MidwestBrewersFest.org

What MidwestBrewersFest.org does

Midwest Brewers Fest was an annual craft beer festival held at Riverfront Park in Plainfield, Illinois, from 2011 through 2016. Co-organized by Steve Caton (principal of Limestone Brewing Company) and Dale Lewis (owner of Finnegan's Irish Pub), the event served adult craft beer enthusiasts across the Chicago metropolitan area, drawing an estimated 2,000-4,000 attendees in its inaugural year and maintaining thousands of visitors annually across six editions. Programming combined beer sampling from approximately 50-60 local and national breweries, a Homebrewers Pavilion featuring on-site brewing demonstrations by three homebrewing clubs, Craft Beer 101 educational sessions, a BJCP-sanctioned Best of Show competition, live music, and food offerings. The festival operated as a fundraising vehicle for the Plainfield Riverfront Foundation (a nonprofit established in 2009 to revitalize the DuPage River corridor following the 1990 F5 tornado) and the national men's health nonprofit Pints for Prostates, ultimately becoming the foundation's largest single donor by 2016.

The business model was transaction-based, generating revenue exclusively through tiered ticket sales: General Admission ($40 advance, $50 gate), Designated Driver ($10), and a premium VIP tier that consistently sold out in advance and included exclusive rotating tap beers, unlimited food, and on-site parking. Distribution was entirely on-site at the 80+ acre riverfront venue, with shuttle service from Metra's Route 59 station enabling transit access. Marketing relied on earned media from Beeronaut, Chicago Beer Geeks, Plainfield Patch, and BevWire, plus community word-of-mouth through the organizers' established local networks. No proprietary technology, software platform, or digital distribution channel was associated with the entity. The festival's physical event concluded after October 8, 2016, and the operating status is now closed; the domain remains a historical reference rather than an active business.

Name

MidwestBrewersFest.org

Legal name

Midwest Brewers Fest

Website

https://midwestbrewersfest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Closed

Short description

Midwest Brewers Fest was a now-concluded annual craft beer festival (2011-2016) held in Plainfield, Illinois, serving Chicago-area beer enthusiasts through tiered ticketing and serving as a charitable fundraiser for the Plainfield Riverfront Foundation and Pints for Prostates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer Digital Media

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJAGAE

Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Food & Drink Experiences (Culinary Tours, Tastings, Cooking Classes)

SECONDARYTHAFALAC

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Breweries, Wineries & Distilleries (Taprooms/Tasting Rooms)

SECONDARYAFAFAAAA

Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing

Agriculture & Food Production/Beverage Production/Alcoholic Beverage Production (Beer, Wine, Spirits, Cider)

Keywords

• Craft beer journalism
• Midwest breweries
• Beer industry news
• Brewery coverage
• Craft beer reviews

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Festival Ticket Sales: The primary revenue stream was ticket sales for the annual craft beer festival. The 2012 ticketing structure included General Admission at $40 in advance or $50 at the gate, Designated Driver tickets at $10 (included soda, water, no beer sampling), and VIP tickets that sold out in advance and included early entry at noon, special tastings, food, commemorative T-shirt, and on-site parking. VIP tickets commanded a premium over general admission pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MidwestBrewersFest.org operates as a digital journal covering Midwestern craft beer, breweries, industry news, and beer reviews. It maintains the legacy and editorial coverage of the Midwest Brewers Fest, an annual craft beer festival that ran in Plainfield, Illinois from 2011 to 2016, featuring 50-60 breweries, beer sampling, homebrew demonstrations, and charitable fundraising for the Plainfield Riverfront Foundation and Pints for Prostates.

Product overview

Midwest Brewers Fest was an annual craft beer festival event held in Plainfield, Illinois, from 2011 to 2016. The event featured local and national breweries offering beer tastings, a Homebrewers Pavilion with on-site brewing demonstrations, Craft Beer 101 educational programming, VIP experiences with exclusive beer releases, live music, food vendors, and charitable fundraising for the Plainfield Riverfront Foundation and Pints for Prostates. The festival is not a software product or technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Craft Beer Editorial Coverage Online editorial content covering Midwestern craft beer, breweries, industry news, and beer reviews targeted at craft beer enthusiasts aged 21+.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Homebrewing Clubs (PALE, HOPS, The Brew Shed)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Three homebrewing clubs participated in the Homebrewers Pavilion, which was the most active of the seven festival tents. PALE (Plainfield ALE & Lager Enthusiasts), HOPS (Homebrewers Pride of the Southside), and The Brew Shed provided working brewing equipment and beer being made on-site during the event—an unusual sight at commercial beer festivals. By 2012, Illinois law allowed the Homebrewers Pavilion to legally serve samples to attendees. The pavilion also featured Marty Nachel from ale-conner.com offering beer knowledge certification tests.
• Plainfield Riverfront FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011The primary organizing and beneficiary partner of the Midwest Brewers Fest. The Plainfield Riverfront Foundation was formed in the years following the devastating August 28, 1990 F5 tornado that destroyed the historic riverfront area along the DuPage River. By 2009, the foundation had established itself as a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the riverfront area and creating events for community gathering. The festival was designed as a fundraising vehicle to support continued revitalization of the tornado-scarred riverfront. By 2016, the Midwest Brewers Fest had become the largest single donor to the Plainfield Riverfront Foundation.
• Pints for ProstatescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011A nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness among men about the importance of regular prostate cancer screenings. Founded by beer journalist Rick Lyke after his own prostate cancer diagnosis at age 42, the organization uses craft beer as a medium to encourage men to discuss health issues and seek preventive care. The partnership with the Midwest Brewers Fest represented a natural alignment between the craft beer community and men's health advocacy. By 2016, the Midwest Brewers Fest had become one of the largest donors to the national organization Pints for Prostates.
• Limestone Brewing CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011The Plainfield-based brewery co-organized the inaugural Midwest Brewers Fest through its principal Steve Caton. Limestone Brewing Company provided the VIP food offerings alongside Finnegan's Irish Pub and featured exclusive beers including Monkey Wood, an oak-aged version of their Brew Monkey Belgian ale. As the hometown brewery of co-organizer Steve Caton, Limestone had a natural presence and stake in the festival's success.
• Finnegan's Irish PubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Owned by Dale Lewis, Finnegan's Irish Pub co-organized the inaugural Midwest Brewers Fest alongside Limestone Brewing Company. Both were established Plainfield business owners with deep connections to the local craft beer community. Finnegan's provided unlimited food options in the VIP tent including Angus burgers, ribs, artisanal cheeses, pretzels, nuts, and fresh fruits, alongside Wagyu beef sliders.
• Metra (Route 59 Station)minorOthers · 1 January 2011The festival implemented a shuttle system that transported attendees from remote parking lots and local Metra stations, including the Route 59 station, making it possible for some attendees to reach the event without driving. Parking was limited at the festival site itself, reserved primarily for VIP ticket holders and brewers unloading kegs, with general attendees parking at remote lots and relying on the shuttle system.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Brewers Association: National trade association representing small and independent U.S. craft brewers; runs the Great American Beer Festival and Craft Brewers Conference. Relevant as the broader organizing body and ecosystem driver for events like Midwest Brewers Fest.

Others

• Pints for Prostates: Nonprofit that partnered with Midwest Brewers Fest to drive men's health awareness through craft beer events. Comparable as a cause-aligned beer event organization and historical partner of the festival.
• BevWire: Digital beverage-industry journal that produced the historical legacy coverage of Midwest Brewers Fest. Relevant adjacent comparable as a craft-beer-focused media outlet that could represent a digital pivot direction for the brand.

Regional players

• Illinois Craft Brewers Guild: State-level trade association for Illinois craft breweries; comparable as a regional ecosystem player organizing events and advocacy in the same Illinois market where Midwest Brewers Fest operated.

Direct peers

• Chicago Beer Festival: Regional craft beer tasting festival in the same Chicago metro market as Midwest Brewers Fest, featuring local and national breweries, GA/VIP ticketing, and on-site sampling — directly comparable format and geography.
• Great American Beer Festival: The largest U.S. craft beer tasting festival, run by the Brewers Association in Denver. Direct comparable as a multi-brewery beer sampling event with tiered ticketing, educational programming, and charitable/community components.
• Festival of Barrel-Aged Beers (FoBAB): Chicago-based craft beer tasting festival focused on barrel-aged and specialty beers with tiered ticketing and curated brewery lineups. Comparable as a Midwestern beer tasting event with educational and competitive programming.
• Burning Can Festival: Craft beer and outdoor adventure festival originally hosted by Oskar Blues Brewery, similar in combining beer sampling with active lifestyle programming and charitable tie-ins. Comparable format and craft-beer community focus.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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