Photo by Derek Redd The Mountaineer Brewfest announced Tuesday that the Wheeling YMCA would be the beneficiary of its donations this year. Pictured are, from left, Kim Florence, Regional President and Title Sponsor Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack; Jessica Moore, Partner Wheeling Lightningbirds: Jeff Hayes, Founder and President Mountaineer Brewfest; Brian Blazier, Senior Program Director Wheeling YMCA 2026 MBF Charity; Jeff Yourkovich, Beer Garden Chair Circus Saints and Sinners; PJ McDermott, Partner Wheeling Alers Home Brew Club; and Daniel Young, Partner and President Circus Saints and Sinners.

An organization with a history of more than 150 years of serving families in the Wheeling community will be the beneficiary of this year’s Mountaineer Brewfest.

The Mountaineer Brewfest, an annual celebration of craft beers held at Wheeling’s Heritage Port, announced Tuesday that it had chosen the Wheeling YMCA as the nonprofit that will benefit the the event’s donations this year. The Brewfest chooses a different nonprofit each year to donate toward.

This year’s Brewfest will be held Saturday, Aug. 15, at Heritage Port.

“I drive past the YMCA all the time,” Mountaineer Brewfest President and founder Jeff Hayes said. “I see all the programs they have there for families. I see the children all the time on the playground. We just want to be able to help them this year.”

The Brewfest started from humble beginnings, Hayes said. The first year, it was able to donate about $7,000 to its chosen nonprofit. The last two years, he said, it has been able to donate $50,000 each year. The Mountaineer Brewfest has raised more than $320,000 for local nonprofits since its inception, allowing guests to sample craft brews from around West Virginia and enjoy fun entertainment through the night.

The donations not only come through the tickets purchased for the event, but through the tips donated through the Circus Saints and Sinners organization that works the taps at the Mountaineer Brewfest beer garden. Other groups that volunteer each year are the Wheeling Lightningbirds women’s hockey team, the Wheeling Alers and the Wheeling Park Hockey Parents.

The Wheeling YMCA is finishing up a $7 million renovation project that gave the Elm Grove facility a remodeled lobby and entrance, improved locker rooms and child care facilities and expanded fitness spaces, among other features. Those improvements have given the YMCA the opportunity to serve even more area families, and the organization has added personnel to help make that happen.

Brian Blazier, the senior director of programming and childcare at the Wheeling YMCA, said the Mountaineer Brewfest’s contributions will be a significant boost to the organization’s mission.

“It’ll enhance us with trainings,” he said. “It enhances us by having the right people in the right places and doing the right things. It just creates a good, friendly environment for families.”

The Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack will hold a VIP craft beer and food pairing for VIP ticketholders and sponsors at 6 p.m. Aug. 13 at Wheeling Island. It will features craft beers from The Peddler with special food preparations by Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack Executive Chef John Greenwald.

Entertainment at this year’s event will feature Grace Campbell, performing at the VIP hour at 3 p.m., The Trainjumpers at 4:30 p.m., North to Nashville at 6:30 p.m., and headliner Pulse at 8:30 p.m.

Brewfest hours on Aug. 15 are VIP entry at 3 p.m. and general admission entry at 4 p.m. with the festival ending at 10 p.m. Patrons must be 21 years old with a valid photo ID to enter. This is a rain or shine event. Special early ticket pricing is available June 1 through July 31. General admission tickets are $35 in that period, while VIP tickets are $70, and VIP plus Thursday Pairing event at $80. Ticket prices increase after July 31, with general admission at $45, and VIP at $80. Designated Driver tickets are also available.

Mountaineer Brewfest tickets can be purchased starting June 1 via www.mountaineerbrewfest.com, www.facebook.com/MountaineerBrewfest, www.eventbrite.com, or at Yourkovich & Associates, located at 246 Kruger Street in Wheeling.