Flannelfest is an annual beer festival held every winter in downtown Janesville, Wisconsin. The one-day festival features local beers, food, games and, yep… you guessed it… flannel shirts.
WNIJ host Jason Cregier and Elaina Szyjewski (she-yef-ski), of Downtown Janesville Inc., about this Saturday’s event.
(This interview has been edited for clarity).
Jason Cregier: There is a home brew competition correct? How many entries do you have for this year?
Elaina Szyjewski: We have 37 homebrewers this year which will account for about 80 different beers in the homebrew area alone.
Are there different competitions within the homebrewing?
Beers will be separated by categories such as light, hoppy, fruity, spicy, and malty. Those are the various categories that will be judged. We also have Best in Show recognition that really gets the crowd involved.
There also is a Best Tent award, brewers entering in competition go all out to decorate their tents with unique décor.
Besides beer, food and flannel shirts, there are also games attendees can play at Flannelfest. What are the games?
Games are also what makes Flannelfest fun and unique. We have giant beer pong, hammerschlagen, ladder toss, sack races and a cornhole tournament.
There is also a wrecking ball, bowling and “lazy man run,” and I use the term “run” very loosely. This is a 0.1-kilometer obstacle course and when you complete the lazy man run you receive a commemorative sticker. Also, you will receive a celebratory pour of beer down our ice luge this year.
Do people find Flannelfest to be a pleasant change of pace from the dullness of winter?
I think so. We recently had “faux spring,” and I think winter weather can make people start to feel squirrely. We are from Wisconsin; we like being outside.
You go to outdoor events; you are used to bundling up and drinking beer.
This event really helps our downtown businesses and draws people in from all over the area, plus, people attend the event from outside of Rock County. Flannelfest has a positive economic impact on downtown, as well as the entire city of Janesville. But most importantly, it gives people something fun to do, and an excuse to get out of the house in the winter.
Flannelfest takes place this Saturday, Feb. 28, in downtown Janesville, Wisconsin.
