Beef N’ Brew return draws huge crowd to Red Bluff

RED BLUFF — With rain in the air Saturday evening, the annual Beef N’ Brew fundraiser was underway in Red Bluff.

People began gathering in the downtown area around 5 p.m. to start sampling the beef and beers being offered. There were 40 businesses and 20 beef vendors participating in the event.

This was the 11th Beef N’ Brew, which was started to promote beef and the downtown Red Bluff businesses. It is organized by the Downtown Red Bluff Business Association and the Tehama County CattleWomen.

Organizer Cathy Tobin said all funds the CattleWoman make off the event go to their scholarships and promoting agriculture in the classroom.

“We appreciate all the downtown businesses and our Tehama County CattleWomen that have helped provide this event for this year,” Tobin said.

The rain did not affect how the event was set up.

“About three or four years ago, before the drought, we had five inches of rain, and it didn’t hurt anything,” Tobin said. “A little bit of rain will make people come out and be happy.”

The event sold 1,250 tickets. Tobin said tickets were capped at 1,250 this year due to COVID and the festival’s ability to provide enough food, entertainment and beer for everyone who came.

TRAX extended its service for the event to help people get to and from safely.

Lisa Defonte, of Mama D’s Southern BBQ, was serving meat in front of Main Event Gallery while her husband was in their portable kitchen parked on Main Street cooking.

The husband and wife team have been participating in the Beef N’ Brew for around eight years. Years ago, the couple was told to prepare for 500 servings, which they did, but typically they serve about 650 to 700 people.

“I’m hoping that a lot of people come out, and we choose to do it in front of the art gallery to kind of bring a different group of people into the gallery that sometimes does not know that it exists,” Defonte said.

South Floridian Charles Blaicher came to the festival because he was visiting friends in town, and he was the designated driver for six other people. Blaicher said he only got to sample the beef.

“There are some nice beef tips here or burnt ends or whatever, it is good,” Blaicher said. “I am waiting for things to kick up with the music here, and the cop taking the ID said I am the furthest one he’s seen.”

Nashville recording artist Buck Ford performed 7-10 p.m. at Cone-Kimball Plaza.

At the end of the evening, everyone that came with a ticket got a tri-tip wrap and a cup of beer.

The event was canceled last year due to the pandemic.