CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Carolina’s first and largest nonalcoholic beverage festival is returning to Camp North End the Counterculture Festival on Saturday, Jan. 27 from 2 p.m. - 7 p.m.
The Counterculture Club is a global alcohol-free social network and events company founded by Charlotte native Molly Ruggere in 2022.
Counterculture Club launched Counterculture Festival in 2023 to further its mission of inspiring a healthier drinking culture, where alcohol truly feels optional, alcohol alternatives are abundant, and the peer pressure to drink we all feel regardless of our relationship with it is ultimately eliminated.
The inaugural festival was a huge success, over 500 guests were in attendance, a diverse audience of drinkers, nondrinkers and everyone in between.
It featured 20+ nonalcoholic beverage tastings from leading local and national brands including Athletic Brewing, NoDa Brewing, Sam Adams Just the Haze, Resident Culture, Amethyst Spirits, Devils Foot Beverage Co. and more.
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There will be a Counterculture Festival Preview Party on Friday, Jan. 19 from 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. at Starlight Lounge in NoDa where guests can enjoy nonalcoholic beverages, purchase fest tickets at a discount, win VIP passes + more
GA Tickets: FREE VIP Tickets: $14 and include one complimentary nonalcoholic beverage + tarot card reading.
NEW THIS YEAR:
- Even more complimentary drink tastings from new and returning beverage brands including Lenny Boy Brewing Co, NoDa Brewing, Resident Culture, Sam Adams Just the Haze, Devils Foot Beverage Co, Liquid Death and more. Full beverage tasting lineup will be announced soon via Instagram and Counterculture Club’s newsletter.
- Opportunity to purchase the products sampled on site—many of which are not yet available in CLT or can only be purchased online
- Live podcast experience produced by new Charlotte production company, EVRYBDY Studios
- VIP Lounge with VIP bar, tarot readings, souvenir gift bag stuffed with giveaways from partners and more
- Vendor Market featuring shopping from local vendors
There is still space for vendors for our vendor market for local businesses; application link on our IG
Looking for volunteers, folks interested can DM us on Instagram for more information
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TICKETS: Tickets start at $47 and are available online - link can be found on Counterculture Club’s Instgram @counterculture_club or on its website countercultureclub.org
2023 DATA SUPPORTING THE FESTIVAL
THE DEMAND FOR ALCOHOL ALTERNATIVES IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH
- According to Nielsen IQ, nonalcoholic beverage sales have continued to grow year over year, and 2023 marked the nonalcoholic category’s largest growth to date, with a 31 percent increase in sales.
COUNTERCULTURE CLUB’S AUDIENCE IS LEADING THE CHARGE
- Millennials and Gen-Z are leading the demand for nonalcoholic beverages, and bringing the older generations with them
NONALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AREN’T JUST FOR NONDRINKERS
- According to data collected by Nielsen IQ in 2023, 94 percent of alcoholic beverage consumers are also purchasers of NA alternatives
ALCOHOL’S HEALTH IMPACTS ARE CHANGING PERCEPTIONS
- In 2023, the World Health Organization announced no level of alcohol consumption is safe for health
- More than half of young adults in the U.S. view even moderate drinking (1-2 drinks per day) as unhealthy
In 2023 Counterculture Club made history with the launch of Counterculture Festival—the Carolina’s first and largest alcohol-free beverage festival.
The goal of Counterculture Club is to promote mainstream awareness of the wide variety alcohol alternatives available and educate the public-at-large about the mental, physical and relational benefits of socializing alcohol-free.
Strategically hosted during Dry January to reach an audience beyond the sober world, Counterculture Festival attracts drinkers, nondrinkers and everyone in between—offering a rare; peer-pressure free opportunity for folks of all relationships with alcohol to challenge their own misconceptions about the importance of alcohol for social connection and fun through firsthand experience.
The annual event—which sold out in its first year with over 500 guests in attendance—offers complimentary tastings of top local, national and international NA beverages, plus intimate VIP experiences, live entertainment, giveaways and more.
Due to the sold-out success of the inaugural event and the support of our venue sponsor for the second year, Counterculture Festival will return to Camp North End on January 27, 2024 from 2-7 PM, taking over an even larger event space than its 2023 location—a 45,000 sq. foot, newly-renovated venue located inside the historic Gamma Goat Building.
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