COVID-19 dooms AleFest, Dayton Beer Week activities

The 2020 AleFest, AleFeast and Dayton Beer Week events have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. FILE/CONTRIBUTED

The 2020 AleFest, AleFeast and Dayton Beer Week events have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. FILE/CONTRIBUTED
What to Do
By Mark Fisher
Aug 7, 2020
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Dayton’s AleFest —Ohio’s longest-running craft beer festival that had just turned 21 years old last year — has been canceled for 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The virus also doomed Dayton Beer Week events and activities, as well as AleFest’s wintertime counterpart, AleFeast.

“To our AleFest, AleFeast, and Dayton Beer Week Friends: Given the current circumstances surrounding large gatherings, we have reached the difficult decision to postpone our events in 2020,” organizers told local beer enthusiasts via email. “Thank you for your previous support and participation, (and) we’ll let you know as plans develop for 2021.”

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AleFest draws hundreds of local beer enthusiasts every year and has grown into a marquee event. Last year’s 21st Annual AleFest was held in late August at the Dayton Convention Center and offered attendees the opportunity to sample from more than 200 beers while also enjoying live music and food from local restaurants and caterers .

The event culminated a full week of beer-related events and activities that was kicked off by a Dayton Beer Week Parade through Dayton’s Oregon District.

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The coronavirus pandemic has canceled dozens of local festivals, events and gatherings, although some food-focused festivals are planning drive-through sales of food.

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About the Author

Mark Fisher, a 1981 graduate of Ohio State University and a 1976 graduate of Beavercreek High School, is a third-generation Dayton-area resident who has worked for the Dayton Daily News since 1983. He covered higher education and K-12 education accountability issues for nearly 20 years before taking over the food and dining beat in 2006.