A pair of Brownstown organizations that focus on giving back to the community have decided to come together once again to organize an event.
The second Jackson County Festival of Wine and Brews is set for Oct. 14 at W.R. Ewing, 1103-1105 W. Spring St., Brownstown.
Organized by the Beta Mu chapter of Psi Iota Xi and Washington Masonic Lodge 13, last year’s inaugural event was in a hangar at Freeman Municipal Airport in Seymour during a county bicentennial celebration.
Around 200 tickets were sold, and each organization received nearly $1,000 to put toward its local and national projects.
Since the sorority and Masonic Lodge are based in Brownstown, they chose to have the event in that community from this year forward.
“We’ve relocated down here, and we’re hoping to have just as much success, if not more,” said Trish Butt, a member of the sorority.
“We had a fun time last time,” she said. “It was just a good time everybody getting together. We knew there were a lot of different kinds of wine tastings and things that are popular now and thought maybe we could make some money with it.”
The event runs from 2 to 6 p.m.
Tickets are $20 and may be purchased at the Jackson County Visitor Center in Seymour or The Jackson County Banner and Family Drug in Brownstown. Members of the sorority and Masonic Lodge are selling tickets, too, and people can buy tickets at the door.
The ticket cost includes admission, tastings from area breweries and wineries and choice of a wine or beer glass.
Vendors expected to attend are The Seymour Brewing Co., Mallow Run Winery, Salt Creek Brewery, Butler Winery, 450 North Brewing Co. and Simmons Winery.
If the weather is nice, some of the vendors may be on the grassy lot on the west end of W.R. Ewing. Otherwise, all of them will be inside.
The event also will have free live music, and a handful of food trucks will be on hand for visitors to make purchases. Those activities will be outside, too, if weather permits.
Last year, each of the breweries and wineries offered a variety of samples for people to try. Some also had bottles or cans to buy.
“You can buy it by the bottle and sit outside and enjoy your food and the music and drink it there or you can take it with you,” said Sandra Warren, a member of the sorority.
MainSource Bank, one of the sponsors of the event, made a donation to cover the entertainment cost, while Duke Energy is providing the electric needs, and a grant from the Jackson County Visitor Center will help offset some expenses.
The sorority and Masonic Lodge also teamed with Brownstown/Ewing Main Street to keep the music going beyond the festival.
That evening, there will be a concert on the stage at Heritage Park on the Jackson County Courthouse square.
Food trucks also are expected to be set up.
“We’re really hoping that this will be like a big community event, so we’re hoping that the local merchants are going to get involved and that when this ends at 6 o’clock, there’s going to be a concert uptown,” Butt said. “We’re just trying to all work together here to make this big.”
Both organizers have a long history in Brownstown.
The Beta Mu chapter was installed Nov. 4, 1933. The original intent of Psi Iota Xi was to bring more diverse cultural experiences to communities.
Music, art, literature and literacy have been primary focuses, and it has grown to also include helping those with speech and hearing difficulties.
The Washington Masonic Lodge was granted its dispensation in 1819, and its charter was granted at the annual meeting in September 1820. The Masonic Lodge always has been devoted to caring for disadvantaged children, the sick and the elderly. Members also are actively involved in a lot of community volunteer work.
Both local groups also raise money for scholarships.
“We’re real similar in terms of who we help and how we help, be it scholarships, any special interests or needs in the community. We try if we’re informed to help out,” said Todd Harrison, treasurer of the Washington Masonic Lodge.
The best part is that a majority of the money the organizations raise stays local.
“We do have some national programs that we contribute to, but most of it we try to keep here,” Butt said.
“It’s just exciting to be able to do different things for the community and raise the money for the scholarships and the different things, but this is also about doing a community-wide event,” she said of the festival.
“We’re hoping to promote Brownstown, and maybe some good will come of it, and we’ll make some money at the end of the day that we can put right back into the community.”
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What: Jackson County Festival of Wine and Brews
When: 2 to 6 p.m. Oct. 14
Where: W.R. Ewing, 1103-1105 W. Spring St., Brownstown
Who: Vendors include The Seymour Brewing Co., Mallow Run Winery, Salt Creek Brewery, Butler Winery, 450 North Brewing Co. and Simmons Winery
Cost: $20; tickets may be purchased at the Jackson County Visitor Center in Seymour or The Jackson County Banner and Family Drug in Brownstown or from any member of Beta Mu chapter of Psi Iota Xi or Washington Masonic Lodge 13; tickets also will be available at the door
Other activities: Live music and food vendors; that evening, there also will be a concert on the stage at Heritage Park on the Jackson County Courthouse square with more food vendors set up
Information: Search for Jackson County Festival of Wine and Brews on Facebook
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