Taste New Beers for Charity -- Classic City Brew Fest, Athens, GA

The Classic City Brew Fest is the Southeast's largest indoor beer festival. It is coming to the Classic Center in Athens, Georgia on April 5, 2003. Attendees will sample 160 beers from around the world and hear live Jazz and Blues.

The Southeast's largest indoor beer festival, Classic City Brew Fest, will attract beer aficionados from several states who will enjoy open sampling of over 160 of the world's greatest beers on Saturday, April 5, 2003 from 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Held in the huge exhibit hall of Athens' Classic Center, the festival will allow attendees to experience over 30,000 square feet of beer. Brewers will be on hand to discuss beer styles with the public, and over sixty brewing companies from fifteen different countries will be represented. The event is presented by Terrapin Beer Company, Taco Mac, Center Stage Catering, and Brewtopia Events.

Live music will be provided by the Ultrasound Jazz Band and the Rough Draft Blues Band.

A portion of each ticket sale will benefit the client services and education efforts of the only HIV/AIDS service organization in the ten counties of northeast Georgia -- the AIDS Coalition of Northeast Georgia (ACNG). ACNG is a nonprofit, community-based agency committed to meeting the needs of northeast Georgians affected by HIV/AIDS through direct client services, advocacy, education, and outreach programs. The Athens-area Emergency Food Bank and Athens Humane Society will also receive funds from this year's Brew Fest.

Last year's Classic City Brew Fest drew a record crowd of 3,000 beer lovers who came to learn about, taste, and appreciate the hand-crafted ales and lagers. Attendees at the 2003 fest can also enjoy food, non-alcoholic drinks, music, and great beer-related door prizes and giveaways throughout the day. People will roam from booth to booth tasting samples of all the varied beers and ciders -- all for one ticket price. A huge beer t-shirt and collectibles booth will allow attendees to purchase items to take home.

"If you enjoy flavorful foods, why not drink flavorful beers?" says Brew Fest founder and director Owen Ogletree. "Drinking nothing but light beer is like condemning yourself to eating nothing but fast food hamburgers the rest of your life. Experiment with different beer styles and try to find new favorites with flavor and personality." Brew Fest will give attendees just that opportunity to learn and experiment.

Admission is $21.50 plus tax in advance and $25 plus tax at the door. Tickets are available in Athens at

- Classic Center Box Office, 300 North Thomas Street
- School Kids Records, 264 East Clayton Street
- Five Points Bottle Shop, 1655 South Lumpkin Street
- Normal Brew Shop, 1383 Prince Avenue

and in the Atlanta area at

- Beer Necessities Homebrew, 9850 Nesbit Ferry Road, Alpharetta

Last year's Classic City Brew Fest sold out, so tickets should be purchased early. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.ClassicCityBrew.com or by calling (706) 254-BREW.