Company Distilling in Townsend will play host to the annual Tennessee Winter Beer Fest Feb. 21, an event that has raised more than $266,000 to date for the New Hope Children’s Advocacy Center.
The hoppy celebration promises all-you-can-drink access to at least 20 breweries and helps fill an expanding gap in the nonprofit’s funding.
The festival’s success comes at a time when the center is relying more heavily on community fundraising.
Open since 2003, NHCAC has operated with the mission of restoring hope to abused or traumatized children and families in Blount County. They offer forensic interviews, medical examinations and ongoing therapy for victims and families.
Anna Ferrell, director of marketing for the center, said the hope is to reduce the number of people victims must tell their story to and eliminate as much childhood abuse as possible.
Ferrell said the nonprofit receives grant funding but has seen regular cuts in recent years.
Grants now only cover half the organization’s operating expenses, leading them to rely more and more on donations. In the meantime, the center has served roughly 650 families and children annually since 2023.
Todd White, president of the festival, said every dollar left over after paying expenses goes to the center.
At the Winter Beer Fest, organizers cap guest counts at 350 – a move intended to keep lines short and conversation friendly. Plenty of breweries donate their beer to the festival, increasing the cash left over for donation.
Local businesses are sponsoring the TWBF including Old Gods of Appalachia, Insurefit, The Trentham Santiago Group, Meadowlake Airpark, Green Meadow Liquor Wine and Beer experts, The Brewing and Distilling Center, The Townsend Abbey, Premier Event Rentals, The Talley Ho Inn, Little Arrow Outdoor Resort, and The Causal Pint Northshore.
Beer festivals can be a “necessary evil” for brewers, White said.
“For most, it’s not something they super enjoy, but almost to a brewer, this is their favorite event,” he said.
Tickets cost $75 (discounted designated driver tickets exist) and include free access to the beer and a catered meal from a local Townsend business. Guests also have access to discount offers on local lodging.
Those perks help drive attendance, encouraging visitors to put money into the local economy and increasing the amount left over to support the advocacy center.