Fundraising craft beer festival moves outdoors

What: Who’s Your Daddy? Beet Fest presented by Riverview Bank featuring beer from a dozen small Washington breweries, live entertainment and barbecue from Adam’s Rib.

When: Noon to 10 p.m. June 16; taps close at 9 p.m. sharp.

Where: Turtle Place, Seventh and Main streets in downtown Vancouver.

Cost: $15, includes six tokens for 4-ounce samples and a commemorative glass. $5 for designated drivers, includes free soda and water. For ages 21 and older.

Information: Who’s Your Daddy

Maritime Pacific Brewing Company, Imperial Pale Ale

Port Townsend Brewing Company, Hop Diggity IPA

Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro, IPA

7 Seas Brewing, Cutt’s NW Amber Ale

Silver City Brewery, Ridgetop Red Ale

Naked City Brewery, Red Hop-ped Stranger

Walking Man Brewing & Public House, Black Cherry Stout

Ice Harbor Brewing Company, Columbia Kolsch Brand Ale

Salmon Creek Brewery & Pub, Weizenbock

Mt. Tabor Brewing, Red Lion Red

Plus two more that have yet to be confirmed.

If you hate going over the river to Oregon to find a brewfest, grab your tinfoil hat and head to downtown Vancouver instead.

It’s beer and history time.

Saturday’s Who’s Your Daddy? Beer Fest presented by Riverview Bank at Turtle Place will be the city’s first-ever outdoor craft beer festival.

And with 12 beers from across the state of Washington, it has a lot to offer local beer enthusiasts.

“This area is very long overdue for an event like this,” said Arlene Nuñez, owner of By The Bottle, which is organizing it. “By The Bottle always wanted to be a part of the first outdoor craft beer festival in Vancouver, and we have a lot of exclusive beers in the lineup we think people will really enjoy.”

Who’s Your Daddy? actually began three years ago as a fundraiser for CDM Services, a nonprofit in-home heath services provider. The first two events were held inside By The Bottle, raising $3,000 the first year and $6,000 the second, Nuñez said.

This year it grew too big, so Nuñez and other sponsors worked together to secure Turtle Place for the event.

“It was wall-to-wall crowded last year,” said Mike Wilson, a spokesman for CDM. “And Arlene really had a vision to do an outdoor beer fest, and we thought, what a great chance to be first.”

The charity employs about 200 people in Southwest Washington and provides heath care services to adults. It also provides an adult day center with programs for the elderly and disabled.

Nuñez said she hopes to raise $12,000 for CDM at this year’s event.

But wait. What’s this about tinfoil hats?

“Arlene and her tinfoil hats,” Wilson said, laughing.

The first event used a poster that had several hats on it, in honor of Father’s Day and the many hats that fathers wear in daily life, Nuñez said.

The phenomenon sort of morphed out of that, she said with a good-natured eye roll.

“It’s probably the most popular thing of the event,” Nuñez said. “It adds a lot of levity and fun.”

Festivalgoers are encouraged to create their own hats out of aluminum foil and wear them to Turtle Place. Prizes of $50 gift cards will be awarded at 4 p.m. in two categories: Anything Goes and Best Beer-Related Hat.

There will also be a short parade by hat wearers around downtown before the prizes are awarded, Nuñez said.

“I think I’m going to do a spin on the hat and make a wig this year — so I’m going to have tinfoil hair,” she said.

Adam’s Rib will sell a variety of barbecue and other food, and Taste The Drums will provide live entertainment from 4 to 8 p.m.

But more important than any of that is the beer, Nuñez was quick to add.

“Our festival has a real focus on small Washington breweries,” she said.

That includes selections from Vancouver’s Mt. Tabor Brewing and the first beer from Salmon Creek Brewery & Pub’s new brewmeister, Tomas Munoz, before the restaurant reopens this summer.

“All the beers we’ll have have been on our taps at By The Bottle at one point, or they will be in the future,” Nuñez said.

Five of the breweries are from the Seattle area; the rest are from all over the state, she added.

Eric Surface, owner and brewmeister at Mt. Tabor Brewing, said he’s thrilled to see Vancouver finally get a real outdoor brewfest.

“There’s no reason we shouldn’t have had this before,” Surface said. “I think there’s a lot of people excited about it. A lot of my regulars say they’re looking forward to it.”

It will also be a test of support for more beer fests downtown, such as the Vancouver Brewfest, scheduled for Aug. 10-11 in Esther Short Park, he said.

“It’s going to give everybody a gauge of where the beer scene really is down here,” Surface said.

Nuñez said she hopes at least 1,000 people turn up for the festivities throughout the day. A successful event would mean a lot to the beer scene, she said.

“I have a plea for people’s support,” she said. “For this event to be relevant, we need to be successful, and we hope we can improve it and make it grow in coming years.”