Max Higbee Center will present April Brews Day at Depot Market Square in Bellingham on Saturday, April 29 featuring over 60 PNW craft breweries and bringing more than 120 different beers, including hoppy IPAs, crisp ciders, full-bodied stouts, and gluten-free options.
Max Higbee Center is proud to celebrate the 16th anniversary of April Brews Day and anticipates over 4,500 attendees this year. The event will showcase ten local food trucks, games, and live local funk music from Mr. Feelgood and the Firm Believers and Snug Harbor. The best part is the venue will nearly double in size this year to provide more space for attendees to enjoy the beer and music.
Tickets are on sale and they have been moving fast this year. Tickets are $25 for General Admission and $50 for VIP and include a collectible tasting cup and tasting tickets for beer and food. VIP ticket holders receive exclusive access to the event one hour prior to general admission and receive additional tasting tickets.
For the first time in its history, April Brews Day will be the culminating event of Bellingham Beer Week, a collaboration that highlights Bellingham’s booming beer scene. Bellingham Beer Week offers numerous events hosted by each of Bellingham’s local breweries and a few brew houses and pubs as well.
“We are thrilled to be a part of Bellingham Beer Week because our local breweries are such incredible supporters of April Brews Day,” said Kait Whiteside, Executive Director of Max Higbee Center. “We really couldn’t do this event without them.”
April Brews Day is a fundraiser for Max Higbee Center’s community-based recreation programs for people with developmental disabilities. The Center offers a wide variety of activities, including adaptive cooking classes, YMCA workouts, sports, art projects, dance classes, music events, trail hikes, and more.
“Many of the people we serve are very isolated and experience significant barriers to accessing the community,” said Whiteside. “Max Higbee Center’s programs aim to diminish those barriers and create opportunities for recreation and friendship. We would not be able to run our programs without April Brews Day, which brings in nearly 50% of our annual budget.”
April Brews Day started in 2001 with a need for funding, a wild idea about creating the first Bellingham beer festival, and a partnership with Boundary Bay Brewery. April Brews Day has grown from a handful of breweries and a few hundred people to Bellingham’s largest beer festival.
The event attracts people from all over the Pacific Northwest and the nation. This growth has been possible in part by the Tourism Promotion Grant by the City of Bellingham.
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