ALAMOSA — The 10th Annual Rails & Ales festival churns into Alamosa next weekend bringing with it 40 craft breweries and 1,000 thirsty patrons.

The festival takes place on Saturday, June 17, high in the Sangre de Christo mountains at the train stop known as Fir Station. Accessible only by rail, the festival provides ticket holders the opportunity to enjoy 100+ craft beers, BBQ, fabulous views, and mountain top music. 

Tickets are sold out for the festival, but the community is invited to join the celebration and welcome the best of Colorado’s craft breweries to Alamosa at the Rails & Ales Block Party, Friday, June 16. The block party runs 5 p.m.-12 a.m. midnight at the corner of San Juan Ave. and Main St., Alamosa, and is free to the community. 

The SLV Brewing Company sponsored beer garden opens at 5 p.m., and soon after local favorite “LowKey” will take the stage. At 8:30 p.m., the block party will feature the modern country and rock sounds of Nashville recording artist, The Rick Monroe Band (www.rickmonroe.com)

Rick’s band is the seven-time Jagermeister Country Brand Ambassador and has opened for Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Aaron Lewis, Eli Young Band, Charlie Daniels Band, Dwight Yoakam, Montgomery Gentry, Patty Loveless, Trick Pony, Emerson Drive, Pat Green, Randy Houser, Josh Thompson and entertained former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, and U.S. troops in Vietnam. 

Rails & Ales, and the Rails & Ales block party are a partnership of the San Luis Valley Brewing Company and the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad. A portion of the proceeds from the events are used to host fundraisers for local non-profit agencies including; The Food Bank Network of the San Luis Valley, Alamosa Search & Rescue, and Tu Casa.

For more information about Rails & Ales Brewfest or the Rails & Ales Block Party, please contact SLV Brewing Company at [email protected] 

For ticketing information, contact the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad at www.coloradotrain.com or call 1-877-726-7245.

Caption: More than 1,000 people attended the 9th annual Rails and Ales brewfest at Fir Junction near the top of La Veta Pass in 2016. Courier file photo by Keith R. Cerny