Central Coast Cider Festival returns to Atascadero May 12
Atascadero Mayor Tom O’Malley, Board Member Deana Alexander & Vice Chair Amar Sohi owner of Holiday Inn Express in Atascadero enjoying last year’s event.
–The third-annual Central Coast Cider Festival is returning to the Atascadero Pavilion on the Lake, Saturday, May 12.
Tickets are on sale for $65 each and include unlimited cider tastings from the region’s top craft producers, a traditional English pig roast prepared by Chef Jeffery Scott of Vineyard Events, live music by The Turkey Buzzards, and a commemorative 2018 Cider Festival glass.
Guests will be able to take home bottles and cases of the ciders they sample during the Grand Tasting, thanks to the Central Coast Cider Association, the industry’s nonprofit association.
New this year is the Cider Brunch & Seminar held at SpringHill Suites in Atascadero the morning of Cider Fest (10:30 a.m. cost: $40). A buffet brunch – with “cidermosas” – will precede a fun and educational hopped cider tasting seminar moderated by Neil Collins of Antiquity Tree Farm. The cidermaker panel will lead guests through hopped cider’s history in the Central Coast, apple styles and a forecast of trends. The cider panel will feature a different Neil Collins from Bristol’s Cider House, Andrew Jones from Tin City Cider, Raven Lukehart from Gopher Glen, and Connor Meznarich from Jean Marie Cider.
A representative from Jean Marie Cidery pouring tastings.
In the week before Cider Fest, there will be two “tap takeovers” in Atascadero that feature some of the dozen-plus producers pouring this year.
The first takeover will be on Thursday, May 3 from 5-8 p.m. at the Guest House Grill; the second will be on Saturday, May 5 from 6-10 p.m. at Grape Encounters EmPOURium.
For tickets and more information about Cider Fest, the Cider Brunch & Seminar and tap takeover events, please visit www.centralcoastciderfestival.com.
