VERO BEACH — The temperature Saturday pushed close to the 89-degree record for Feb. 23, but fell short when it hit a high of 88.
That was enough to send thousands of people to Royal Palm Boulevard for the second annual Florida Craft Brew and WingFest sponsored by the Sunrise Rotary Club where for 5½ hours from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. it was five o’clock somewhere.
The day was far different than that first festival last February which drew more than 3,000 under cloudy, chilly skies.
The event this year again drew thousands to the public park in the median strip of the boulevard. Bands anchored both ends of the festival while tents – offering mild to spicy wings and enough samples to beer to please any taste – lined up alongside the road.
Overall, more than 100 craft and mirco brewers were served up for five plus hours.
Brewers ranged from Kona Brewing in Hawaii to the Frankenmuth Brewery in Michigan along with some of the more familiar brewing names such as Stella Artois, Bass, Red Hook and Sierra Nevada.
The event was packed with children, young and old adults and a wide variety of politicians in a casual setting.
Police Chief David Currey was there to help judging the wings and served as the designated driver for a couple people with whom he attended the event.
Though fest-goers may have seen the chief with a Pilsner bottle, he said he was refilling it with water to wash down the wings.
Enjoying a glass or two of beer as was Supervisor of Elections Leslie Swan, County Commissioner Peter O’Brien and former Vero Beach City Councilman Brian Heady, carrying a copy of his new book on the city tangled electric utility and ready to autograph it for anyone who was interested.
“What better than beer and wings,” said City Manager Jim O’Connor.
Rotary Club member Buck Vocelle manned a booth and kept busy drawing brews from the tap. He said he was happy to see the public park in the median used for an event and thought that his Rotary Club was the first to offer one on the property.
“This is a great event and we have a great day,” Vocelle said.
Over 100 craft beers quenched the thirst of the crowd. They included the citrus flavored brews of Orchid Island Brewing and Sailfish Brewing which offered its Tag & Release Amber and Sunrise City IPA. The brewer is expected to open a brew pub on Second Street in Fort Pierce in April.
Orchid Island Brewing drew plenty of customers for samples of its Lemon Wheat beer and Ruby Red IPA.
Proceeds from the fund-raising event will benefit a variety of groups including Youth Guidance, the Homeless Family Center, cleft palate surgeries in South America and water projects in the Dominican Republic.
