SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – The 7th annual Hub City Brew Festival is back this weekend, and will feature over 80 different craft beers. But behind all of the food, drinks and music each year, is a greater cause.

“The funds that we’re raising go to the Coalition for Active Youth, which is a nonprofit organization located here in Spartanburg and we’ll be gathering the funds we raise from this festival to help improve the bike park,” said Lamar Baehr, Hub City Brew Festival committee member.

Since the festival started, proceeds have gone towards this nonprofit, who will use the funds this year to improve the Vic Bailey Subaru Bike Park. The park was built in 2020 to provide an alternative activity for kids in the area.

“We just feel it’s very important to have some of these things along the rail trail,” said Baehr. “It just enhances all of the activities that can be done.”

Breweries from all over the Carolinas are participating, like Liability Brewery in Greenville. They said having all the proceeds go towards something that gives kids in the community a place to be active makes them want to be involved even more.

“The people that go and patronize these beer festivals are the people that let us keep doing what we love, brewing beer and selling beer,” said Courtney Beard, beertender at Liability Brewery. “It’s really cool to see everyone come out and support us and enjoy all of the hard work we put in to be able to be a part of it.”

The brew fest has been notorious for giving back since it started, helping fund several projects in spartanburg. 

“It keeps some of these wonderful, out-of-the-box and non-traditional parks open like the skate park,” said Baehr. “We were very involved in the skate park on the rail trail and the dog park down there as well.”

Despite the event taking close to a year to plan, organizers said they enjoy it knowing that it’s all for the community most of them grew up in and now raise their kids in.

“We’ve got such a vibrant and giving community and its growing leaps and bounds right now,” said Baehr.  The festival will be on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.