Want a quick fix to satisfy your sweet tooth or quench your thirst for a well-crafted brew? We have just the place for you.

With the motto "Donut Worry. Beer Happy," the Donut and Beer Festival will offer a medley of palate-clashing offerings in Greater Columbus after three successful years in Michigan.

Originally started in Kalamazoo in 2017, Founder Brian Colopy rallied to hold the event inside Huntington Park on Saturday, Oct. 16.

With a combined 46 beer and doughnut vendors from across the country, Colopy, a Columbus native, said the stadium was a fitting location for an event of this magnitude and will be filled with guests seeking an assortment of mouth-watering flavors.

"Donut and beer is something you don't see everywhere, so, If you're not sure what this is about, you're perfect for this event," Colopy said. "You're going to have a blast and we're pumped to put this on."

Featuring over 75 delicious doughnut varieties and a slew of beer samplings, non-alcoholic ciders, live music, giant cornhole, mechanical bulls and dunk tanks will also be on-site.

Each doughnut vendor will be judged on appearance, uniqueness, texture and flavor by the likes of Columbus Fire Chief Jeff Happ, WSYX-TV Reporter Cameron Fontana, Clippers Assistant General Manager Mark Galuska and others 30 minutes before the event gates open. Fans also get a chance to vote on their favorites, with the winners receiving commemorative trophies.

How the festival came to Ohio

This year's festival marks the first time organizers have taken the event inside Ohio state lines, a process that's been nearly two years in the making.

Given the challenges surrounding COVID-19, Micki Shier, director of event planning for the Columbus Clippers, said bringing the festival to Huntington Park has been no easy feat.

A lot of hands have gone into the planning process, she said, but with all things aligned, the event will be a nice change of pace for past festival-goers and an odd, but refreshing affair for Columbus residents.

"It's great to host different types of events and bring people into the ballpark," Shier said. "It gives them the idea of like, 'Wow, I didn't know you could do this.' We've done homecomings, movies nights and others, so this is one more way to showcase what Huntington can do."

Colopy said the festival has attracted visitors from a variety of states, including Ohio, Illinois and as far away as Florida and Washington State.

"It's almost like a circus or the Harlem Globetrotters," he said. "It's a lot of planning that needed to happen, but it has such a rabbit following it kind of goes crazy on its own. So, the ticket purchasing is amazing already and we're seeing more as we get closer to next week."

Columbus businesses excited to participate

Colopy said the festival is also a great way for locals and out-of-state travelers to explore the various suppliers of fried pastry rings and crafted pints, including homegrown spots such as BrewDog, Buckeye Donuts and others that have been in business for decades.

Admittedly, when Buckeye Donuts Owner Lou Sauter was contacted about the Donut and Beer Festival, he was skeptical about the event's potential. But after speaking to Colopy and other organizers, he recognized the need for "more quirk."

"I wouldn't have thought of this to be quite frank with you, but once they contacted me, I thought, 'This is awesome,'" he said. "I don't see a downside. It's more reason for people to be together and have a great time. Who doesn't love beer and who doesn't love doughnuts?

"It might be quirky but quirky is a lot of fun and I'm excited to be there."

Given the name of the shop, Sauter said he doesn't expect to capture any long-term business from those traveling from Michigan. But if visitors are in town to see their Wolverine football team lose to the Buckeyes, Sauter said, he encourages them to grab a doughnut or two.

In the scope of the pandemic, Matt Groves, director of marketing for Karrikin Spirits in Cincinnati, said programs such as the Donut and Beer Festival give attendees a chance to try items they might not have experienced otherwise.

"We're extremely excited and hopeful it's an avenue to get our products on people's lips and get a chance to eat some delicious doughnuts," he said. "It sounds like it's going to be a blast."

– The Columbus Dispatch

Details for Donut and Beer Festival, Oct. 16

The Donut and Beer Festival will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. Oct. 16 in Huntington Park, 330 Huntington Park Lane. General admission and VIP tickets cost $35 and $50 a person.

Tickets can be purchased at https://www.donutandbeerfest.com/tickets. Colopy said in-person tickets will be sold until the event reaches its 3,500-person capacity.

With each ticket, attendees will receive sampling tokens, a doughnut sampling cup on a lanyard and a mini Mason jar for their drink samples.

What you'll find at Donut and Beer Festival

Participating companies include:

• 1487 Brewery

• Alaskan Brewing Co.

• Angry Orchard

• Ballast Point Brewing Company

• Barley's Brewing Company

• Blakes Hard Cider

• Ciderboys Hard Cider

• BrewDog

• Crook & Marker

• Founders Brewing Co.

• Karrikin Spirits Co.

• Proof Point Seltzers

• Leinenkugels

• McKenzies Hard Cider

• New Belgium Brewing Company

• Redd's

• Revolution Brewing

• Sam Adams

• Stevens Point Brewery

• Terrapin Beer Company

• Vizzy Hard Seltzer

• Wicked Grove

• Wild Ohio Brewing

• Wolfs Ridge

• Zaftig Brewing Co.

• New Holland Brewing Co.

• Duck Donuts

• Cindy's Donuts

• Van's Pastry Shoppe

• Renzemas Bakery

• Lil Donut Factory

• Peace Love & Little Donuts

• Dipped Donut

• My Old World Bakery

• The Original Goodie Shop

• Buckeye Donuts

• 8 Sisters Bakery

• Main Street Bakery

• Lindsey's Bakery

• SweetWaters

• HoneyDip Donuts

• Little Dutch Bakery

• Chubby Bunny Bakery

• Vallery Farmhouse

• Tim Hortons

• Dodo Donuts