Cork & Tap Carnival @ Summerfest Nob Hill

decent brews but not enough tables…
tables provided were at standing height which is fine until you get a few beers in and need to sit…
ample shade and placement next to dj were good…
security left a little to be desired…

Great event! This was a ‘beer garden’ type area set up at the Route 66 Summerfest, towards the east end. We had multiple tables for local breweries, one winery and even a distillery from Santa Fe. Pretty cool. There was a stage with live music and several food vendor trucks. The music was great and the food and alcohol exceptional. It wasn’t too crowded, and the amount of space set out was perfect, allowing people to get close to or far away from the stage as desired. Most of the vendors accepted credit cards, making life so much easier.
It wasn’t all roses though. There was a general lack of shade (just one crowded tent), so until the sun went down, melanoma was a real scare. It also wasn’t the cheapest in the world — entry was $ 5 (to cover the entertainment), and drinks were $ 5 each, which is a bit higher than expected. Not crazy, mind you, just a little unexpected. But, all the vendors were awesome, offering small samples of their drinks before you had to commit to a full glass. Awesome.
I’ll be back.

This is a positive review with some caveats.
Let’s start with the good:
— ample space for drinking
–four good breweries serving up their goods
–good live music
–a few different food trucks
–plenty of chairs
Especially after dark, things got lively and this was a lot of fun. After about ten beers and a whiskeyrita, I was feeling especially happy and really began to enjoy the last group and the bada$$ mofo that was killing it on the electric guitar.
What I’d like to see improve:
–the entrance exit deal; there were around five ways to get out and only one to get in
–during the daylight hours, one wants to roam the street and see different booths. Unfortunately, being fenced in because of the beer and spirits, people had to simply stand around doing nothing.
–the music was good, but lacking in diversity. Can we get some hip-​hop, some reggae, some latino music? There was a dj up the road a bit spinning some great salsa and merengue to a crowd of zero, while in here, there was a large crowd milling around to some quirky music.
–wishful thinking probably, but I’d love to see the whole event open to alcohol sales and completely integrated. This event should be evidence that people can enjoy some beers and not get violent. There were no incidents and it certainly wasn’t because of the security folks.
Overall, I had a blast but mostly because things got better after dark and because I was drinking like a sailor.
Either way, shout out to Howie for his continued success in his events.

There was something like «a million people» at summerfest, and the Cork and Tap Carnival had a $ 5 entry fee, which probably kept the number a little lower in the Carnival. There were several food trucks, beer and wine. It was so flipping hot, that I really needed a cold beer… Or 2. The TLC Taco Box had wickedly good Ceviche Tostadas, and combined with the Wildflower Wheat Beer, totally a yummy meal. The other big benefit of the Carnival was lots of chairs and a tent that provided shade, it was a scorcher, and shade was at a premium. I’d have paid $ 5, just for shade and a breeze. I meandered off before the music got going, so I can’t speak to that.