editorial What an event the BrewSki was!

The James C. Frenette Recreational Trails at the Tupper Lake Golf Course were packed with skiers, snow-shoe users, walkers and even a few fat tire bike riders Saturday for what we figure might have been the best BrewSki yet.

Even the 94 year old creator of the town’s popular multi-season trail network which is named after him was there skiing that day with daughter Margaret and son-in-law Paul O’Leary.

A brand new event for the town’s recreation director, Laura LaBarge, after the chamber of commerce leaders handed over their events to the town this past fall, it’s staging was flawless, in our estimation.

Participants waited in a line that stretched almost 100 yards back from multiple processing tables in the large admission tent, next to the now heated pro shop.

Inside the pro shop Lion Cindy Lewis was selling her club’s annual BrewSki 50-50 tickets and Councilwoman Mary Fontana was peddling souvenir Brewski clothing. When she ran out she started taking orders to be produced and mailed to the happy BrewSki crowd.

There was no pushing or shoving in the long line outside, only smiles and an upbeat mood of happiness being outdoors and ready for an afternoon of recreation and dozens of types of tasty craft beer from 16 beer-makers across the region. Only one brewer scheduled to be there didn’t make it.

Throughout the four-hour afternoon there were long lines at each vendor- sometimes 75 to 100 people deep, but no one was complaining. All of them eager to sample the next craft beer.

Three Februarys ago, the chamber of commerce’s BrewSki, on the eve of COVID, participant numbers topped 1,500. That unusual February day the mercury topped 40 degrees F. and the sun shone brightly. It was like spring had arrived early that day. Last year’s crowd was much smaller when frigid gale-force winds blew through the area and kept many BrewSki fans away.

This past Saturday was different. A typical February day that began early about minus 20 degree F., the mercury eventually rose by mid-afternoon to about 20. It was overcast. People came dressed for the weather.

While the town recreation department’s attendance numbers don’t seem to indicate it, we think Saturday’s crowd topped the best-attended BrewSki three years ago. The place just looked busier than in the past.

And there were more parked cars on Country Club Road than we’ve ever seen before. They stretched from above the golf course all the way to John and Patti Gillis’ place at the bottom, near the state highway. Cars were also parked on Schugar Lane and Tamarac Road and just about anywhere someone could squeeze in their vehicle.

When we arrived about 11:45a.m. we couldn’t believe the number of cars lining the town road already, and they hadn’t reached the bottom yet.

Parking was kept to the downhill side of the town road and well marked with the loaned signage the Tupper Lake Sportsmen’s Club uses so well to keep parking in check for their often 1000-angler Northern Challenge each February. Club volunteer Alan Imlach laid out all the signs early Saturday morning, so all directional markings were in place when people started to arrive shortly after 11a.m.

“We wanted to make everything as safe as possible when it came to parking.” Her dad, whose is her town assistant, Bill Cote, has over 20 years of law enforcement experience and in public parking and his experience proved invaluable to that part of the planning.

The recreation director said the town highway department was able to push back the snow banks so that there was room for one-side parking and for oncoming vehicles to move up and down the road during the event without major difficulties.

One happy group in the parking lot from Rochester were snacking “tail-gate” style-all with bright smiles and some mustard on the faces-while they waited for BrewSki to start.

Organizer Laura said the she thinks in the past the chamber organizers capped admission at 1,000 beer-drinking participants who pay for the full ticket. Non-drinkers and youngsters who come not to imbide but to just enjoy the day always flesh out the crowd bringing it to 1,500- for example in 2020.

Her town team capped ticket sales this year at 1,200. Of that number, 1,100 were pre-sold before the event. Tickets sold for $25. The non-beer drinking crowd, pushed total numbers to about 1,500- by Mrs. LaBarge’s count.

The number of brewers was up from last year’s number of 13 and Laura hopes to draw more next year.

In preparation for her first time hosting of the event, Laura and helpers tracked every pre-sale ID before any lanyards were handed out Saturday. “We were checking passports and other IDS from provinces in Canada, California, Colorado, Florida. Plus Virginia, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut- from many places all up and down the east coast.

Some were already visiting in the area but many came here expressly for the BrewSki.

It’s strong evidence the event is gaining traction across the country among craft beer fans who love recreation between beers.

Standing at the fire near the Raquette River Brewing station we met two couples who had driven up from Virginia just to attend the event. “When we left it was 73 degrees F.,” one man laughed. It was at least 80 degrees difference at noon at the course.

A half a mile or so up the trail we met four young bucks, swilling the beer from tiny lanyards at another beer station. They drove here the day before from Boston.

One of them, a computer guy, had just launched a start-up company this year. “So you’ll be rich next year when you come back?” we asked him. “Or broke!” he answered with a knowing smile of his risk.

Mrs. LaBarge’s only disappointment with the attendance at her first crack at BrewSki was a local turnout which she called “pretty small.”

We too noticed the absence of familiar faces, with the exception of Laura’s many volunteers.

A goal for next year is to boost the locals numbers, she said, adding she feels more people here would really enjoy the event if they gave it a chance. More promotion of BrewSki locally might be the answer to drive local numbers up.

For next year’s BrewSki and the Field Day event she pioneered last July, she hopes to draw more locals as both volunteers and participants.

“I want more local folks to enjoy our events too each year.”

She said she spent recent months talking to people who have helped run the BrewSki in the past, and those who have attended them here and from the brewers who have exhibited.

In past events it was commonplace for some of the brewers to run out of product. To make sure that didn’t happen this year Laura asked them to double the number of kegs they were going to bring “and we paid them more this year” that they had ever been paid here before.

Each brewer was paid $400 this year. For most of them it made their visit here worth the trip, over and above exposing their products to a new crowd. Each brewer also received a $50 meal voucher at a restaurant in town, which helped spread some extra cash around town that evening.

Mike Reandeau, the Swiss Kitchen’s hardworking chef, said they were jammed with visitors over the weekend and happy about it.

Many of the BrewSki visitors headed to Raquette River Brewing to taste how well Tupper Lake makes its beer. Mickey and Claire were there to entertain the crowed. Some apparently hit P-2’s as well, on owner Michelle’s invitation out front.

The winter event was made safer for some of the attendees by the presence of Mac’s Safe Ride which shuttled locals from their homes to the event, to an after-BrewSki party and back home. We don’t know how many took advantage of that great service but we hope many people did. Hopefully too some of our local moteliers pointed their guests to Mac’s- Tupper’s unique “get home safe” program.

We ran into John Gillis riding one of the town tracked vehicles as he was hauling wood to the fire pits at each vendor stop.

The town board’s point man on the BrewSki, having been a part of it with his trail grooming team from the start, he figured the event filled all or most of the town’s motel rooms, as well as many short-term rental properties here.

Laura brought a cadre of volunteers to help her run the BrewSki- many we had never seen before helping at major events. Many were her family members and friends, including her two best friends, Melissa DeVirgeles and Katie Drasye, who she said always have her back.

Understanding that volunteers are always in short supply, she admitted Monday she is trying to come up with a way for volunteers to be paid a small stipend when they help- either in the form of cash, gifts or other incentives.

From a personal stand-point as a novice event organizer and “a small town girl from Tupper Lake,” she said she was stunned by Saturday’s turn-out. “For that amount of people to come to our town on a very cold Saturday was amazing to me!”

She also said she was also amazed at all the “positive energy” the event generated. “No one was miserable; no one was complaining. -And these were people before they were drinking, talking to us while they were waiting in line. They were cheering as they waited to go in and I found that fantastic!”

Laura is working this week on another town event, “Cards Against Potter,”- a Harry Potter themed adults-only game night at Raquette River Brewery Sunday. She’s also working on plans for an adult prom in May at the Tupper Lake Golf Course restaurant.

We hope Laura will continue to be stunned and amazed by the crowds her town events attract as she moves forward in her new career bringing more and more visitors to our community. Kudos to her and her helpers on a fantastic BrewSki.

-Dan McClelland