“ON TAP” Is On Point

By Hannah Lester

Photos By Karlee Teel

For the fourth year in a row, Opelika Main Street is gearing up to host its annual craft beer event in the historic downtown. On May 13 from 1 to 6 p.m., local craft beer lovers are invited downtown to taste and sip and enjoy an afternoon together

“A lot of breweries come from all over and bring us different types of beers,” said Melissa Munford-McCurdy, interim executive director of Opelika Main Street. “You get 50 choices of beers in a 2-ounce pour, so it’s pretty much like a beertasting festival. And we’re going to have food trucks out there as well so you can have some food to digest all that beer.”

Despite the premise of the event, Munford-McCurdy said that actually, On Tap is a fun time to bring anyone to downtown Opelika — specifically 1st Avenue.

“It’s a big, fun event,” she said. “It brings a lot of people out to the city, and it helps bring people in so then they can go out and try our other shops and eateries once the festival is over.”

Munford-McCurdy said they expect between 700 to 1,000 people to attend this year. This number has grown over the past four years.

Main Street has been planning this year’s event since January.

Tickets will be available at Eventbrite or www.opelikamainstreet.org. Local downtown stores in Opelika, such as Red Clay Brewery, will also have tickets available.

“It’s a family-friendly event, even though it’s, you know, a beer festival,” Munford-McCurdy said. “… Opelika Downtown is an entertainment district, so a lot of people do bring their whole family out with them when they do come.”

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