We’re Funk’d: Thank You, Re-Cap and Reflection
Almost three months ago the Springdale, Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers, and Night Shift crews embarked on a crazy journey to create a weekend-long festival, from scratch, in seven weeks time. It’s now been three weeks since #WereFunkd, and we can finally breathe a little and look back on what was a crazy ride. Between the Sour Stroll on Saturday and the festival Sunday, we are all thrilled to announce that we raised over $10k for Easter Seals MA, the National MS Society and other great causes!
When we first announced that we were hosting a festival, we really had no idea what form it would take, or what the response would be. It was a gut decision, and one made before realizing just what we were getting ourselves into. We had never put on a festival like this, and with such little time to plan, we really weren’t sure how it was going to turn out.
Gradually, though, the details started to fall into place. We were able to book the Boylston Schul-Verein, an epic location for an outdoor beer festival. Brewers and colleagues we have long admired agreed to participate, and started to send us some seriously epic beer. We amassed an impressive and diverse list of participating breweries not only from the Northeast but from all over the country. And in a memorable moment during the Sour Stroll the night before the festival, we realized we had actually sold out of all tickets!
July 9th, the day of the festival, was sunny and warm. As the crowd of 850 started to gather we finally got to appreciate how special this day was going to be for all who attended and volunteered. The Macrotones had us grooving, and Daddy’s Bonetown Burgers, Moody’s Deli and The Brewer’s Fork all supplied delicious eats to keep the party going.
While we see the inaugural #WereFunkd festival as a huge success, we do see plenty of room for improvement in future years. We also see a framework that we can build off to make “We’re Funk’d” a true destination weekend for sour beer lovers around the country.
We are truly thankful for the support of the brewers, bars, band and venue for making this weekend a success. We loved sharing great beer and better stories with all who attended. Until next year we’ll be hard at work brewing, blending and staying Funk’d!
