To Gene Hawley, Gene’s Beer Garden is so much more than a watering hole.
“Gene’s is a bar, but it’s also like a neighborhood community center,” he said.
It’s a place for people to come together, to meet and greet — to share good times and good conversation.
So he’s excited to see the bar’s community event, Al Bonneroo — named after the bar’s owner, Al Bonner — back again this year.
Gene’s Beer Garden, nestled in the Greenmont neighborhood at 461 Wilson Ave., will host the fundraising music festival June 29. Things kick off at 1 p.m. and wrap up at midnight. There will be 13 acts in the lineup, playing both inside and in the parking lot.
Admission is $15, and attendees are encouraged to bring cash. Gene’s is known for its hot dogs — one of the many foods to be served at the festival, in addition to other food vendors as well as a wide selection of craft beers. Beer tickets cost $2 each.
Preparation for the festival began in January. Hawley, an organizer for Al Bonneroo, said the festival aims to bring people together through music.
“It really is just a great way to throw an event in the community to raise money for a good cause, but also a great place for people to connect with each other and go gather and see the fantastic musical talent we have,” Hawley said.
Volunteer and local musician Haley Slagle said she looks forward to being able to help with the event, and the others on board to help are, too.
“There isn’t another annual local music event in Morgantown and this city has such an amazing local music history, I think it’s necessary to celebrate the local musicians who make it happen,” Slagle said. “Al has always been a huge supporter of all things local.
“There are some really great local bands in Morgantown who sometimes get overlooked. This is a way for people to get to know their local music scene a little better.”
Last year, the festival raised over $8,000 for Pantry Plus More. Hawley said they hope to do equally well for Pet Helpers Inc. — the beneficiary of this year’s festival proceeds.
Kendra Barone, vice president of Pet Helpers Inc., is grateful for the effort.
“As you may not know, we are strictly all volunteers, and we have no state or federal funding — we function strictly on donations,” she said. “Our vet bills range about $180,000 a year. So fundraising is key to us helping animals, and every dollar counts and goes toward vet care for our animals.
“Without people who help us and support us, we couldn’t be able to stay around.”
But outside organizations weren’t always the ones needing help — the festival began as a way to keep Gene’s itself afloat in hard times, Hawley said.
Hawley noted that 10 years ago, Gene’s was struggling, and the festival was a way to help the bar stay in business.
These days, however, the festival is a celebration of Gene’s, and a time for people to come together “to celebrate what they think is one of their favorite things about Morgantown,” Hawley said.
“It has evolved with the times,” Hawley said. “Gene’s has personality.”
Hawley said what makes putting the festival on so “gratifying” is to simply seeing people come out and enjoy themselves — and he has seen the “whole scope” of the community attend, from children to senior citizens.
Last year, there were around 400 in attendance throughout the day, but the weather forecast will determine the crowd to expect this year.
As a townie, Hawley likes seeing the community come together toward a common goal, and Gene’s is the perfect place to do that, he said.
What’s more, it’s Gene’s 75th anniversary of being in business — the beer garden holds the distinction of being the oldest running bar in Morgantown, established in 1944.
“It’s just a great place that deserves celebrating. It is amazing to see a community come together and all pull in the same direction,” Hawley said. “Everybody is contributing their skills and expertise for something that really means a lot to them … Al Bonneroo is a great representation of that.
“Gene’s nurtures a sense of community in a way a lot of other places don’t, and I think that what makes it so special.”
