Golden Made Events to host Ale on the Trail

Golden Made Events, a new business owned by Allie Thut-Connelly, is set to host its first independent event this Saturday, Feb. 1, inviting the community to come out and enjoy the outdoors while also enjoying the offerings of local breweries.

“I’ve been planning events for the community for some time now… So on top of my full-time job, I’ve been doing some contract work already with a couple different people and I basically decided that I might as well make it a thing,” Thut-Connelly said. “I have been wanting to do it for some time and this year felt right, so I launched an actual LLC and started building a brand and thought I would start marketing myself as a resource for people to manage and help them with their events… A lot of times I’m being hired to do the event that they want to do, so [with Golden Made Events] I’m able to have freedom in planning my own events that I personally want to offer as well.”

The first of those events planned by Thut-Connelly, Ale on the Trail, will take place this weekend at Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve.

“It’s something to get people outside in the winter months,” she said. “I’m a very active person and I’m a year-round outdoor person. There’s a lot of beauty that winter has to offer. Around here, this season is the time that people like to hunker down inside. But fresh air is not the worst thing and getting active and stretching your legs is good as well. So Ale on the Trail was really created to get people outside in the winter months, exploring a beautiful park that we have in the region that not everyone is familiar with and adding a little fun to it with some brewery stops along the way.”

“It’s about a 2.25-mile loop through the trails of Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve,” Thut-Connelly said. “There’ll be 11 local breweries that are participating in the event that will be pouring samples of the beer of their choice from their brewery. They will be stationed along the road, so as you hike there are stops along the way where you can interact with the breweries and sample their beverages.”

In addition to beer, booths will have non-alcoholic options available, making the event an opportunity for the whole family to get out and enjoy some winter recreation.

“We also have a child and safe driver tickets, so the whole family can come out,” Thut-Connelly said. “Kids will get samples of non-alcoholic drinks like sparkling water, soda and juice and we will have a scavenger hunt along the way for them to be looking for different woodland critters as they do the hike to keep them engaged.”

Limited tickets are available for this event, so those planning on attending are encouraged to sign up in advance to secure their spot.

For more details on Ale on the Trail or Golden Made Events, visit Golden Made Events’ Facebook page.