The 2023 Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival is back on for Saturday, August 12, 2023. Keep an eye on our Facebook page – Cheers!
Mission: To promote the appreciation of craft beer in a way that benefits our community.
Since inception the goal of this festival has been to showcase the incredible beer that is produced around our state. We are honored by the presence of breweries from across Alaska. Furthermore, our hope is to create a fun outdoor atmosphere to sample craft brews while enjoying live music and delicious food. This festival has become a crowning moment for the end of our summer season in Soldotna. It is scheduled for a time in the summer when commercial and sport fishing are winding down. The city is getting a little quieter as the bulk of our summer guests depart for home. It has become a farewell to Summer, and welcome of Autumn on the Kenai. Undoubtedly the Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival is the most successful single fundraising event the Rotary Club of Soldotna has. We are proud of the work we do for the local community and world. This festival’s proceeds are used entirely in local projects big and small.
Annually the Rotary Club of Soldotna uses proceeds from the Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival to fund local projects. The Rotary Club of Soldotna was integral in constructing the outhouse on Tsalteshi Trails Wolverine trail head. Some other projects include the RAFT Fund which pays for travel to and from local hospitals and clinics for those who would otherwise have no transportation available. This fund is administered through the hospital but was initially established to honor Soldotna Rotary’s founder, Fred Chambers. This need has grown in our community. We are proud to be able to help in this very basic way.
In 2021 proceeds from the festival were used for the Kenai Peninsula Peace Crane Garden Trails. This Japanese garden project’s inception originated from a Rotary International Peace Conference where Rotarians received seeds from ginkgo and hackberry trees that survived the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. The “Survivor Trees” are a symbol of Hope, Peace, and Survivability. The Kenai Peninsula Borough approved a trail management agreement for the garden project to be located next to Soldotna High School. The garden is a signature project of the Rotary Club of Soldotna. The Rotary Clubs of Soldotna, Kenai, and Kenai River have all helped with the garden through fundraising, trail building, and tree planting. Additionally, several other organizations have contributed to the garden including the City of Soldotna, Salamatof Native Association, and Rasmussen Foundation. This is the first public Japanese garden in the State and is intended to be a place of peace and reflection for all who visit. While largely still under construction, the trails are now open to the public.
Thank you for participating in the Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival.