Hoptoberfest consistently averages about 1,200 attendees over the last few years in Richmond County.
Daily Journal file photo
ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Chamber of Commerce has opted to cancel Hoptoberfest, the annual autumnal wings and craft beer festival, this year and moving forward.
“We didn’t make this decision lightly,” said Chamber President and CEO Kristi King. “It’s a great community event, but really our mission and vision statement lines up with more business events and professional networking opportunities than a beer and wing festival.”
King said that this decision was discussed with their executive board since last year’s event and they can now pivot to events that align more directly for Richmond County businesses.
“We felt that what we spent on the event, and asking for sponsorships, that [those resources] could be used in a better way,” King said, also adding that the cost of putting on the event increased.
Hoptoberfest has historically been the Chamber’s biggest event since its inception in 2015. Over the past few years, it has consistently gathered over 1,200 attendees, (the event was cancelled in 2020), with numerous breweries from across the state. In 2021, there were more than 30 different breweries and over 13 different teams in the Chicken Wing competition.
King pointed that that many businesses are struggling to find staff, and this will serve as an opportunity to pull back from planning for the festival and prioritize local businesses and their needs. She also added that there’s not one answer for what their direction will be in the absence of Hoptoberfest, but there was a lot of success with Leadership Richmond and their Women’s Conference in 2022 that could serve as a foundation for future plans.