MONUMENT, Colo. — The third weekend of September saw crowds pour into Limbach Park in Downtown Monument to take part in an annual beer, wine, and spirits festival now known as Monument Pours in the Park.
Until this year, the festival was known as Bines and Brews, a reference to the stems on which hops grow and also the history of the event which dates back more than a decade to when Monument local Rick Squires grew hops on his property and invited local breweries to participate in a competition to brew 'fresh-hop' beer.
Watch more on the festivities News5 reporter Jon McMichael captured in the video below:
Following a couple of years of this initial, friendly competition, Squires turned to the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce to create and organize an annual beer festival, which took on the name Bines and Brews; over time the festival grew to include other beverages (wine, moonshine, whiskey, non-alcoholic drinks).
Eventually, Squires moved on from growing hops and the Tri-Lakes Chamber reports that hops stopped being grown in the area. To reflect that change and as well as a shift in drinking culture, the Chamber renamed the event this year to Monument Pours in the Park.
"It's still rooted here in Monument. It's a libation festival, and it started with beer, but due to our drinking culture shift and people wanting more options, we have expanded our beverage options," stated Abigail Leger, event planner for the Tri-Lakes Chamber.
The event sells a maximum of 400 tickets and the Chamber reports that this year saw nearly all of those tickets purchased.
"I love, personally, getting to create a space where people are coming for something positive," added Leger. "They're building meaningful connections, and they are supporting our community and maybe, hopefully, walking away feeling a lot more positive about where we live."
The Tri-Lakes Chamber reports that a small percentage of proceeds is directed towards Silver Key Senior Services in Monument.
___
Child Shot Thursday Morning in Colorado Springs, Suspect Arrested
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
