The 70th Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival has come to an end. And while the festival offered plenty of choices for entertainment, food, exhibits, and rides this year, there was not much of a choice for one important thing: beer.
As craft brewers continue to chip away at the market that was dominated for decades by big, domestic brewers and get featured at more and more events and restaurants, the Date Fest continues to offer only Budweiser products. This year, beer drinkers had the option of Bud, Bud Light, canned Chavelas of Bud & Bud Light, and Bud’s imported Montenjo beer.
Other fairs, such as L.A.’s and Orange County’s have not only begun to offer craft beers – but have made day-long or weekend-long events by working with craft brewers.
Think about it, how great would it be to sip on some craft beer in the afternoon then ride some rides, grab a deep fried OREO, and watch the demolition derby?
Riverside County is home to some pretty great craft brewers, including three in the Coachella Valley. As the Date Fest celebrates the best in Riverside County, why not include the local breweries as part of the festivities?
Because, if you are going to spend 7 bucks on a beer, why not at least make it a good one?
UPDATE: As some on Facebook have pointed out, beer from Golden Road (which was recently purchased by Budweiser) was for sale at one hard-to-find and not promoted location inside this year’s Date Fest. Clearly I and a lot of other people missed it.
