Sample some beer and view some art as the Beer Walk for the Arts makes a comeback

Guests walked and sampled local brews during the 2015 Beer Walk for the Arts, the walk will return next Saturday after a two year hiatus/ Photo by Patrick P. Evenson — Guests walked and sampled local brews during the 2015 Beer Walk for the Arts, the walk will return next Saturday after a two year hiatus/ Photo by Patrick P. Evenson

By MATT PIKE

St. Joseph Post

After a hiatus over the last two years, the St. Joseph Allied Arts Council's annual Beer Walk for the Arts is set to make its comeback this year.

Arts Volunteer Liby Waltemath says during the walk, you can drive if you want, but she encourages everyone to walk the route along Museum Hill.

"Very walkable, we have the homes on the tour, but there's plenty to stop and look at from the murals, to the landscaping, to just other homes that aren't on the tour so, we definitely encourage people to do that," Waltemath tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. "If there's mobility issues driving is encouraged because there are quite a few hills and some terrain to traverse while you're there, but if you can walk, I would suggest it there's just so much beauty in that neighborhood going on."

The walk will begin and end at the Wyeth Tootle mansion and feature six houses along the walk including the Browne House, Edmond House, and the Kemper Wylie House among others.

Waltemath says in the four years she has volunteered for the Beer Walk, she has really seen it evolve.

"The breweries that we've been able to sample from and experiences that we can bring to our residents here through tasting beer, the homes, otherwise is really nice," Waltemath says. "It's a lovely showcase of regional beers and I think it really showcases another really great facet to St. Joseph history which is a brewing tradition."

In fact, one house along the route, the Nunning House, formerly had a brewery attachedLoc

Local band The Matchsellers performed during the 2015 Beer Walk for the Arts on the porch of the Pleasant Chestnut House, musical artists will return for this years walk at the different houses/ Photo by Patrick P. Evenson — Local band The Matchsellers performed during the 2015 Beer Walk for the Arts on the porch of the Pleasant Chestnut House, musical artists will return for this years walk at the different houses/ Photo by Patrick P. Evenson

The Beer Walk for the Arts will feature local restaurants, live music, as well as artists at some of the houses working on uncompleted pieces of artwork.

Allied Arts Council spokesperson Kathy Reno says the opportunity to watch an artist work on a piece of art is very unique to the Beer Walk for the Arts.

"We had to find artists that were kind of in the middle of something that they could work on and show, and that was a bit of a challenge, so we had a couple of volunteers take that on and they did a lovely job because that's something that's very different," Reno explains.

You can find more information about the Beer Walk for the Arts and buy tickets HERE.

Guests travel along the route of the 2015 Beer Walk for the Arts, the annual event returns next Saturday after a two year hiatus/Photo by Patrick P. Evenson