By Terrah Baker
From the local business owners who brought you Foam Fest, comes a new celebration of beer and southern food. This time, with a Louisiana twist, and a concentration on finely brewed ales.
Owner of Jammin’ Java, Brandon Karn, said Ales and Tails, taking place March 29 at 5 p.m. at the Fayetteville Town Center, is a way to bring the fun of crawfish festivals to Northwest Arkansas.
“There’s crawfish festivals all over the south and there’s not one in Fayetteville, just a couple of private ones. It seemed like a good idea,” Karn said.
The major highlights of the festival, coordinated by Karn and owner of Cafe Rue Orleans, are written in the name. Local restaurants will provide their own version of a crawfish plate and local and regional breweries will provide top notch ales for festival goers to taste. Like Foam Fest, a portion of the proceeds will go to charity, after costs are covered, Karn said.
This first annual Ales and Tails will benefit the ALS Association – Northwest Arkansas chapter, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease — an organization that helps patients diagnosed with the fatal, neurological disease with no cure. Karn said they were inspired to donate to this cause after a long-time customer and friend of Cafe Rue and Jammin’ Java was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s and eventually passed away from the disease. That’s when they realized they didn’t have a fundraiser for this cause in Fayetteville, until now.
The event will be held at the Town Center so tickets are limited. “Mud Bug” tickets are $25 with each attendee receiving a wristband to claim a pound of boiled crawfish, beer samples and a souvenir pilsner glass.
The VIP tickets will get attendees access to the main hall where they can sample numerous catfish dishes prepared by local restaurants, including Cafe Rue Orleans, Hammontree’s, Tyler’s House Catering, Early Bird Catering, Apple Blossom Brewing Company and more. They’ll also receive a wristband for access to the Mud Bug Garden for a pound of crawfish and beer samples.
For more information and to purchase a ticket, visit www.alesandtails.org.
