Natty Greene’s Brewing Co. and Foothills Brewing Company Create Innovative Partnership to Sponsor National Folk Festival

Craft Beer Sponsors will provide all beer sold at the
Sept. 11-13 Festival in downtown Greensboro

"Greensboro, N.C., July 14, 2015 — The National Folk Festival announced today that Natty Greene’s Brewing Co. and Foothills Brewing Company are joining forces to serve as the Craft Beer Sponsors for the 2015 Festival, which will feature 300 artists on seven stages over three days in downtown Greensboro. The Festival is FREE to the public and will run from September 11 – 13, 2015.

The breweries will provide all beer sold at the Festival. Attendees may purchase Natty Greene’s and Foothills beer at several locations across the Festival site, which will extend approximately a half-mile in all directions from Center City Park.

Making the announcement today at Natty Greene’s Pub in Greensboro were Jamie Bartholomaus, CEO – Foothills Brewing Company; Carlee Dempsey, Marketing Director – Natty Greene’s Brewing Co.; Florence Gatten, Board Chair – ArtsGreensboro; Tom Philion, President and CEO – ArtsGreensboro; and Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan.

“We’re so excited that two of the state’s top craft brewers have come together to support the National Folk Festival in this way,” said Philion. “With this investment, Natty Greene’s and Foothills are providing an opportunity for thousands of festival-goers to experience a new North Carolina tradition—fine craft beer.”

“When Natty Greene’s learned the scope of the National Folk Festival, we decided it would be a perfect opportunity for us to partner with another great N.C. brewery for the event,” said Carlee Dempsey. “Foothills—with its prominent position in the North Carolina craft beer industry—is the perfect partner.”

“We're thrilled to forge a partnership with our friends over at Natty Greene's to provide a great craft beer experience for the thousands of beer lovers who will attend the National Folk Festival,” said Jamie Bartholomaus. “This is a great opportunity for Foothills and Natty’s to continue making the Triad one of North Carolina's best music and craft beer destinations."

Co-produced by ArtsGreensboro and the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), the National Folk Festival is beginning its three-year residency in downtown Greensboro this year, when it will celebrate its 75th anniversary from September 11 – 13, 2015. The three-day Festival is FREE to the public, and will feature over 300 artists on seven stages throughout downtown.

More than 20 National Folk Festival performing groups  have been announced to date, with further announcements scheduled throughout the summer. Visit NationalFolkFestival.com for updates and information on all performers.

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About Natty Greene’s Brewing Co.: Natty Greene’s Brewing Co. opened in 2004 in Greensboro, N.C., with a seven-barrel brewing system in the heart of downtown. In 2007, Natty Greene’s opened a production facility on West Gate City Blvd. The production facility houses a 20-barrel brewing system and allows Natty Greene’s to package product that is distributed from Washington, D.C., to Savannah. With a passion for Southern traditions, Natty Greene’s brews seasonal-style ales that are best enjoyed when taking the time to do and enjoy the things you love. The company’s flagships are Buckshot Amber Ale and Southern Pale Ale. Through Natty Greene’s brewhouse and tasting room, it is also able to offer a wide arrange of limited batch releases and sour beers. Taste the South. www.nattygreenes.com

About Foothills Brewing Company: Opening in March 2005 in Winston-Salem, N.C., Foothills Brewing has evolved into one of the top craft brewing operations in the southeast United States. Ranked among ratebeer.com’s 100 best breweries in the world, Foothills has garnered numerous awards for its beers, including seven Great American Beer Festival medals and three World Cup Beer medals, more than any other North Carolina-based brewery. Foothills brews more than 20 year-round and seasonal offerings, including best -ellers Hoppyum IPA and Carolina Blonde. Year-round brands also include People’s Porter and Torch Pilsner; seasonals include Cottonwood Pumpkin and the highly anticipated Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout. In January 2011, Foothills acquired the Carolina and Cottonwood beer brands, adding to an already extensive portfolio of beer styles. In December 2011 Foothills expanded its brewing operations from its popular brewpub in downtown Winston-Salem to a 48,000 square-foot facility in southwest Winston-Salem, allowing for increased development of six-pack and 22-oz. bottle production. 2013-14 saw the addition of four 200 BBL and four 300 BBL fermenting tanks, increasing potential brewing capacity to approximately 52,000 barrels annually. In April 2015, Foothills opened a 28-tap tasting room at its main production facility. Foothills, Cottonwood and Carolina brands are distributed by a network of top-level distributors in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. foothillsbrewing.com.

 About the 2015 National Folk Festival: Co-produced by the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) and ArtsGreensboro, the National Folk Festival is beginning its three-year residency in downtown Greensboro this year, when it will celebrate its 75th anniversary from September 11 – 13, 2015. The FREE, three-day event is America’s longest-running festival of traditional arts; it will highlight both long-standing traditions and the heritage and culture of North Carolina’s newest immigrant groups, and set the stage for a continuing and permanent North Carolina Folk Festival, beginning in 2018, after the “National” moves on.

Belk is the presenting sponsor of the 2015 Festival. With downtown Greensboro as the backdrop, audiences will enjoy seven stages featuring continuous musical entertainment—from rockabilly to old-time to mariachi, and from funk to Cajun to jazz. Attendees will also be able to dance non-stop to a variety of musical genres at the dance pavilion; dine on regional and ethnic foods; experience folk art demonstrations and performances by N.C. artists; and share the fun of the Family Activities Area with their children. nationalfolkfestival.com

About the National Folk Festival: Since it was first presented in St. Louis in 1934, the National Folk Festival has celebrated the roots, richness, and variety of American culture. Championed in its early years by Eleanor Roosevelt, it was the first event of national stature to present the arts of many nations, races, and languages on equal footing. It was also the first to present to the public musical forms such as the blues, Cajun music, polka bands, Tex-Mex conjunto, Peking Opera, and many others. An exuberant traveling festival that embraces the diverse cultural expressions of the American people in the 21st century, the National Folk Festival is FREE to the public, and is produced by the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) in partnership with communities around the country.
About the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA): The National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) is one of the nation’s premier non-profit cultural organizations dedicated to the presentation and documentation of folk, tribal, and ethnic arts in the United States. Founded in 1933, it is the nation’s oldest producing and presenting organization with such a focus. Its programs celebrate and honor deeply rooted cultural expressions—music, crafts, stories, and dance passed on through time by families and communities as well as by tribal, ethnic, and occupational groups. The NCTA stresses excellence and authenticity in presenting artists to the public in festivals, tours, concerts, media programs, exhibitions, recordings, and other activities, and works in partnership with communities across American to establish new, sustainable traditional arts events that bring lasting social, cultural, and economic benefits. www.ncta-usa.org


About ArtsGreensboro: With an annual budget of approximately $4 million, ArtsGreensboro is a catalyst for innovation to build recognition and support for the arts. Through the 17DAYS Arts & Culture Festival, I HEART ARTS Month, power2give, and other initiatives such as the National Folk Festival, ArtsGreensboro is driving the health and vitality of our community by supporting arts education, celebrating the diversity of Greensboro, and driving economic impact through excellence in arts programming. www.artsgreensboro.org"

- A Press Release

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