Do you have a nagging question about Barrington that you’ve always been curious to know the answer to? Perhaps you’d like to know more about the community’s history, oddities, trivia, neighborhoods, schools, people or places. We’re on a mission to provide the answers you seek in a new series called “Burning Questions” inspired by a summer intern here at 365Barrington.com.
When incoming BHS senior Gina Park contacted me at the end of the school year to ask about the possibility of interning with 365Barrington.com this summer, we put our heads together and came up with an idea.
Gina is thinking about pursuing a career in journalism. To get a taste for what it’s like to be a news writer, she’s stepping up to be the chief “answer-tracker” in our new “Burning Questions” series.
Go ahead – Ask Gina anything you’d like to know about Barrington in the form below.
It’s Gina’s job this summer to track down the right sources to discover your answers and share them right here at 365Barrington.com.
Anything goes – and no questions are too big or too small. Curious about where the old wooden “Welcome to Barrington” signs went now that our community’s signage has been replaced? Stop scratching your head and ask Gina! Want to know what local artifacts are buried in the vault at Harris Bank in Barrington? Go ahead and ask away using the form below.
I have a question to get things started. Just this past week my friend Susan asked me this…
Why does Barrington’s Brew Fest only run from 3 to 7 p.m. instead of lasting later into the evening?
Now that got me thinking! So I called Brew Fest co-chair and Barrington Area Council on Aging (BACOA) Executive Director, Joyce Palmquist to get the facts! Here’s what she told me…
“There are a number of reasons why we do the fest when we do. Typically brew fests are in the afternoon. Check out Naperville Ale Fest (1 to 5pm) and Midwest Brew Fest (1 to 5pm). Plus, many people who attend our event take the train and the 3 to 7 hours coordinate well with the Metra schedule. Logistically, we need time to clean-up after the event is over. Because BACOA is the last organization to hold an event in the tent, it is our responsibility to organize and stack the 100 tables and 500 chairs prior to the Monday morning clean up by the rental company. The Village wants the Metra parking lot cleaned out as soon as possible on the Monday morning after the fest. Also, the longer the event lasts, the more some people are likely to drink. Limiting the length of the event exercises some control over consumption.”
Of course, I couldn’t just stop at one question so, since I had Joyce’s ear, I threw in a few more.
How would you describe the turnout at Brew Fest 2014?
“Turnout was really good considering the weather. – we had over 900 paid, plus vendors and volunteers on the site. In all probably 1,150 people on site.”
How does that compare to attendance in years past?
“Attendance was down from last year – which was our best year ever. This year we had 910 paid, last year almost 1,200 paid. Typically, the attendance has grown each year. Again, due to the weather, we were down a little this year.”
What is it that keeps people coming back?
“I think it’s because it is a well run event number 1. Also the convenience of taking the train is huge. A couple of people in attendance commented on how helpful and friendly everyone is. They like being able to talk with the vendors. Once person commented that for a brew fest, our event is a little more upscale than some – the participants are really into the beer and understanding the process in making the different brews. Our food is really good too.”
How important is Brew Fest to the work you do at BACOA?
“The Brew Fest is very important to the Barrington Area Council on Aging in terms of the monies raised at the event. Over 90% of our support comes from the community in some manner, whether it is individual donations, program fees, grants from the townships, villages or United Way. Special event fundraisers, like the Brew Fest, also support the good work that we do helping seniors and their family caregivers. Even though our numbers were down a little, we still raised a little over $50,000 to support BACOA’s mission.”
So there you have it! Thanks for the 411, Joyce. Do you have a question for anyone in our community or would you like to get to the bottom of something you’ve always wondered about? If so, let us know in the form below. Next time it’ll be Gina who digs up the answers and we can’t wait to learn from your questions. Let’s help give Gina her first assignment!
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More About Gina
Gina Park will begin her senior year at Barrington High School this fall. Her favorite classes are English, History and Orchestra. Gina has been playing the violin since she was in 3rd grade and says she loves how you can interpret the same notes in different ways based on how they’re played.
Opportunities to communicate what she learns by listening are are what Gina says attract her to journalism as a possible career choice. “I like that journalists get to explore many subjects and get to know different people and reveal different issues.”
Stay tuned for Gina’s first feature at 365Barrington.com!
