Another Wild West Brewfest Record!!

Proceeds and turnout set another Wild West Brewfest record in Katy

Drawing another record number of participants, this year’s Wild West Brewfest also earned a record amount to benefit Katy-area youngsters.

“This event continues to amaze everyone, and we have many people to thank, from our patrons, sponsors, the City of Katy and the Rotary Club of Katy. The 2016 Wild West Brewfest generated over $140,000, up from $85,000 in 2015, which will all be given back to worthy causes in and around our great city,” said David Loesch, the event’s chairman. “This event continues to be the premier Brewfest in the City of Houston and far beyond thanks to the tireless efforts of the Rotary Club of Katy and all of our 400+ volunteers. A big shout-out goes to all of our sponsor – the sponsors really make it happen,” Over 7,300 attendees helped push the Brewfest into record numbers. “We were proud to win the #1 spot for the Best Brewfest in the Country and the most desired to visit in 2016 by BeerYeti.com,” said Loesch. “We wanted to live up to the expectations set forth by our sponsors, patrons, volunteers and our club. All of this drives us to do the best job we can while keeping the end goal, which is giving back to others. ”

Loesch said that with the support of our sponsors and patrons, the Wild West Brewfest surpassed expectations for 2016. “This means we can give a tremendous amount to Katy area nonprofits. The event has gotten so big we started setting up on Tuesday and didn’t finish until Friday afternoon. It is important to note that we are all volunteers. We donate our time and capital to make this event the best it can be because we are passionate about beer and helping others,” said Loesch. The festival, held Saturday, April 23rd, began with a sold-out Launch Party for over 1200 people on Friday evening sponsored by the City of Katy, one of the many entities and businesses that supported the event. With the expanded space located at Katy Mills Mall, the event had over 130 brewers this year bringing over 630 different types of beers, which is up from 350 in 2015.Security for the event was organized by Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Senior Patrol Deputy Freddie Bautista, who has headed the security detail since the Brewfest began. “We had no incidents,” Bautista said. “The crowd was really well-behaved. Every year it’s just getting bigger and bigger,” said Bautista, who noted there were about 30 paid peace officers at the festival. “We have several officers who come back year after year to work the Brewfest. We have officers from the Fort Bend and Harris County Sheriff’s Offices, from Katy Police Department, Waller County Sheriff’s deputies, Hempstead Police Department and the University of Houston Police Department.” According to Kayce Reina, Katy’s Director of Tourism & Marketing, “This event continues to be one of the signature events for the City of Katy. We are pleased to sponsor an event that gives so much back to our city and our citizens,” said Reina. “This is the third year the city has helped sponsor the Brewfest, and we look forward to doing so again in the future.”

Security for the event was organized by Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Senior Patrol Deputy Freddie Bautista, who has headed the security detail since the Brewfest began. “We had no incidents,” Bautista said. “The crowd was really well-behaved. Every year it’s just getting bigger and bigger,” said Bautista, who noted there were about 30 paid peace officers at the festival. “We have several officers who come back year after year to work the Brewfest. We have officers from the Fort Bend and Harris County Sheriff’s Offices, from Katy Police Department, Waller County Sheriff’s deputies, Hempstead Police Department and the University of Houston Police Department.” According to Kayce Reina, Katy’s Director of Tourism & Marketing, “This event continues to be one of the signature events for the City of Katy. We are pleased to sponsor an event that gives so much back to our city and our citizens,” said Reina. “This is the third year the city has helped sponsor the Brewfest, and we look forward to doing so again in the future.”