MORGANTOWN — If beer and desserts are your favorite guilty pleasures, get ready to indulge — and help out a worthy cause in the process.
On March 16, Mountain State Brewing Company will present the 2019 Morgantown Cupcake and Craft Beer Fest, which benefits Empty Bowls Monongalia.
In 2018, Morgantown’s The Cupcakerie and Mountain State Brewing Company came together with the idea of pairing sweet treats and cold brews as a way to support a local nonprofit. For 2018 and 2019, Empty Bowls Monongalia, an organization combating hunger in Greater Morgantown, was selected as the event beneficiary.
“As soon as both businesses approached us with the idea, we were excited to make it happen and our first year could not have been more successful,” said Empty Bowls Volunteer Coordinators Mike and Tammy Miller. “We completely sold out of tickets and raised more than $2,500 for Empty Bowls.”
This year’s menu features eight flavored cupcakes and eight craft beers and cocktails, including pairings such as the Triple Salted Caramel cupcake with Mountain State Brewing’s Almost Heaven Amber Ale, as well as the Lemon Shandy cupcake paired with the White Sangria, and more.
To better accommodate the large variety of attendees, this year’s Cupcake and Craft Beer Fest will be split into two sessions. Session one takes place from
4-6 p.m., and is a family-friendly event featuring live music and kid-appropriate activities.
Session two takes place from 7-9 p.m., and is an 18-and-older event featuring more live music and fun, adult competitions.
“We have taken what people loved from last year’s event and combined them with exciting additions, so that there truly is something for everyone to enjoy,” The Cupcakerie owner Anna Carrier said.
Tickets range from $10-$40, depending on age and preference. For $10, children under 12 receive one mini cupcake and one slice of pizza; for $15, guests younger than 21 or designated drivers receive one regular-sized cupcake and one slice of pizza; for $25, guests 21 and older receive four craft beers or cocktails and four mini cupcakes; for $40, guests 21 and older receive all eight craft beers or cocktails, as well as eight mini cupcakes.
Cupcake and Craft Beer Fest is an example of the business community collaborating to make an impact on the local economy and tourism experience, which is why Greater Morgantown Convention and Visitors Bureau’s (GMCVB) Director of Major Events and Destinations Jamie Summerlin has provided event consulting services to assist with its success.
“The Cupcake and Craft Beer Fest is a wonderful example of how a couple of local businesses came up with an idea, took their product and built a successful local event around it,” said GMCVB President and CEO, Susan Riddle. “The Greater Morgantown area needs more events like this one, for it is a win, win for everyone.”
For more information, visit tourmorgantown.com/events.
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