PIQUA – Join the Piqua community at the ninth annual Down a River, Down a Beer from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13. The event will be held at 919 S. Main St., and will feature 80 different craft beers to sample.

Some of the craft beers being featured include beers from Crooked Handle Brewing Co., Lock 27 Brewing, Branch & Bone Artisan Ales, The Hairless Hare Brewery, Fat Head’s Brewery, Loose Rail Brewing, Sonder Brewing, among others.

“Beer is like fashion… the popular style changes from year to year. We try to offer a wide variety of beers. We will have sours, Belgians, IPAs, wheat, lagers, fruited, etc. We hope people step out of their comfort zone and try things they never would have before!” commented Kate Tremblay, one of the co-chairs. Besides beer, there will be a variety of wines and ciders to try.

Food vendors will be available and include pizza, soda, and snacks sold by the Piqua Kiwanis Club. The Rolling Oasis food truck will also be there serving a variety of food options. There will be live entertainment performed by The Driving Force throughout the evening.

“There will be floating fire pits in the middle of the river, and are lit at 8 p.m. to bring attention and show how pretty the Great Miami River running through Piqua truly is. It is a feature only Down a River, Down a Beer offers thanks to French Oil who fabricated them and makes sure they are stored safely and maintained for this event each year,” stated Tremblay.

Tickets are $30 pre-sale and $35 at the gate, and include a souvenir glass and 20 3-oz beer samples of your choice. Pre-sale tickets can be purchased online at the organization’s website (www.downariverdownabeer.com/tickets) or in person at Readmore’s Hallmark and Mainstreet Piqua in downtown Piqua. Pre-sale tickets are cash or check only, while tickets purchased at the gate can be purchased with credit cards. Designated drivers can purchase a ticket for entry for $5.

“At this point, we have sold close to 100 pre-sale tickets already,” Tremblay said. The event last year hit a record with over 300 people in attendance.

“We would like to thank our amazing sponsors and volunteers. Without them, there would be no Down a River, Down a Beer! We would also like to thank the City of Piqua employees for their support and hard work from set-up to teardown. We truly appreciate everyone coming together to make this event successful in Piqua,” said Tremblay.

Proceeds from this event are donated each year to various local programs that “help clean the river, educate students on river stewardship, and create signage along the river and bike path for easy navigation,” according to Tremblay.

“[…] we have contributed nearly $25,000 to organizations such as Protecting Our Water Ways (POWW), Edison State Community College, and Upper Valley Career Center,” stated on their website.

Jim and Cheryl Burkhardt began the event in 2014 following a conversation on beer and beer events and festivals the couple has attended previously.