Upper St. Clair-Bethel Park Rotary hosts event to benefit Gilfillan Farm
Despite summer still being a few weeks away, one local organization is getting a jump on the party season with a band, bonfire and beverages.
Speaking of three B’s, the Barnyard Beer Benefit is back for the second straight year, from 6 to 10 p.m. May 28 at Gilfillan Farm, thanks to the Rotary Club of Upper St Clair-Bethel Park (Breakfast).
Last year’s event, which brought out around 300 people to start celebrating the warmer weather, is expected to grow even more.
“It worked out really well,” Rotarian Natalie Mihalek about the 2015 version. “We were really going off no experience, because none of us are event planners. Craft beer seems pretty popular in the area, and we feel we can continue to draw people in that way.”
Tickets are $50 for food and beverages from five area breweries: Fat Head’s Brewery, Helltown Brewing, Voodoo Brewery, Insurrection AleWorks and Spoonwood Brewing Co.
Entertainment will be provided by the Hookups.
Tickets are also being sold for designated driver admission, which will cost $35.
Proceeds benefit the Gilfillan Farm Restoration Project, which includes the farmhouse along and 15 acres along Route 19, near South Hills Village Mall. The property was willed to the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair with the death of Margaret Gilfillan in May 2001.
Gilfillan, who was an active member of the historical society, wanted to make sure the property was utilized as a cultural, historical and educational center.”
“The farm has so many different projects they are working on right now, so we don’t have a specific thing the money will go to,” said Mihalek.
The club also runs the farmers’ market that takes place from 4 to 7 p.m. every Thursday at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2040 Washington Road, Upper St. Clair. Dozens of venders are featuring fresh, locally grown and farm-to-table meats and produce over the next 19 weeks.
The market was taken over by the rotary club last year after previously being ran by the Upper St. Clair Lions Club.
“We changed a lot of things last year and received pretty good feedback,” said Mihalek. “We almost doubled the amount of vendors last year and upped the price to make it more profitable.”
For more information, contact rotaryuscbp@gmail.com.