Friday, December 05, 2025
28.0°F

Rotary BrewFest draws crowd

KRISTI NIEMEYER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 3 months AGO
by KRISTI NIEMEYER
Kristi Niemeyer is editor of the Lake County Leader. She learned her newspaper licks at the Mission Valley News and honed them at the helm of the Ronan Pioneer and, eventually, as co-editor of the Leader until 1993. She later launched and published Lively Times, a statewide arts and entertainment monthly (she still publishes the digital version), and produced and edited State of the Arts for the Montana Arts Council and Heart to Heart for St. Luke Community Healthcare. Reach her at [email protected] or 406-883-4343. | August 17, 2023 12:00 AM

Main Street wasn’t just occupied by cool cars Saturday. The block in front of the Elks was home to folks chilling out at the second annual Rotary BrewFest.

Rotary president Dennis Duty described this year’s event as “fantastic,” and said it drew “the best crowd we’ve had for any of our events so far.” He estimated that the beer fest and raffle raised between $25,000 and $30,000 for three Polson youth programs: second and third grade swim lessons, the sixth-grade girls’ basketball program and Polson Youth Soccer.

Rotary member Jake Bauman believes the addition of more shade, courtesy of bigger tents, translated into more customers. Plus, he said, “the weather was great today.”

Flathead Lake Brewing Company, Ronan Cooperative Brewery, Bias Brewing and Tamarack Brewing Company joined hometown favorite, Glacier Brewing Company, which ran out of beer about 30 minutes before closing time.

“It really went fantastic,” said Glacier’s Sarah May. “A lot of people came out – new people I haven’t seen before – so it definitely is attracting people outside of Polson.”

Lou Hamel at Flathead Lake Brewing Company was also upbeat. “It’s been busy – a great turnout, a lot of people enjoying themselves and the weather has cooperated,” he said.

Local band Hellcat Maggie entertained during the four-hour event.

photo

Hellcat Maggie entertained on Main Street during the Rotary BrewFest. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)

photo

New tents supplied some welcome shade for Rotary BrewFest attendees. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)

ARTICLES BY KRISTI NIEMEYER

Road makeovers get high marks from drivers and engineers in Lake County
December 4, 2025 11 p.m.

Road makeovers get high marks from drivers and engineers in Lake County

“Those are the best roads in Lake County,” enthused a driver recently after trying out the new surfaces of North Reservoir Road, south of Polson, and Dublin Gulch Road, north of St. Ignatius.

Dedicated Doc: Dr. Ed Vizcarra leaves legacy of patient-centered care
December 3, 2025 11 p.m.

Dedicated Doc: Dr. Ed Vizcarra leaves legacy of patient-centered care

When beloved family physician Ed Vizcarra retired from St. Luke Community Healthcare Network at the end of October, generations of patients and hospital staff flocked to his retirement party to express their gratitude.

“Great communities are built on volunteers”
December 3, 2025 11 p.m.

“Great communities are built on volunteers”

Cars and trucks lined Main Street in Polson to collect Thanksgiving dinners from the Elks Club last Thursday. The drive-through dinner, commandeered by field marshal Tracy Plaiss, served 1,800 Thanksgiving dinners, made from scratch. A few miles south, the Ronan Community Thanksgiving dinner filled a room in the Boys and Girls Club with tables of visiting people and the aromas of roasting turkey and savory dressing.