A Call For Volunteers!

The Midwest Brewers Fest (MWBF) needs capable and enthusiastic volunteers before, during and after our annual festival, which will be held on August 24, 2013 at Plainfield’s Riverfront Park. The third annual MWBF will feature more than 60 breweries and over 150 beers. Last year, we attracted over 3,000 guests and expect more this year. Each volunteer shift has a limited number of open slots. If you register for a shift, you are expected to report for and work your shift. If you fail to report for your shift(s), you will be excluded from volunteering in future Fests.

We are in need of volunteers for each setup day – Wednesday, August 21 through the day of the Fest, to provide support for the day of the Fest, to pour beer, and to help clean up afterwards. Volunteers who support two shifts Wednesday through Saturday’s first shift will be given enough Fest Bucks to purchase entry into the Fest free of charge. Volunteers who support our second shift on Saturday or who pour beer will be given admission to our post-fest after party in lieu of Fest Bucks. The after party will feature beer on a limited pour basis from the MWBF and other incentives. Volunteers for the pouring shift (11:15 am to 6:15 pm) must either be Basset certified, or commit to attending/ completing a Basset certification class. The MWBF is sponsoring a Basset class with the Plainfield Police Department on Tuesday, August 20, 2013, at 5:30 pm. Volunteer pourers may also complete Basset certification on their own by going to http://bassetcertification.org/.

MWBF also supports our local organizations, including business and social organizations. For each volunteer who signs up from a local Plainfield organization, the Fest will donate $25 to the local organization for each shift worked. Independent volunteers will receive $25 in Fest Bucks for each shift worked. Entry into the Fest will require $50 in Fest Buck for volunteers. Please indicate in the comments section whether you are volunteering in support of a local organization and the name of the organization.

 

TL;RD?

Volunteer to help the day of the fest, and you will be able to attend the after-party, that evening, where you can drink all that beer that was served that day.  For Free!  …put a little effort in and get a lot out!

 

Sign Up Today!

http://midwestbrewersfest.org/addVolunteer.php

HB630 IS LAW!!!!

PALE, I just received a call from Senator Holmes Office and they stated that Governor Quinn was signing HB630 into law TODAY, July 5, 2013!

The ILGA website should be reflecting that sometime in the next day or so.

Ladies, Gentlemen, Thank You for all your help with this.

…and in case you are unclear about that this means…

– We can LEGALLY have Homebrew at our private Club meetings.

– We take LEGALLY take our homebrew to our private picnic at the end of this month.

– …and most importantly, PALE is bringing Homebrew BACK to the Midwest Brewers Fest!!!!

We will announce details about volunteering for the PALE Homebrew Booth at the Meeting, as well as information on donating beer to the event!

Illinois HB630 Heading to the House Floor for a vote!

Illinois Homebrew Alliance (IHA) Call to Action

If you are a homebrewer, or you are a friend with a Homebrewer, please take a moment to read this. The Vote is scheduled for this week, so the sooner you call, the more impact you will have!

The IHA has been working to draft a bill that will change Illinois Law to codify existing practices and expand curtailed rights for Homebrewers.

The bill that was drafted, House Bill #630 (HB630) was negotiated with a group called the Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois (ABDI) over the last few months. The bill, while not perfect, gets us a number of things that we as Homebrewers want. Among them are:

– Homebrew Tastings will be legal (again) at Beer Festivals such as, oh, I don’t know, the Midwest Brewers Fest!
– Homebrew will be legal to consume in any location where commercial beer can be consumed. (so long as you don’t share it with the public). The park, tailgating, Ravinia, …a Homebrew Club Meeting… all become officially legal.
– The fermenting of Homebrew becomes legal at any Homebrew Shop willing to allow it.
– Homebrew Shops, if they get the insurance for it, are allowed to brew their own homebrew and serve samples to customers.

To get this bill passed, we need you to take 15 minutes out of your day and make two telephone calls.

– Visit IllinoisHomebrew.org, locate your Illinois Senator & Illinois Representative on the website, click on their name, locate their Springfield Office phone number and call it.
– Tell the person the phone “My name is YOUR_NAME_HERE and I am calling to ask you to support House Bill 630.” If they ask your address and name, be sure to provide it so they can confirm you residency.
– Tell your friends, family, and neighbors to make the same phone calls!

That is it. You have done your part to help ensure the passage of House Bill 630. Thank You and Congratulations, go open a Homebrew in celebration!