DOWNTOWN — The South Loop, a neighborhood teeming with new breweries, has a new beer festival on tap.
The South Loop Beer and Cider Festival will debut Aug. 6 at Chicago Women's Park & Gardens, 1801 S. Indiana Ave. Many details are still being worked out, but about 40 breweries are expected to pour samples, said Tina Feldstein of the Prairie District Neighborhood Alliance.
The festival is the latest addition to the South Loop, where brewers including Vice District, Motor Row, and Baderbrau have popped up in recent years.
An annual Motor Row Beer & Wine Fest debuted last year on South Wabash Avenue, and Baderbrau is throwing a "block party" on Memorial Day weekend to celebrate its arrival to the neighborhood. The three neighborhood brewers are expected to participate in the new beer and cider festival.
"That’s why we’re doing this event: we really would like to show that the South Loop is a niche area for breweries," Feldstein said. "This kind of event is proven to be very popular."
Tickets aren't on sale yet, but Feldstein expects general admission will cost $49. That price would cover an unspecified number of samples. VIP passes, which would cost about $20 more, will also include food and an extra hour at the festival.
Feldstein said the festival will last about five hours and include guided tours of the landmarked Glessner and Clarke homes nearby in the neighborhood's historic Prairie District.
Proceeds will go to the Prairie District group and its future events.
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