COEUR d'ALENE - On Saturday night at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds, Tia Walker sampled a glass of Hop in the Dark, a smooth, dusky beverage from Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Ore.

She enjoyed the hop-filled brew, classified as an India Pale Ale.

"I love IPA's," said Walker, of Coeur d'Alene.

Her dad, Dave, and several friends had staked out a table at the Summer's Here! BrewFest, where the beer was flowing from 30 different kegs.

Big Sky, Wallace Brewing, Shock Top, Redhook and Kona were on tap. Elysian, Odell, Widmer and Ninkasi were available, too.

Featuring craft beers and mainstream beverages, the event was a brewery smorgasbord, with all proceeds benefiting the North Idaho Fair and Rodeo.

"This is my dad's Father's Day gift," Tia Walker said happily. "I don't think Coeur d'Alene has ever had this type of beer event."

Hundreds of people filed through the building, clutching small glasses and moving from keg to keg. A live band entertained the crowd.

Planners had hoped for 1,000 visitors Saturday, and by 6 p.m. the place was packed.

"We wanted to be outside, but we figured it was going to rain," said Chelsea Rosenberger, Kootenai County Fairgrounds event coordinator. "We figured that, with everything going on (this weekend), we would definitely draw a good crowd. We're very pleased."

Visitors paid $10 at the door for a glass and two beer tickets. Additional tickets, necessary for additional sampling, were readily available.

BrewFest funds will go toward maintenance and upkeep at the fairgrounds, organizers said.

Sixty volunteers helped run the show.

"It's a lot bigger than I was expecting," said Stan Kocol of Spokane Valley. "The music's good, the atmosphere is fun."

Kocol, who writes an online beer blog, was sampling several Northwest brews. He especially liked the Scotch ale from Odell Brewing Company.

"It's malty, and delicious," he said.

BrewFest will likely become an annual Coeur d'Alene event. Rosenberger hopes to expand the gathering for 2012.

"We started with 30 kegs, and we plan to keep on growing next year," she said.