By Khalida Sarwari
Wondering what the hottest ticket in town is? There may be several contenders, but arguably one of the most popular ones would be the inaugural Downtown Campbell Beerwalk on Aug. 11.
This is the first year that the Downtown Campbell Business Association is offering the event to residents, said Sonya Paz, president of the DCBA. The goal, Paz said, is “to bring attention to downtown Campbell and have people discover craft beers they may not have heard of or tasted before.”
About 20 microbreweries are participating in the event, which is sponsored by San Jose Beerwalk, a group that holds similar events throughout the South Bay. Northern California breweries will dominate the featured beers, with some from Southern California mixed in. Each will be hosted at various shops and galleries in downtown Campbell.
The breweries include Anchor, Lost Coast, Lagunitas, Strike, Rock Bottom in Campbell, Tied House, Hermitage, Firehouse in Sunnyvale, Gordon Biersch, Firestone Walker, Devil’s Canyon, Sierra Nevada, Campbell, Faultline, Los Gatos, Anderson Valley, Santa Cruz Ale Works and Mendocino.
The Beerwalk was modeled after the annual Wine Walk event, which will take place on Sept. 19, said Paz.
A ticket to the Beerwalk event gets visitors a commemorative tasting glass, a wristband and a map. They are then free to stroll through downtown and stop at retailers that are hosting the brewery of their choice. Adding to the festivities will be music on each block, from live bands to DJs, said Paz.
Only one tasting per location will be allowed, and each tasting will be limited to 3 ounces. All drinks must be consumed inside the tasting locations.
Proceeds from Beerwalk will benefit the DCBA, enabling the group to host free events in downtown Campbell year-round.
The event will take place rain or shine on Aug. 11 from 2 to 6 p.m. No street closures are anticipated.
Beerwalk is a 21-and-over event.
Tickets are $30 per person in advance or $35 on the day of the event, pending ticket availability. To purchase tickets, visit www.sjbeerwalk.com. Tickets must be picked up between 1 and 5 p.m. on Aug. 11.
