What to Do: The Historic Odessa Brewfest

This is the perfect weather for drinking beer — and also the perfect weather to stage a brewfest. Fortunately for all you beer lovers out there, there’s a great local festival focusing on beer this weekend.

You can be a part of history if you attend the Historic Odessa Brewfest (202 Main Street, Odessa, Delaware, 302-378-4119, http://www.odessabrewfest.com) because it is the inaugural staging of the event. The Brewfest, which is being presented by the Historic Odessa Foundation and Cantwell’s Tavern, is slated for September 6 from 2-6 p.m.

There will be an array of tasty locally-produced food served at Cantwell’s, which is a farm-to-table gastropub. The cheese boutique Middletown’s Fromage will have plates of cheeses that will be paired with different styles of beer and wine.

More than 45 local and national breweries are participating, including Downingtown’s Victory Brewing Company, Oskar Blues Brewery, Twin Lakes Brewing Company, Dogfish Head Brewery, Brooklyn Brewery, Evil Genius Beer Company, Troegs Independent Craft Brewery, Shiner Beers and Seattle’s Elysian Brewery.

Rich Wagner, who is a beer connoisseur, historian and Colonial re-enactor, will demonstrate the brewing process from start to finish — a process he describes as spinning straw into gold.

All attendees have access to food and merchandise vendors, live bands, sponsor tables, and more during the entire event. Doors open at noon for the (sold-out) VIP Tasting and the regular fest is slated to start at 2 p.m. All taps will close at 6 p.m.