds will be used to benefit Moorpark schools and community organizations.
Even at $50 per ticket, Rotary had pre-sold over 700 tickets as of last week.
It's obvious that despite the economic downturn, people were still in a charitable mood.
At 5:30 p.m., the gates opened and people started to pour into the event staging area located next to the train station in Moorpark's historic downtown. Live music, provided by five bands who were slated for the evening, was the perfect soundtrack to the affair. There was a wide array of food to accompany the many beer-tasting booths: tacos, tri-tip, and hotdogs were among the comestibles available to pair with the brews.
The event drew a huge, jubilant crowd ranging in age from those in their early twenties to a handful of octogenarians.
According to one event attendee, John Peate from Thousand Oaks, "I wish they had events like these more often. Maybe once a quarter? Or even better, once a month!"
Peate, who had only tasted brews at half of the booths said his favorite pick so far was the Delirium Nocturnum, a "unique and refreshing" darker ale.
Jim Rauschenberger, a local, thought that the Karl Strauss "Octoberfest" hit the spot. "It was great with a nutty aftertaste," Rauschenberger said. "None of that cough-syrup-like aftertaste that some of the beers have."
It appeared like there was something to suit everyone's taste: a raspberry wit, lemon wheat ale, coffee-flavored stout, and a standard IPA were among the many brews offered.
Tim Esseff, from Moorpark, thought that the festival was a boon for the city.
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"It's good for Moorpark," Esseff said, "There's room for improvement, but it's only the second year. I hope they continue to bring in more popular
microbreweries. Maybe next year, this [staging area] will be the food court, and the street will be blocked off and hold the actual festival."
Patch spoke with Rick Krone, who ran one of the booths. Krone's booth was devoted to home brew, a hobby which he had started roughly two years ago. "My son, who's up in the Bay Area, was doing some home-brewing. He has a great palette, and he got me interested in it," said Krone.
Although Krone's operation is still small (he makes 5 gallon batches out of his home in Moorpark), he'd like to eventually be able to sell his products. "Right now, I just make them at home with kits that I get from all over the place. I donated my beer to this event because it's a good cause. I don't sell yet, but I'd like to one day,"said Krone.
The event kicked off the beginning of Moorpark Country Days which will continue through October 1st. The Country Days parade will be held in the morning, followed by a street fair and entertainment along High Street, the main artery of Moorpark's Historic Downtown.
Check out a . For more information about Moorpark Country Days, visit
http://www.moorparkcountrydays.com.