By Jackie Gorski
Times-Union
WARSAW — Downtown Warsaw hosted to two overlapping events on Saturday.
The first event was One Warsaw’s Celebrating Us from 4 to 8 p.m., which extended from City Hall across Center Street to the county courthouse lawn.
Travis McConnell, One Warsaw board member, said Celebrating Us is a festival to celebrate all the diverse organizations and celebrate inclusion in Kosciusko County. It is a community festival to bring everyone together.
He said people usually seem to have a good time at the festival.
“This is a little hot, but we’re all surviving,” he said.
He estimated about 100 to 150 people attended the event by about 5:30 p.m.
A DJ played music at the beginning of the event. Ballet Folklórico then performed Hispanic cultural dancing, followed by clean comedy from Corey Mann. Marena Moonflower played music, Deb Collier’s School of Dance performed and Kevin Long performed comedy and magic.
There were food trucks from different places.
An obstacle course and a bungee run were available for the young ones.
The second event downtown Saturday was Kosciusko Kettleheads’ Homebrew Fest, which ran from 5 to 9 p.m. in the 100 block of Buffalo Street.
McConnell said he believes it’s the third year Celebrating Us and Homebrew Fest have been at the same location. McConnell said he and Jason Rich, Kettleheads president, agreed to have the two events at the same place since they were both around the same time.
Rich said Homebrew Fest started in 2011 and was originally in Winona Lake.
During Homebrew Fest, all of the local homebrewers who make everything at their own house, garage, barn, yard, etc. can come to the event and showcase their creations.
There were 44 offerings this year, Rich said.
People trickled in and out all night, but he said the event usually attracts about 150 people. He hadn’t seen any difference in attendance from previous years. If anything, he said more people would come out once the sun sets.
Homebrew Fest helps showcase something delicious can be made in your own house.
Rich said it’s good to bring awareness to different charities, noting Combined Community Services needs help. Every year, proceeds from Homebrew Fest go to CCS. Proceeds come from ticket sales and sponsors.
This year’s title sponsor is Lewis Salvage, with pint sponsor being Maple Leaf Farms. Other sponsors include Crossroads Bank, The Spectacle Shoppe and Blue Note Design.
Rich said he believes about $9,000 was raised for CCS last year.
Sabrina Phillips, interim executive director of CCS, said having Homebrew Fest being a fundraiser for CCS helps CCS by helping getting its name out. CCS is seeing a record number of families seeking help. All proceeds will go to its programs, such as the food pantry.
