507 Taproom to host second annual ‘Brew Fest’ on Saturday in Yelm

Bill DeVore, owner of the 507 Taproom and Filling Station in Yelm, has always aimed to bring something new and unique to residents of Yelm and surrounding cities through events and activities at his business.

This year, one of DeVore’s original ideas will return for the second consecutive year, as the 507 Taproom’s “Brew Fest” is set for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, at its location at 608 E Yelm Ave. Musical acts will begin at 1 p.m. and wrap up at 11.

“We did Brew Fest three weeks earlier this year, unintentionally during Prairie Days,” DeVore told the Nisqually Valley News on Monday, June 22. “We’ll have 30 breweries and five bands. Dakota Poorman will be our headliner with a full band. It’s a pretty good lineup of local artists.”

The event will feature multiple local musicians throughout the day, including Emily McInyre; Ian Ayers; Temple Lake; We Are The Strays; and the Dakota Poorman Band.

“Being able to have a patio that’s as big as ours to accommodate the event and host something like this without having to lease or rent another facility is very satisfying,” DeVore said. “The whole music lineup is very good this year. It will start out a little slower with Emily. She’ll play for about an hour and a half to two hours, and things will speed up.”

DeVore also said that the second annual Brew Fest will feature 30 different breweries on-site outdoors, including six or seven cideries within the total. He noted that each brewery will have two to three offerings of their beer or cider — bringing a total of up to 90 different tastes of brew at the event.

“They’ll be outside around the perimeter and we’ll have all of the seating in the middle. The band will be performing in the corner. We’ll also have the Grill’s food truck out there operating as well. We’re setting the stage up on Friday night and it will be ready to go for Saturday around 1 p.m.”

Last year, DeVore was inspired to launch the inaugural Brew Fest in Yelm, as it was an event type that the city had never seen before. The initial event was a big success and this year, DeVore sees potential for a larger turnout from area residents.

“We had just over 400 people show up at the first annual Brew Fest last year, so that was nice,” DeVore said. “I’m hoping this year, with the car show going on next door — there’s supposed to be 240-something cars — and Yelm Prairie Day’s function, I hope people are wandering around town and decide to pop in and see what’s going on.”

While Brew Fest is transpiring outside, DeVore noted the interior of the 507 Taproom and Filling Station will remain open — while the outdoor patio area will only allow ticketed patrons through while breweries are in attendance.

“Show up early and know that after 6 p.m. when the Brew Fest is closed, you can still come and listen to music without a ticket,” DeVore said. “During the day, we have it as a ticketed event to control the age group and people coming and going. We’ll have security, and obviously a lot of people serving beer.”