Red, White and Brew festival Saturday at Funspot to aid NH veterans

LACONIA — The inaugural Red, White and Brew festival last year was treated to soaking rain, and yet organizers were able to raise an impressive amount of money to support New Hampshire veterans. With much fairer skies forecast for the 2nd annual event, hopes are high for an even-higher yield Saturday.

"We created the new event last year, and it was torrential downpour. We still raised $51,000, so we figure we can only go up," said Cynthia Makris, one of the founding members of the Lakes Region, NH Chapter of Veterans Count, an organization that provides emergency financial assistance to veterans, service members and their families.

The concept behind the Red, White and Brew event was to give people a way to enjoy a fall day while supporting veterans. The festival, which takes place on the grounds of Funspot in The Weirs, features a craft beer and wine tasting. VIP tickets, which cost $40, allow entry into the festival at noon, an hour earlier than other attendees. General tickets, for $25, allow entry at 1 p.m.; the event will close at 4 p.m.

To go along with the beverages, food will be offered by The Wine'ing Butcher, Sal's Pizza and the Crescent City Kitchen. Live entertainment will be provided by the band Crush, who, according to Makris, kept audiences entertained all four hours of last year's event despite the weather.

"Then, on top of it, we have a fabulous car show," Makris said. There's no fee to enter a car in the show, which will run until 3 p.m., after which trophies will be awarded. The Wright Museum, of Wolfeboro, will also be bringing some WWII-era vehicles.

There will also be a silent auction, featuring a Rob Gronkowski-signed Superbowl jersey, and a Tiki Boat tour of the lake.

"It really is just a beautiful way to salute our veterans in New Hampshire," Makris said. "The money stays in New Hampshire through Veterans Count, which is part of Easter Seals. We're helping more than 2,000 veterans in NH currently."