Explore the Bankers Hill Art & Craft Beer Festival this Friday

San Diego and craft beer; a combination that is close to the hearts of many. According to WestCoaster, there are currently 136 operating brew houses in the city. With such an impeccable variety, it can be tough to sample them all. That’s where beer festivals come into play.

There are a wide variety of beer festivals throughout the city all year long. While some festivals come and go, The Bankers Hill Art & Craft Festival is here to stay. This year marks the 5th year the event has taken place, and organizers have made sure to stay true to the festival’s roots.

“Bankers Hill has several amazing restaurants and a quickly growing art scene, and of course San Diego is the best beer town in America, so it makes sense that an art and craft beer festival would be a perfect way to attract San Diegans to Bankers Hill,” said Jake Sutton, Director of the Bankers Hill Business Group. “We are proud to say that we started doing this event before the explosion of all the San Diego beer festivals.”

The event, put on by the Bankers Hill Business Group in partnership with the San Diego Brewers Guild, has a goal of promoting local breweries, restaurants, and artists. In 2012 the event started very small with about 200 attendees. The Bankers Hill Art & Craft Beer Festival has grown quickly and nearly 500 people are expected this year. “There are a couple components that have stayed the same over the years: we continue to host the event at The Abbey on Fifth Avenue, which is an architecturally significant and historic venue, and we truly feel that our participating restaurants, breweries and artists have always been first rate,” said Sutton.

Guests are invited to share in the festivities this Friday, March 31, 2017 from 6 – 9 pm. Join hundreds of art and beer aficionados and enjoy a range of San Diego breweries and Bankers Hill restaurants as well as pop-up galleries from local artists. Tickets are affordable at only $30 per person and will grant guests access to complimentary pours from fifteen San Diego breweries and tastings from Bankers Hill restaurants. Beer tastings will be available from Resident Brewing, Hillcrest Brewing, Karl Strauss, Gordon Biersch, Thorn Street, Pizza Port, Coronado Brewing Co. and more. In addition to beer, complimentary tastings will be served by Bankers Hill restaurants.

“Bankers Hill is a hidden gem of a neighborhood,” Sutton said. “We border the west side of Balboa Park and there are countless beautiful places to walk and enjoy, plus we have a quickly-growing business district. Street parking is abundant, so a person can easily visit and take a walk up and around Fifth Avenue to discover new restaurants, art galleries, boutiques, fitness studios, spas, historic architecture and more. This area is thriving and beautiful and worth visiting again and again.”

The event is unique for a three big reasons.

First, you not only get beer tastings, but you also get food. That’s a rarity at many beer fests. Sample dishes from restaurants including Cucina Urbana, The Corner Drafthouse, Mister A’s, Wet Stone Wine Bar, Barrio Star, Pizzicato, Hornblower and more.

Second, local artists will be showcasing their work, adding a cultural aspect you find missing in may events. Guests can look forward encountering interesting artwork while they sip and savor – discover a variety of artwork from paintings and photography to a succulent garden art. Attendees can also meet the artists, all while enjoying San Diego craft beer.

Lastly, the location. The Abbey is one of San Diego’s most historic buildings. This 10,000 square foot venue, according to their website, was built in 1910 by master architect Norman Foote Marsh in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. The Abbey was originally the Park Place Methodist Episcopal Church. By 1984, the building was renovated and became the popular restaurant, “The Abbey.” To date, The Abbey is believed to be the only classical-revival structure still standing in San Diego. It’s classic stained glass windows are still in tact and can be admired today.

Jake Sutton explains the Bankers Hill Art & Craft Beer Festival as “the most intimate beer festival in San Diego.” Come see for yourself this Friday.

The Bankers Hill Art & Craft Beer Festival is a 21+ event. Tickets are available at www.bankershill.ticketleap.com/acbf2017.