ROANOKE, Va. – The Deschutes Street Pub is no more in Roanoke, but a similar street party backed by the brewery is helping to fill the void.
The inaugural Deschutes Kirkfest took over a block of Kirk Street in downtown Roanoke on Sunday afternoon. The festival featured beer from the Oregon-based brewery and live music.
"I'm definitely all about it," said Kirkfest attendee Allen Burnette, who lives in Roanoke. "I love beer, and it's great to see the diversity this brings to downtown Roanoke."
Beyond the beer, Kirkfest helped support two local nonprofits: The Spot on Kirk, which specializes in music and entertainment, and Activate Rebuild Change Heal (ARCH) Services, which focuses on helping the homeless. The profits from Kirkfest will be evenly split among the two organizations.
"We are nothing without our donors and volunteers, so we appreciate every dime and every donation," said Morgan Dean of ARCH Services.
"The Spot has been operating on a shoestring, low-key basis for three years now," said The Spot on Kirk founder Bruce Bryan. "We're steady, but this allows us to make a splash."
Bryan says he's happy to see a festival such as this come to his street, but he's even more elated for how this will help the two nonprofits.
"If people can have a great time and enjoy adult beverages out on the street with live music, that's really great," Bryan said. "To know we're helping ARCH and the Spot on Kirk, that doubles down on the good times."
Deschutes representatives declined to comment about Kirkfest, saying the attention should be placed on the two nonprofits receiving the money from the event.