OktoberForest Festival

On Oct. 16, The Nature Conservancy is partnering with Greenville Water and Birds Fly South Ale Project to celebrate its sixth annual OktoberForest. OktoberForest is a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of the connections between healthy forests, clean drinking water, and great-tasting beer.

The OktoberForest Festival will feature family-friendly STEM activity stations outside the brewery, including:

• A special appearance by Greenville Water’s pygmy goats (time limited)
• Tabletop hockey to “defend your drain” and learn about stormwater runoff
• The chance to try on real firefighter gear
• Leaf imprinting
• A water distribution activity

Furman University, Clemson University Fire Tigers, Greenville Water, U.S. Forest Service, S.C. Forestry Commission, Trout Unlimited, South Carolina Native Plant Society, Friends of the Reedy River, Trees Upstate and the Consortium of Appalachian Fire Managers and Scientists all will have activity stations.

Greenville Water Commission Chair Philip Kilgore will be present to tap the official OktoberForest keg at approximately 3 p.m.

Live bluegrass music will be provided by Columbia-based band Two for the Road.

The event is free and open to the public. 

One of the beer’s most important ingredients isn’t one you’ll see listed on any taproom flavor profile: water! Ninety-five percent of beer is water, and the water’s clarity, softness, salinity and other factors can strongly impact beer’s taste. So where do we get fresh, high-quality drinking water? From healthy forests!