Grapevine visitors tap into craft brew experience at annual festival

The fun was brewing at Grapevine’s 32nd Annual Main Street Fest: A Craft Brew Experience last Friday through Sunday.

Thousands of people tapped into a weekend of fun where guests sampled more than 80 craft brews from 15 states.

The 32nd Annual Main Street Fest coincided with American Craft Beer Week, as well as the celebration of the Bavarian Beer Purity Law of 1516, enacted by Duke Wilhelm IV, and the oldest law governing food and beverage.

This year, Ingolstadt, Germany — one hour north of Munich — celebrated 500 hundred years of the Bavarian Beer Purity Law. To commemorate this anniversary and reenact the reading of the 1516 proclamation, “Duke Wilhelm IV” made a special appearance in Grapevine.

The special appearance included daily tappings featuring a special 500th Jubilee Brew from Brewery Herrnbraeu in Ingolstadt.

“Duke Wilhelm IV,” in reality a CEO of a company in Europe that produces CD’s, DVDs and Blu-rays and a tourist guide who specializes in English, Italian and Spanish, said he was enjoying his first trip to Texas.

But the 48-year-old visitor said, “I was born in Ingolstadt and I hope to die there. It’s really beautiful.”

His 14-year-old daughter Veronica misses home, but said Texas has one advantage over her hometown.

“I love the hamburgers here,” she said.

Among the crowd-goers was a couple with a German connection.

Nina Ecklund was living in Germany but on vacation to visit relatives in Las Vegas when she met her husband, Ryan. They fell in love and started their family in Germany — 9-year-old Hailey who was later joined in the United States by 5-year-old Eli.

The Plano couple — he works in information technology and she is a pre-school teacher — enjoys family outings to area festivals, and said this is one of their favorites because it is kid-friendly.

“We like the family atmosphere,” Ryan said. “It’s good for the kids.”

Hailey, who dreams of being an artist, joined others in the free painting exhibit and visited various art venues.

Her younger brother liked finger painting, but said his favorite was “the rides.”

The family stopped by Vetro Glassblowing Studio & Gallery, a year-round full working studio located on the festival grounds, to pick up finished glass flowers the kids made for Mother’s Day. The event this month included professional glassblowers helping guests create glass heart and flowers.

Nina said their visits to Grapevine are always fun.

“We are having a great time out here,” Nina said Saturday.

Patrons in the Craft Brew Experience presented by Gaylord Texan Resort voted Texas the winner of the State Brew Challenge for the second year in a row.

Craft breweries from across the country battled it out for the hearts and taste buds of festival-goers during the challenge.

Votes were cast as brews were poured in the beer garden setting of Grapevine’s Liberty Park.

Voters selected Colorado as the second place finisher with California taking third. Other participating breweries were from Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont and Washington.

“Main Street Fest was a wonderful celebration in Historic Downtown Grapevine,” said festival chair Melva Stanfield, who co-chaired with her husband Mark. “All weekend, so many families and guests enjoyed the Craft Brew Experience, the Junior Builder Competition at Legoland Discovery Center and the touch pool at Sea Life. Many guests also had their favorite festival food, shopped with the artisans and listened to live music.”

This story was originally published May 24, 2016 at 12:57 PM with the headline "Grapevine visitors tap into craft brew experience at annual festival."