Now that summer has officially begun, it’s time to prepare for the coolest beer festival in town! On Saturday, June 25th, from 4 PM to 8 PM, the Nashville Predators Craft Beer Festival presented by ORCA Coolers returns to Bridgestone Arena. There will be more than 60 breweries represented at the beer festival, held on the arena’s Concourse Level.
Proceeds of the event benefit the Nashville Predators Foundation, which supports Middle Tennessee community non-profit groups and programs. There are only a limited number of tickets still available and the festival is 21 and up, with no exceptions. All attendees must present a valid ID with ticket for entry.
Two different ticket packages are available for the event. General admission tickets are currently $65 and $75 at the door and VIP tickets are currently $125 and $150 at the door. Both packages include a souvenir glass, unlimited tastings and a voucher for a ticket to a 2016-17 Monday-Thursday Nashville Predators home game in September or October (excluding Opening Night) located in the Upper Bowl. VIP tickets also include a VIP check-in and a special VIP tasting area in the Lexus Lounge that includes food and special craft brews. Designated driver tickets are also available for the event ($65 for lower bowl Preds ticket, $30 for upper bowl ticket), which include complimentary soda, water and a Preds ticket voucher.
Photo Credit: John Russell/Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators Senior Director, Community Relations Rebecca King previews the fourth annual Nashville Predators Craft Beer Festival. When asked what the coolest beer festival in town means to her, she replied, “It’s hot outside and this event is held in the heart of downtown, but inside one of the coldest buildings in Nashville. Typically, one that houses an ice rink. What makes this event even cooler is the opportunity to come back in the fall and watch a Preds game.”
When asked what’s new for the event in 2016, she had this to say: “We brought on ORCA Coolers as our title sponsor, which is a great, local company. They’re going to have some activation at the event. Our VIP area will have local craft-brewed beer. Previously, we had Belgian and bitter beers, but this year we’re going local. I talked to Jackalope and they’ve been peeling peaches from The Peach Truck for some creative beers for people to try.”
According to Ms. King, there will not be any changes to the paper balloting for attendees to vote for the Best Brewery competition this year. The winning brewery with the most votes receives a trophy at the event (which is a beer tap handle, made out of an NHL hockey stick), along with a guitar with the event logo on it and gets the opportunity to pour their craft beers at several Nashville Predators home games in November of 2016. For two out of the past three years, Jackalope Brewing Company has won the award and will be hunting for their overall third award.
Other new additions for the beer festival include new tasting glasses, as well as new baseball-style souvenir t-shirts. There will be a variety of food and entertainment options taking place at the event, including the NHL draft, which will be shown throughout the building on the various television sets.
“We’re excited. This is one of our favorite events,” Ms. King added.
With the additional excitement of the Predators competing in last year’s NHL playoffs, tickets to the event should be in high demand. “Our cap is 2,500 and I think we will get pretty close to that. Each year, attendance numbers make a jump. I think getting two events for the price of one is a nice perk. In addition to a beer fest, you also get a hockey ticket.”
In May of this year, the Nashville Predators Foundation handed out more than 100 grants totaling $450,000, which is the largest one-time allocation in history for the organization, and that doesn’t include the $200,000 donated toward pediatric cancer research, the different KaBoom projects throughout the city, the high-school scholarships donated for students to attend college and a variety of other programs.
Established in September 1998, the Predators Foundation aims to meet the educational, social, health and cultural needs of the community by offering unique resources and financial support to local youth-oriented organizations. Last year, the organization donated more than $1 million in cash to community organizations during the 2015-16 season and overall has awarded more than $5 million to the greater Nashville community.
For More Information:
– Nashville Predators Craft Beer Festival Ticket Information
– Nashville Predators Foundation