Renfrew’s Craft Beer and Food Truck Festival returns on Oct. 1

It has been a long two years since a keg was tapped or a gourmet poutine was served from the window of a food truck, but the organizers of the this year’s edition of Renfrew’s popular Craft Beer and Food Truck Festival are excited about the return of what has become one of the most popular festivals in the Ottawa Valley.

When the festival premiered in October 2018, it was designed to promote the town and attract tourists to what is referred to in the industry as the “shoulder season.” Because there is a sudden and dramatic decrease in temperature beginning in September, there are relatively few outdoor venues as the number of visitors can be unpredictable with the varying state of weather conditions.

When organizers set up the grounds on Low Square in downtown Renfrew on the Friday before the event, the weather was not what organizers were hoping for. Heavy rain fell all day Friday and the temperature dropped to 5 C. 

On Saturday, there was no change and for the eight beer and liquor vendors along with three food trucks, all signs pointed towards the inaugural event turning into a giant failure. However, despite the bone-chilling damp weather, the crowds began to swell under steady rain until hundreds of visitors were wandering about buying products and listening to musicians. The inaugural Frewfest was a hit.

When it returned in October 2019, the crowds, once again in the hundreds, were greeted with sunny skies and close to 20 food, beer and liquor vendors were there to promote the new independent breweries and distilleries of the Ottawa Valley. The onset of COVID-19 forced the cancellation of Renfrew’s newest and successful events in both 2020 and 2021.

However, it has returned with a bang in 2022 for what is shaping to be a great day. Several local craft beer breweries, including Whitewater Brewing Company from Cobden, Calabogie Brewing, O’Kenny Distillery from Pembroke, Doghouse Brewing Company from Petawawa and many other local companies from Ottawa and Bancroft will be on hand to showcase their products.

In fact, O’Kenny Distillery uses only local grains to produce quality liquors and is an example of using local products to create not only a new thriving business, but their insistence on using local agricultural items helps produce employment both in the distillery and some local farms

Jenna McEwen, the communications and marketing coordinator for the Town of Renfrew, says they’re bringing back the Craft Beer and Food Truck Festival in Low Square this Saturday, Oct. 1 as a means of trying to return to a sense of normalcy in the post-COVID era.

In addition to the food and drink selections, the musical stage will be back and will showcase six separate musical acts throughout the day to keep the visitors entertained.

There is no admission and individual drink tickets are sold on site. So drop by just outside Town Hall from 11:00am to 8:00pm on Saturday to enjoy some locally made food and drink, as well as take in some of the Ottawa Valleys finest musical acts.