LUDLOW – On October 8, Iron Duke Brewing Company will host its annual Harvest Fest from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Ludlow Elks Lodge. The event will take place rain or shine.
Every year, the brewery organizes an event with live music, food trucks, garden games and much more. Harvest Fest is also kid-friendly with tons of activities like bouncy houses set up for them. One of the main reasons for this event is to raise funds and awareness for childhood diabetes.
Owner Nick Morin and his wife faced a challenge early in their parenthood when their 2-year-old son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the time. He is now 11 years old and managing with it. He said the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) has been a big help to his family through the process and he wants to be able to give back and help others.
In 2015, Morin wanted to organize an event that raised awareness and funds for JDRF. He said: “We wanted to have an exciting fundraising event every year to not only raise money but also raise awareness for diabetes. We thought fall is a fun time too because it’s the start of fall beer season and people have that Octoberfest mentality. The brewery is doing a special release of kegs and draft beers during Harvest Fest.
This will be the seventh year Harvest Fest has been held after it was not held in 2020 due to COVID-19. Morin said he enjoys hosting this event every year because of the fun it brings to the community. “I look forward to this event every year because there is a festive spirit. There are lots of fun things to do and it brings the community together. Some people don’t even know they are helping raise funds for charity,” he said.
Proceeds from the event go to JDRF and Morin said he appreciates the support from the community. “We met a lot of people and made friends who had similar experiences to ours. As much as a donation means, we love giving people the tools to raise awareness and even donate on their own,” Morin said.
Tickets for the event are $5 presale and can be purchased online or at the brewery and $10 at the door on the day of the event. “It’s a great time to hang out with your family, friends and people in the community and I hope to see a lot of people come and enjoy the event this year,” Morin said.
