EVENTS THIS MONTH AT THE BREWERY
Whether its celebrating a birthday, anniversary, wedding, retirement, baby shower, high school reunion or more we host dozens and dozens of events all year. Some, like Carolina Indie Fest, our Renaissance Fair and Brews Blues and BBQ, are larger and more planned. Others, like personal celebrations, are spur of the moment. Regardless of the reason we are ready to host you and your party - if you have questions reach out through our Google Business Profile, over Facebook, Instagram or email at info@huggermuggerbrewing.com and let us know how we can help make your event special.
April Events
This April is gearing up to be a great time to get out in warmer weather & we have some opportunities to help make that happen - starting with Brews, Blues & BBQ.
For five years we've run a BBQ cookoff featuring ten teams, and while we've changed the way we do some things it's remained the same format. Our doors open at noon on Saturday, April 18th. Live blues music starts at 3pm. Ticket holders (buy tickets here) can check in starting at 5pm. Winners are announced at 9pm. It is a full day!
This event is free and open to all and ticket holders have special privilege including being the only ones to taste the competition BBQ and having the right to vote for the winning BBQ. The servings are very large - 30oz-ish of BBQ from competitors plus coleslaw and roll or cornbread. These are shareable plates and you might be well advised to share! Please get your tickets now as this event has always sold out.
You may see some fancy ribbons floating around on Saturday the 18th - those go to the winner of the judged portion of the cookoff and are bespoke ribbons made just for the festival by an elite seamstress in Sanford. She has carte blanche to make the ribbon she feels best suits the moment & takes every opportunity to try something new and challenging. The center of the ribbon memorializes the face of the pig that hangs from the beer hall ceiling - a pig that is as bespoke as the winner's ribbon itself. The people's choice winner gets to put a plaque with their names on the pig's butt in an informal ceremony to kickoff the cookoff.
We will be using commemorative cups at the BBQ - that's a $1 charge for first use and no charge after that. This helps us keep our waste down. You're always welcome to bring a cup from a prior Brews Blues and BBQ or Carolina Indie Fest event and skip the charge. Of course the artwork for the event, created by artist Kelly Schrader, is worth the $1. It is also immortalized on our event shirts (now on sale!) Initially that piggy on the stripper pole was supposed to have a row of tassels down her pink little belly. Maybe next year.
What else? You'll want something sweet to pair with that BBQ so we brought in Mom Lisa's Gourmet Cookies and C&G Sweet Spot to met that demand. Some years we have brought in a BBQ food truck to serve folks who are disappointed they couldn't get a ticket. This year we are going without the truck - it's ticket or bust. So buy your tickets now before they sell out!
Of course it's not all about the foods, almost every year we ask Cory Luetjen to assemble a top notch group of blues bands to perform (including his own) and he impresses every time. This year's lineup includes:
3-4pm Brass Tax - acoustic blues jam
4:30-6pm - Pat & the Kountry Boys
6:30-9pm - Cory Luetjen & The Traveling Blues Band
With the sounds of blues music, a beer in hand and competition smells in the air it is always a fun afternoon and evening. Hope you will join us for our 5th annual event!
Now, here's a listing of most all OTHER events at the brewery in April:
* On the second Sunday of the month (the 12th) we have yoga with Sanford Yoga & Community Center starting at 11am. Yoga is immediately followed by Stitch & B**ch where both stitching and b***hing are featured (stitching is optional.) This growing group is for anyone who wants to connect with others who are frustrated with the state of the world around them - not surprisingly there's a lot to share & it's done in a fun, and often even productive, fashion! We're ALSO hosting groups interested in developing Trap-Neuter-Release programs for feral cats in the area starting at noon that day. We are nothing if not eclectic.
* line dancing with Buckles and Boots is scheduled for the second and fourth Sundays in April starting at 2pm and running until 5pm. $20 gets you dance instruction, drink of your choice and social dance time. If you want a sneak peek at the songs you will dance to then check out that Buckles and Boots site. There are a LOT of returning dancers every month which speaks well to how it's organized and how welcoming, helpful and fun the atmosphere the event is. Note that line dancing will return to first and third Sundays starting in May.
* Tuesday night trivia gets a top spot in the event listing again this month because trivia master Zach is paying out cash prizes to trivia teams this year & the opportunity to win starts this month. Between March and September Zach will be tallying team point totals to determine what teams will win cash prizes for first, second and third place. A certain number of lowest scores by each team will be thrown out (so you can miss some trivia nights and still qualify for prizes). Zach has the specifics, go see him on a Tuesday night at 7pm and learn more.
* Our Karaoke Championships at our First Fridays are starting to heat up! The belt awarded to our champion arrived and it's a beaut. Here's how our karaoke championship works. Every month the audience anoints a new best singer & that singer is included in the Championship round at December's First Friday. Monthly winners get a Greatest Of All Time medal and the champions receive a bespoke WWF style belt after the big showdown in December. The belt is weighty, well-appointed and will ensure the winner is widely recognized and acclaimed for their accomplishments.
* In April, rather than vendors at First Friday we will host our first pottery exhibition with Stephen Tucker of Imperfect Tense Pottery. Stephen will set up on Friday the 3rd from 5-8pm when karaoke starts, then return noon to 8pm on Saturday. Drop in and say hi! Stephen uses locally sourced clay purchased in Star at the Starworks facility & would love to tell you more about the materials and methods he uses.
* our next book club meeting is Wednesday, April 8th at 6:30pm. The book we're reading for April is The Reformatory. This is historically based horror and the facts behind it won't ever stop being shocking. Are you looking for a good read? We have many fine book sellers locally including Sips & Sequels, Monkeykat or Fulfillity Books in Hope Mills. Of course your local library always appreciates the foot traffic and those books are free (but they want them back!) Did you know we're getting a new library in Sanford? Read on ...
* Retro Arcade Games return to the beer hall on April 10th and 11th. Level By Level Gaming brings the games and we pay so you don't have to. There are always games from several decades spanning from the '80s to present day - you'll find them in arcade and sometimes console format. Games are setup by 3pm Friday and stay until close on Saturday. Good excuse to play hooky from work on Friday afternoon ...
* Dave Miller joins us on Wednesday, April 15th at 6:30pm to play some of his all original tunes. You'll see him at our place about once a month. Here's a good example of him at play.
* Boxes of fresh, locally grown fruits and veggies start arriving to the beer hall on Thursday, April 16th. Have you signed up for your box yet? You can sign up at any time throughout the season for these Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes. There are options for purchasing even more items in the online store for delivery with your boxes. A big thanks to Cliff Pilson of CV Pilson Farms for taking on the CSA box program again this year.
* Music bingo is a new offering at the brewery - look for that every fourth Wednesday (except for April, when it is curiously scheduled on the third Wednesday). Zach, our trivia master, is running that. I'm told music bingo is even more popular than trivia - come find out why on Wednesday, April 22th at 7pm.
* Strawberry Jammin' returns to downtown Sanford on Saturday, April 25th. We will be pouring on Steele Street during live music that day. We've partnered with The Chill Zone to offer an afternoon and evening of beer floats (strawberries will be available and optional, but encouraged!) Also that day? The largest beer event on the east coast returns - we will be pouring at Brewgaloo in Raleigh on Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th.
* This month's crafting adventures includes a Crafts and Drafts event on Monday, April 13th and Crafts and Laughs on April 29th at 6pm with Jessica Rigsbee of My Depiction Addiction. Jessica is pioneering a subscription based model for her programming which I think says a lot about her approach to innovation and listening to her customers. Also look for an event at the end of the month with Flora & Fauna Festivities.
Our Facebook events page features most all of our events including anything I've missed here. See you in the brewery!
