By Carl Cote
Staff Writer
It was a day of good food, beer, and foot-tapping music in Dubois Saturday, as the Western Fremont County town hosted its annual Wild West Brewfest. The event, organized by the Chamber of Commerce, was a big hit, as usual, among both locals and travelers stopping in town on their journey to or from Jackson.
This year, The Man in Tan, a popular singer-songwriter from Worland, delighted attendees with his electric guitar and soulful singing of covers and originals. The latter half of the day was dialed in by Henry Pepin, another fan-favorite, who lent his lively spirit to the festival.
Luke Sander, executive director of the Dubois Chamber of Commerce who was in charge of setting up the event, shared some insights. “The hardest part of setting up the festival is getting breweries to come to town. These guys do so many brew fests this time of year and they donate all of the beer all summer long,” said Sander. “We’re thankful for those who do come … It’s great having a few hundred people show up to the park.” Despite his challenges the Brewfest boasted a healthy selection of regional breweries, including Snake River, Lander Brewing, Kettlehouse, and more. Western Distributing also offered a variety of brands on tap including Stone, Sierra Nevada, and Gruner Bros from Casper.
As for food, attendees had plenty of options with two local food trucks and Dubois’ own 2Z’s BBQ making a special appearance.
While the Wild West Brewfest is currently a non-competitive brew fest, the idea of a beer judging contest has been floating around. “A beer judging contest is something we’ve talked about that we’d like to do here in the future,” said Sander.
For those who may have knocked back a few too many, Dubois local Grant Scheer was on hand to ensure safe travel back and forth from the festival in Town Park to the Rustic Pine.
Amidst all of the beer, food and music, festival goers also had the chance to purchase jewelry, leather, and clothing brought by local and out-of-state vendors. As the sun sets on another successful Wild West Brewfest, Dubois looks toward keeping the tradition alive for years to come.
