Chuck's Fest

The biggest change at this year’s Chuck’s Fest at Toyota Park from Sept. 9-11 is a beer tasting featuring 130 different kinds of beers including some hard to find brands.

“We’ll have 125 beers on tap and about five brands that are only available in cans,” said Chuck Pine, owner of Chuck’s Southern Comforts Café, who started the festival in 2008 and moved it last year to Toyota Park in Bridgeview.

“It’s probably the biggest beer tasting event in Chicago,” he said. “We’ll have VIP tasting from noon to 3 p.m. for $45 to give connoisseurs a jump on the sampling. They’ll be able to sample everything we have including some brands that we have in limited supply.

“Then the regular tasting will run from 1-3 p.m. for $35, and they can taste whatever is left.”

For a complete list of beers available, visit http://chucksfest.com/beer.html.

Other new events include a balloon and bean bag launcher that will get winners entries into a raffle for a 50-inch television.

“We’re also having a belching contest for adults and kids,” Pine said with a laugh. “And a hot wings eating contest.”

Back this year will be a pig roast during the Bears opener and HDTVs in abundance so sports fans can follow their favorite college or pro teams.

The menu is also about the same as last year, Pine said. To get a complete list of food choices, visit http://chucksfest.com/food.html.

The musical highlight this year will be the Moss Brothers at 6:30 p.m. Sunday night.

“They rarely perform on the same stage because their music is so different,” Pine said. “But they will appear together Sunday night.”

For a complete list of musical performers, visit http://chucksfest.com.

Pine said last year’s event attracted about 8,000 people over three days and he expects to do better this year.

General admission is $5 per person with free parking. Hours are Friday, Sept. 9, 5-11 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 10, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 11, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For information and to buy tickets, visit http://chucksfest.com.