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Date: 9/28/2022
LUDLOW – On Oct. 8, Iron Duke Brewing Company will host its annual Harvest Fest from 12 to 8 p.m. at Ludlow Elks Lodge. The event will go on rain or shine.
Every year the brewery hosts an event with live music, food trucks, backyard games and more. The Harvest Fest is also kid friendly with tons of activities like a bounce houses set up for them. A major reason for the event is to raise money and awareness for juvenile diabetes.
Owner Nick Morin and his wife together faced a challenge early on in parenthood when at the time, their 2-year-old son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. He is now 11 years old and managing with it. He said that the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) was a huge help to his family through the process and that he wanted to be able to give back and help others.
In 2015, Morin wanted to host an event that raised awareness and money for JDRF. He said, “We wanted to put on an exciting fundraising event each year to not only raise money but also awareness for diabetes. We thought the fall is a fun time also because it the start of fall beer season and people have that Octoberfest mentality.” The brewery does a special release of cask and draft beers during the Harvest Fest.
This will be year seven that the Harvest Fest will take place after it did not take place in 2020 due to COVID-19. Morin said he loves putting on this event every year because of the amount of fun it brings to the community. “I look forward to this event every year because there is a celebratory mindset. There is a lot of fun things to do, and it brings the community together. Some people do not even know they are helping raise money for charity,” he said.
Proceeds from the event are donated to JDRF and Morin said he appreciates the support from the community. “We have met plenty of people and made friends who had similar experiences to us. As much as a donation means, we just love giving people the tools to raise awareness and even donate on their own,” Morin said.
Tickets to the event are $5 for pre-sale and can be bought online or at the brewery and $10 at the door on the day of the event. “It is a great time to spend time with your family, friends and people from the community and I hope to see a lot of people come enjoy the event this year,” Morin said.