By Eric Lee
Cheat Canyon Adventures
With a nod to craft brewers across the state, West Virginia’s own Mountain State Brewing Company hosted another successful Brew Skies Festival at Timberline Four Seasons Resort in Canaan Valley this past weekend. The festival was a family friendly celebration of beer tasting, live music, unique foods, and local arts & crafts. The event also featured outdoor adventures like zip-lining, mountain biking, and scenic chairlift rides.
The festival rounds-out the first West Virginia Craft Beer Week which recognizes craft beer as one of the fastest growing niche markets in the state. There were a variety of breweries in attendance, and patrons were provided souvenir mugs for sampling beer from different brewers.
Live music filled the air well into the night on both Friday and Saturday. The music line-up included national acts such as the Larry Keel Experience and Swampcandy, and local artists like the Soul Miners and Mick Souter. The food was great too! Hash Browns & New Grounds had the best corn on the cob we’ve ever laid our chops on; and White Grass Café served up a hearty jerk chicken, hot off the grill with a mango salsa that left you wanting more.
The two day festival extended fun through the weekend. The resort venue made handy accommodations for some, but others chose to shack-up at a variety of nearby accommodations. Mountain Creek Cabins hosted us in their Peaceful Getaway cabin nestled in the woods of Black Bear Resort. It was a cozy getaway after a busy day of fun. The kids enjoyed staying in the cabin’s loft, and we all relished in a hot breakfast each morning. Mountain Creek Cabins has several unique retreats from Canaan Valley to Coopers Rock, West Virginia.
The kiddos had plenty to do, too. The family friendly environment saw plenty of kids making crafts at the kids tent, chasing bubbles in the lawn, and playing flashlight tag as the sun went down. Kids and adults both enjoyed the TimberZips zip-line that ran over-top festival goers and stage acts. We ran a couple of zips over the weekend and had a great time with the safe and friendly NROCKS staff who operate the zip-line.
The 2015 Brew Skies Festival was fortunate to have great weather with a solid turnout of folks ready to celebrate the craft beer industry. Craft beer continues to be an economic driver in the state, and festivals like this will continue to draw tourism dollars across the region and throughout the state.
Article and photos by Eric Lee of Cheat Canyon Adventures. Find out more about outdoor activities in the Cheat River basin by visiting their website at www.cheatcanyonadventures.com or following them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
