On Saturday, May 16th, the 11th Annual Hike Bike Brew Festival returns to Lula Lake Land Trust on Lookout Mountain for a day of unforgettable views, beautiful trails, live music, food, and tasty craft beers.
At its heart, the staple event brings folks together through a blend of hiking, biking, brews, and a shared love of the great outdoors. The festival also acts as a fundraiser for Lula Lake, as all funds raised at the event go towards supporting land preservation, trail maintenance, and outdoor access around the property at Lula Lake.
People can expect to either bike or hike the “Beer Path Loop,” which meanders down the mountain and offers stunning views, leading you all the way to Lulu Lake and the magnificent Lula Falls. I went toLula Lake many moons ago, and let me tell you, having an ice-cold beer while bathing in the drifting mist of Lula Falls' cold waters is the perfect way to spend a summer day.
Towards the end of the night, one can cool down and head over to the meadow party, packed with amazing live music, games, and food, which is all included with your ticket. Folks also have the ability to camp while at the event, and there are fifty tent camping spots available to rent at checkout, first-come, first-served.
There are also VIP tickets available that offer priority parking, VIP tent access at the meadow party, an exclusive souvenir cup, access to the VIP line for each beer stop, free beer, tasty bites, and access to the beer path trail.
In speaking with the director of development for Lula Lake Land Trust, Matthew Hubbard, about Hike Bike Brew’s history, impact, and importance, he mentioned that what makes this event unique is the land at Lulu Lake.
“Hike Bike Brew offers what no other beer festival or outdoor event in our area can: Lula Lake itself. This is what makes our fundraiser truly unique. Our land trust is only open to the public on the first and last weekend of each month because we are focused on conservation work and offering free educational trips to schools in our area.
Opening our gates to allow guests to experience our trails is part of the draw for Hike Bike Brew. As for impact, guests travel to our greater Chattanooga area, where many make the event a full weekend getaway, and we encourage them to support local businesses and our brewer sponsors.”
Hubbard went on to discuss how all the funds raised from the festival go into land conservation at Lula Lake, and he detailed how important the festival is in bringing attendees and nature lovers out to the place where the actual conservation work is being done.
“All ticket proceeds from the Hike Bike Brew fundraiser go directly back into the land. Thanks to generous sponsors, we’re able to pull this fundraiser off without a hitch and focus the proceeds on what matters most to our organization: the land. From protecting our hemlock forests from the hemlock woolly adelgid to clearing invasive species to maintain habitats, conservation is neither inexpensive nor easy. Maintaining trails and building new ones is a herculean feat. To put it into numbers, it costs roughly fifteen dollars for fifteen feet of trail work, and we have a lot of trails, not just at our Lula Lake Land Trust Core Preserve but also the Moonshine Trails and Durham Mine Trails.
Hike Bike Brew is an important fundraiser because it brings attendees out to where we are actively doing conservation work for a recreational experience. They can see for themselves the importance of protecting not only the Lula Lake Land Trust but also other beautiful landscapes. Connecting individuals with the places we protect is important to our organization. Lula Lake is a special place, and it’s hard to truly understand that until you’ve experienced it.”
Not only does Hike Bike Brew offer a fun and engaging time with nature and a chance to help support important conservation work, but it also further reinforces Chattanooga’s identity as an outdoor city and brings folks from all over to the area to support local businesses with their foot traffic. Chattanooga is an outdoor city, and we plan to keep it that way and protect the beautiful nature we have here.
When asked about his plans for the festival in the next three to five years, Hubbard teased some secrets before emphasizing again that the real importance of the festival is getting the community together to support conservation.
“We don’t want to give away our secrets! Hike Bike Brew has become a signature event for our organization. There’s a reason guests keep coming back. Each year, we have a fundraising goal for Hike Bike Brew that correlates with our active projects.
This year, for example, is supporting our Hemlock program, and although we haven’t announced our big fundraising campaigns for the next three to five years, just know there will be a reason for the community to come celebrate with us and support our nonprofit through this event. After all, Hike Bike Brew is more than just a fundraiser; it’s a “friendraiser” for conservation."
Hike Bike Brew Festival
- Saturday, May 16th. 1-5 p.m.
- Lula Lake Land Trust, 5000 Lula Lake Road., Lookout Mountain, GA.
- $49.30-$134.10.
- lulalake.org/events.html