Festa di Birra in Pratovecchio
We go to a German Beerfest in Pratovecchio and have a great time!
So here we are in Susan’s town on the 19th of September 2014. I had found a flyer in a store advertising a Beerfest in a town called Pratovecchio not far from us. I looked into it and learned that this town was at the north end of the local train that connected the small villages in the region. So I talked to Joe about it and he thought it sounded like fun. The girls wanted to go as well se we all set out that night to find the Beerfest.
Waiting for the train to Pratovecchio at the stop in Capolona
We found the city park where the Festa was to be held and found this huge tent.
Here we are 30 minutes later in Pratovecchio. We are definitely on the track of the Beerfest!
We were early and this tent was huge. The evening was rainy but the tent was warm and comfortable.
Well, we got off the train and walked to the local fairgrounds following the signs. It is a small town and so we did not have far to go. Well, what a tent! They had set up this huge and obviously very expensive tent and laid out long tables and benches for the party goers. Along the back wall of the tent they had a bar at one end and the food concession at the other.
Joe and I went to get beer. You had to pay 5€ to start and you got a lanyard with a mug clipped onto it. Then you bought beer to put in your mug. Each time you went for another beer they gave you a new mug, chilled and full of delicious beer. The system worked very well and if you kept your mug on your lanyard you never lost it. At the end of the evening you could turn in your mug and lanyard and get your 5€ back. Or you could keep it. Of course I kept mine. So did Joe.
Actually Joe is holding my beer as well as his own
The beer was excellent and we had several.
You can see Joe’s and my yellow lanyard for the beer mugs. At the bottom of the lanyard is a clip to hold the mug: unclip it to drink, clip it on again to carry it around (empty of course).
Our table and in the background you can see how the tent had filled up. It was loud in there and everyone was having a great time. Anna and Ralph are on the right across the table from Christina and Joe. The blank space beside Joe is where I was sitting.
Early in the evening there were families with old and young: there were kids running everywhere. The music was by a German band and the atmosphere was light and fun. As the evening progressed, a rock bank took the stage and the families began to drift away. Young people, late teens and early twenties began to drift in and the atmosphere changed to a more adult oriented flavor. Louder and very friendly. It was wonderful that all age groups could find something they liked in this one event.
Ralph and Anna came in later and found us. They joined us for dinner and stayed with us till we left about midnight. Apparently the party continued well into the morning.
Anna, Ralph and Susan. Look at Susan: she was having a ball at a Beerfest. That tells you how much fun it was!
This was a great evening! It was better than we had hoped. I have my beer mug hanging by its lanyard in my den in a place of honor. It is a reminder of another unique experience in Italy.