Fri 8/28 @ 6-11PM
Sat 8/29 @ 6-11PM
The Burning River Festival is a big party with a big heart for a big cause. When I think about Great Lakes Brewing Company, I think about their sustainable practices, the way the Conway brothers care for their employees, and the passion to change Cleveland embodied in almost everything the company does. And Whiskey Island, a place of natural beauty, and the old Coast Guard Station, a testament to the history of saving lives, are symbolic of our history on Lake Erie.
Find out everything you want to know about the Burning River Festival, which takes place at Whiskey Island Fri 8/28 and Sat 8/29 a month later than its traditional July dates, at burningriverfest.org. And you probably want to know that the story of the Great Lakes Brewing Company begins with two Irish brothers — Patrick and Daniel Conway — who decided it was a shame that Cleveland, once a city full of breweries, had shuttered its last brewery in the early 1980s and that there were empty spaces in an old neighborhood, Ohio City, that could house their fledgling brewery. Even though they had little experience with making beer, they opened Great Lakes in 1986, committed to creating craft beer in a neighborhood that was just beginning its revival.
There are lots of stories behind Great Lakes Brewing Company, which stages the Burning River Fest.
What is the cause? First of all, Great Lakes Brewing Company is a cause in itself. Since its inception, the brewery has spread the word that drinking local is the sustainable thing to do — if you buy their beer, you’re taking a step towards improving our environment. Their philosophy, as stated on their website, is, “We celebrate the abundance of the Great Lakes Region in every beer, dish and story we tell.” They are about “Passion for our Product, Respect Resources, Foster Relationships and Share Success.” Visit them, buy their beer and share in their vision.
Second, the Burning River Fest supports sustainability and eco-consciousness. Proceeds from the festival benefit the Burning River Foundation, which has donated $400,000 to protect the future of our waterways. The stated vision of the Foundation is “to establish Northeast Ohio as the recognized environmental leader dedicated to the sustainability of its high quality freshwater resources.” The Burning River Fest is meant to raise our awareness of ecological conservation and protection of our environment.
And this is also about saving a historical site. I recently experienced Pat Conway in person at a Cleveland Yacht Club event where Great Lakes beer was paired with food. Pat shared how he envisions Whiskey Island and the Coast Guard Station reinvigorating Ohio City and Cleveland. Right now, a collaborative cleanup and restoration effort is putting Whiskey Island and Wendy Park on the map as a natural greenspace in Cleveland’s industrial heart. The Burning River Fest celebrates the historic Coast Guard Station, the model for many that were to be built, until World War II interrupted the building. Pat is working with city officials to recreate the Coast Guard Station into a destination for music, dancing, eating, drinking and socializing.
You’ll get a taste of that at the Burning River Fest, which highlights how the 1969 burning of the Cuyahoga River heightened consciousness of environmental issues and ignited a big cleanup throughout the country. Tickets are available for purchase on-line and at the festival each day. Over eighteen musical acts will rock two stages and the space will be filled with local food and chef demonstrations, as well as stations to purchase Great Lakes beer, with the downtown Cleveland skyline as the backdrop. Support our waterways, our city’s history and natural spaces, and a local brewery with a big heart at the Burning River Fest this weekend. I hope to see you there.
burningriverfest.org
[Written by Claudia Taller]
[Photos by Anastasia Pantsios]
Cleveland, OH 44102