By John Chambless
Staff Writer

For most people, in the midst of broiling August, it's hard to imagine sipping a hearty, dark beer on a cool afternoon, but for the loyal fans of the annual Kennett Brewfest, it's never too early to think about beer.

Tickets are on sale for the 19th annual Kennett Brewfest, which will be held on Oct. 1 in downtown Kennett Square. The event is traditionally a sellout, so if you want a shot at almost 200 different kinds of beer, get your tickets now.

This year, more than 95 regional and craft breweries will be offering samples at the Brewfest, providing a wide selection of brews not usually available anywhere near Kennett Square. The food will be provided by renowned Talulah's Table in Kennett Square, and there are tents over the sampling stations in case of bad weather. But bad weather doesn't usually stop the people who wait all year for the Brewfest.

Along with the expected Victory and Dogfish Head, participants can sip and learn about microbrews from Terrapin Beer Company of Athens, Ga., Stone Brewing Company of San Diego, Shorts Brewing from Michigan, Penn Brewery in Pittsburgh, Newport Storm from Rhode Island, and places that have names that are just fun – Arrogant Bastard, The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, Naked Brewing, Evil Genius, Evil Twin, Round Guys, Fat Head's and Knee Deep Brewing, for instance.

The idea is to stroll from tent to tent, reading the lists of what's available and getting a small sample of as many as you'd like. There will be live music all afternoon as well. Tickets are sold in advance only, so don't think you can wait until the last minute. Tickets are required for everyone, whether you're going to be sampling the beers ($50) or being a designated driver ($15). No one under 21 will be admitted. Another big selling point is that the event is a fundraiser for Historic Kennett Square, a non-profit group, so the ticket price is tax-deductible.

For the breweries who eagerly line up to dispense their specialties, the Brewfest is a great way to introduce people to their products and win lifetime fans, so everybody wins – the crowd, the breweries and the borough of Kennett Square, which uses the proceeds to promote itself as a great place to live, work and visit.

The Brewfest runs from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., and it's set up along South Broad Street. No infants or children are allowed, and proper ID is required at the gate. In case of a major weather event, the Brewfest will be rescheduled, but tickets will not be refunded. For complete information and online ticket sales, visit www.kennettbrewfest.com.

The 2016 participating breweries from the region and around the country are:

Almanac Beer

Argilla Brewing Company

Arrogant Bastard Ale

Atwater Brewery

Avery Brewing

Ballast Point

Bell's Brewery

Boulder Beer

Cape May Brewing

Captain Lawrence Brewing

Carton Brewing Company

Chadds Ford Hard Cider

Conshohocken Brewing Company

Coppertail Brewing

Cottrell Brewing Company

Dark Horse Brewing

Defiance Brewing Company

Destihl Brewery

Dock Street

Dogfish Head

Double Nickel Brewing

Duck-Rabbit Brewery

Einstok Olegro Brewery

Epic Brewing

Evil Genius Beer Company

Erie Brewing Company

Evil Twin Brewing

Evolution

Fat Head's Brewery

Flying Dog Brewery

Flying Fish Brewery

Fordham/Dominion

Forest and Main Brewing

Four Hands Brewing

Free Will Brewing

Goose Island Beer Company

Half Acre

Hershey Brewery

Hidden River Brewing Company

Hollow Earth Brewing Company

Kennett Brewing Company

Knee Deep Brewing Company

Kurant Cider

Lancaster Brewing Company

Levante

Liquid Hero

Locust Lane Brewery

Lonerider Ales

Long Trail Brewing Company

Manayunk Brewing Company

McKenzie's Brewhouse

Merchant du Vin

Mispillion River Brewing

Naked Brewing Company

Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company

New Belgium

Newport Storm

Old Forge Brewing Company

Otter Creek Brewing

Peak Organic

Penn Brewery

River Horse Brewing Company

Rivertowne Brewing

Round Guys Brewing Company

Saranac Brewery

Shawnee Craft Brewing

Ship Bottom Brewery

Shipyard Brewing

Shorts Brewing Company

Singlecut Beersmiths

Sixpoint Brewery

Sly Fox Brewing

Sole Artisan Ales

St. Benjamin

St. Boniface

Stable 12 Brewing Company

Starr Hill Brewery

Stillwater

Stone Brewing Company

Stoudt's Brewing Company

Susquehanna Brewing Company

Sweet Water Brewing Company

Tall Tales Brewing

Ten Barrel Brewing Company

Terrapin Beer Company

Tired Hands Brewing Company

Twin Lakes Brewing Company

2SP Brewing Company

Troegs Brewing Company

Two Roads Brewing Company

Victory Brewing Company

Weyerbacher

White Birch Brewing

Yards Brewing Copmpany

Zero Day Brewing Company

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email [email protected].