102 5 KNIX Barbeque & Beer Festival

It was awesome to see so many breweries in one place. The event was well organized and the beer tasting was fun because you can buy your own beer. Any chair with a top will need to be folded down as soon as the live music starts on the main stage, so not to block anyone else’s view. But not everyone knew that there was fresh beer to be had. Since I was there and walking around with a camera on my neck, people asked me about the breweries in the area.

Planning on taking the train and leaving the traffic jam behind? Del Mar provides complimentary shuttle service from Solana Beach Station to and from the track. I only got to be a big shot when I wasn’t near Matt Funk, who was running the Dogfish Head booth. Matt and I met at a joint event at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth wherein he poured beer and I signed copies of my book (PLUG ALERT!) Eastern Shore Beer. He was more popular than me then, as he was at the Bike ‘n’ Brew.

The July 25 “fest” comes on a day when the track also will offer a special concert following the races featuring the Southern California punk rock legends The Offspring. The August 29 “fest” is on a day when they track will be giving away classy blue beach bagswith paid admissions. Held inside the San Diego County Fair’s Del Mar Arena, the festival pours more unique beers than any other West Coast event. This year, 400 beers from roughly 175 breweries delighted – and sometimes disappointed – an estimated 10,000 fans. This flood of IPAs, stouts, porters, saisons and quads included fan favorites and many newcomers. Beginning shortly after the last race, concerts will take place on the Seaside Stage at the west end of the Grandstand.

Laurel actually is pretty centrally located for people looking to hit multiple breweries on the Shore. Striking distance from the Mid-Shore places, the Delaware beaches as well as the Salisbury and Ocean City area mac utility homebrew finally apple silicon breweries people dig the opportunity to double dip. To 5 p.m., the San Diego Cheese and Beer Festival will bring the best of both tasty worlds together at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens at Liberty Station.

I think it was one of the more organized, and I think the food was more consistent. I think the quality of the food was a little better than it was at the previous beer fest, but I was surprised to see how much food was still available. I guess what everyone was really hoping to see was that the beer festival had something going for it. On Nov. 13, one very unique SDBW event is the first annual Baja Beer Craft 2015 at the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park.

True horse racing aficionados will put a star next to Saturday, August 22. That’s the day the track will present the 25th edition of its richest and most prestigious event, the $1-million TVG Pacific Classic, run at a mile and a quarter and sure to lure many of the best runners in the land. The racing headquarters alongside the Pacific will be off and running for its 76th summer season on Thursday, July 16. And instead of the usual seven-week stand that has been in place for decades, fans will get an extra week of action this go-round stretching out to Labor Day Monday, September 7. Then, to add some additional spice to the mix, the track’s second edition of its new “fall” season will beef up from four weeks to five, starting on Thursday, October 29 and racing ahead to Sunday, November 29. It was great to meet so many people, but I didn’t get to meet any breweries before the event.