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Event Recap|5th Annual Chesapeake Crab & Beer Festival @DrinkEatRelax #Baltimore #Crabs #Beer #Fun

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You know it’s summertime in Baltimore when steamed crabs are celebrated at festivals all around Charm City! I recently attended Drink Eat Relax’s “Chesapeake Crab and Beer Festival” and had a crabby good time! This is the 5TH ANNUAL Maryland Tradition and compared to the past years of this fun foodie event, it just keeps getting better! The Festival is an ALL-YOU-CARE-TO-TASTE extravaganza complete with over 30,000 crabs, lots of beer, arts & crafts, live music, family fun and so much more! Take a look at what over 30,000 people have come to enjoy.

•LOTS OF SUMMERTIME FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!

Families and Friends came out in fun hats and custom made tees to enjoy this festival. There is a beach area for kids to play in the sand, yard games for everyone to enjoy, live music to dance to and so much more! This family friendly event is popular because KIDS 3 AND UNDER ARE FREE! However, there was a KID’S CRAB ONLY PACKAGE (AGES 4– 20): $29 Advance (plus taxes & fees) This option offered guests ages 4 -20 an ALL YOU CARE TO TASTE experience of Crabs, Corn on the Cob, Cole Slaw and Potato Chips. (Ticket purchasers with VIP ticket holders will be GUARANTEED communal seating under a tent.)

•ALL YOU CARE TO TASTE BEER/WINE

Over 50 beers and wines and a few spirits were available for unlimited tasting during the festival! All of your favorite craft beers and some great wines were served to highlight summer. Nothing says summer like a glass of rosé and I especially enjoyed sampling the variety of rosé wines that were offered.

•ALL YOU CARE TO TASTE CRABS.

Enjoy all the crabs you can handle during the four hours of the show. The crabs vary in size from medium to large and will be offered at 6 crabs at a time, per person. ALL CRABS ARE SEASONED! *ALA CARTE CRABS OPTION WILL BE SOLD 6 CRABS (1/2 dozen) AT A TIME PER PERSON FOR $35 (WHILE SUPPLIES LASTS)

I attended the ALL YOU CARE TO TASTE VIP experience. Guests received a souvenir mug and mallet, unlimited tastes of the beer and wine on-site. This includes ALL YOU CARE TO TASTE Crabs, Corn on the Cob, Cole Slaw and Potato Chips.* Ticket purchasers are GUARANTEED communal seating under a tent.

•BEER MUGS.

Beers are served in our mug so you can sit and enjoy the day. If you are not a crab lover you can opt to buy a ticket for the ALL YOU CARE TO TASTE BEER experience. Guests will enjoy a souvenir mug, unlimited tastes of the beer and wine on-site. Any food will be purchased ALA CARTE.* Ticket purchasers cannot enter the VIP Crab & Beer Tents, but some limited seating is available first come, first serve.

•OTHER GREAT FOOD.

There are Crabs and MORE CRABS and MORE CRABS and even MORE CRABS – but there will be other great food options as well available for purchase. There are no vegetarian options available. Unless outlined – all food is sold ala carte. I got the chance to finally try Urban Oysters. This creative pop up restaurant is the brainchild of a young entrepreneur Jasime. Thanks to her dad, she grew up with a love for oysters. I had been following her on IG and was excited to finally try them out. Chargrilled is their preferred way to make them. Using creative yet familiar toppings makes them very accessible for those who may be trying them for the first time. Just look at these beauties!

•LIVE MUSIC.

Sit back or get up and dance to the fun summer sounds from area bands!

•THOUSANDS OF TABLES AND CHAIRS AND HUGE TENTS

Plenty of seating for crackin’ to your heart’s content. They even ordered enough crab paper to stretch all the way across the Harbor and back. ALL SHOW FEATURES are undercover – so Rain or Shine – we were all fine.

All in all, we had a crackin’ good time! If you missed the event it is coming back in August at the National Harbor in DC. For more details go to http://www.mdcrabfest.com!

Do you enjoy MD steamed crabs? Let me know in the comments below!🦀

Thanks Trigger Agency for hosting SobeSavvy.com! I really enjoyed my dining experience and looking forward to next time!

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Event Recap|6th Annual Bull City Food & Beer Experience @BullCityEXP @DPAC #Durham #Food #Beer #Event

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Yesterday, SobeSavvy.com joined a few thousand others at DPAC for the 6th Annual Bull City Food & Beer Experience! The word, “experience” accurately depicts this now iconic annual event that I had the pleasure of attending last year and sharing with you again. Enjoying 30 restaurants paired with 30 beers sounds like a great way to spend a ‘Sunday Funday’ especially while raising money and awareness for the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association.

Pale Ale, Stout, IPA, and various ciders were all properly represented here. Small local breweries served their craft beer and stood side by side with international powerhouse breweries. They all coexisted perfectly. A few liquor brands, such as Social House Vodka, also served up some samples of their spirits. Durham has such an incredible food and beer culture and this event does an amazing job showcasing it! Check out my facebook photo album highlighting more from this event, here.

Taking up space on all 3 levels of the beautiful DPAC lobbies, this event is always a crowd pleaser and this year was no different. Inside the actual theatre, they had the Stella Artois Onstage Experience featuring County Fare. This year the food in this area was served by various food trucks based in the Triangle. These meals on wheels have now become a staple in the food scene not just here but nationwide. Guests mingled on stage and enjoyed some awesome live music by Big Fat Gap and beer garden games like bean toss. One of my favorites were the dumplings by the food truck Chirba Chirba. One dumpling was pork, the other offering were their veggie dumplings. Simply delicious.

Guess what else coexisted perfectly with all that beer? FOOD OF COURSE ! Over 30 restaurants of every imaginable genre/cuisine was there. From Italian to sushi and EVERYTHING in between. The restaurants participating gave unlimited samples of the dish they were serving. What also makes this event unique is that most tables paired a specific brew for the specific restaurant dish. Some foods pair better with a stout or pale ale and vice versa. Attendees didn’t have to wander far to find the perfect beer for their dish, it was right there alongside it! My favorite part was the opportunity to meet and talk with the Chefs from some of my favorite local restaurants.

If I had to use one word to describe this event, I would say ‘Incredible’! Where else can you experience local food, beer, beverage,craft artisians, all in one place?! The foodie in me appreciates organized events like this that I can partner with and celebrate what is offered here. Watch this video for recap of all the food + beer + fun!

Thanks for reading and hope to see you next year! Cheers 🍻

Do you have a favorite food and beer pairing? Let me know in the comments below!