Thats great. I have been living here for a few years now and I still have yet to get out to the CNY Brew Fest. Thats all going to change this year!

If we are not up to our ears in the white stuff, perhaps I could point the wife toward the mall with instructions to pick me up later....that's a win-win strategy, and key to a successful marriage.

Oooh! a festival - look a festival!

Sounds like it is worth a feasibility review. They don't happen to have a festival web site do they?

I am having a vision of a van with several large and drunk men inside driving north toward an entertaining discussion with a humourless border troll. There is also a possibility of a coincident geezers soccer tourney in Syracuse that weekend.

Sorry - not drunk, "well festivalled".

http://www.nysfair.org/expo/event?event=115 for a few more meager details.

I am thinking of staying the hotel they call the beer can, hitting the afternoon session, heading to the Dinosaur for BBQ supper and then on to the Blue Tusk and Clark's in the evening. Then again, the second session would fill in 6 to 9 nicely. Good Lord, that is a huge amount of excellent beer.

I may call that number.

Dinosaur of course!

On the one hand, you could say 'Syracuse in FEBRUARY?', but then of course, you say 'yay! Syracuse in February!'. It is a well planned event. Those of us in Lower Eastlakia might enjoy a reaquaintance with our wild friends from Extreme Upper Eastlakia.

I went to the CNY Brewfest last year and had a great time (so I'm told)! I took my video camera and made a cute little highlight video, which you all can see on my web site posted above. Please be sure you are using Internet Explorer in order to properly view the video presentation.

I'll certainly be going to the BrewFest again this year!

~Jim

I called the number above and - besides realizing my phone is rotten for typing as I listen on the phone - found out lots of good stuff:<ul><li>this is the 11th annual event with live music and food for purchase - maybe even an on-site restaurant.<li><p></li>In past years, the first session has attracted 600 and the second is happily mobbed with over 800 in attendence.<li><p></li>The venue, the New York State Fair Horticulture Building, is the huge building facing the front entry way to the Fair across the open area where the Dinosaur BBQ sells ribs when the Fair is on.<li><p></li>This year there will be 39 brewers with on average 3 different micros or specialty beers to sample. Brewers tend to bring new brews and are eager to get crowd response.<li><p></li>There is a separate fee for each session, you get a glass for your samples. It is only open to those 21 and over.<li><p></li>In January you can order tickets from (315) 471-6588 and they take AmEx, Visa and MC. There is a discount for groups of 20 or more.</li></ul>This sounds really good. I expect our group from the north will aim for the afternoon session.

Ask for Sue. She will be in the ticket booth at the door with the pre-ordered tickets waiting.

Alan, Thanks for making it possible for people to comment on our festival!!! Bill & I would like to meet you & everyone that has been so gracious with their words, please ask for us during our gig. I would like to tell you that last year's attendance was 1,100 pp {1st sesson] & 2,300 pp [2nd sesson] If anyone is in town Friday night we will be at my BEER JOINT == Teddy's at armory square == and don't miss visiting Clark's ale house, The blue tusk, & Syracuse suds--- they are all great people!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, thanks Mick! Got the tickets today. I hope to find a moment to interview you for the blog. We Kingston folk up here are big fans of Clarks and the Tusk and SyrSuds but look forward learning even more about CNY beer. Here are some posts to date in tribute to your good town:<ul><li>Clarks</li><li>Blue Tusk</li><li>Awful Al's</li><li>The Dinosaur</li><li>Middle Ages</li><li>Galeville

Hey Alan, WE now have 50 booths with each pouring an average of 3 brews at our 11th annual CNY Brewfest . A complete list will be in next weeks Syracuse Newtimes [our local cool guide to whats happening in THE CUSE] thanks again for your help!

Forward me the list and I will do an update post as soon as I get it. Let me know anything else you can think of. One thing I would like to know is about taxis and buses. We are heading back to Armory Square area for supper and the evening. Are there buses that let us do that?

Alan, I am in Florida until sat. ,when i return to Syracuse i will make sure we find you a ride back to the sq.[how many in your party?]Bill has list at our office we could fax if we had #. tks. Mick

That is great. Just email me anything more like travel, food, music, breweries that I can put in a post update at beerblog@gmail.com. Glad to support such a fun event.

suggestion to any of the syr establishments that will be at the fest - either pouring or feeding.... bring a little flier with DIRECTIONS TO YOUR PLACE FROM THE FEST SITE... it would be sooo helpful!!!
thanks.

Re; directions from the fest [fair] rt690 east to west st. exit left on fayette st. then 2nd. right into Armory Square [22 bars] It's only 4 days away & there is a BUZZ around town in anticipation!!!! Weather should be average 24 hi, 17 lo light snow. See you all at the Fest.

Alan, It was nice meeting you & your friends! Thanks to all who attended our CNY BREWFEST it was a great success!!!!!!!! The band was outstanding & 3,700 professional beer drinkers enjoyed them as well as the 52 breweries that were in attendance. Bill & I will be making a donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. We hope you had a chance to enjoy our town as well. THANK YOU, MICK See you next year on superbowl eve.

I went to the CNY Brewfest last year. It was great. I dropped my wife off at the hotel and what a relief. We stayed at some new hotel called The Red Mill Inn which was about 10 minutes from the event. She was so occupied with watching the river that flows next to the hotel and shopping at all the little shops within walking distance that she didn't call all day. I would recommend that anyone coming with their significant other stay at this hotel. Their website is www.theredmillinn.com.