The Styrous® Viewfinder: Chocolate & Beer Festival ~ 2013

photo by Styrous®

On Saturday February 16, 2013, I had an interesting assignment; I photographed the 4th Annual Chocolate and Beer Festival at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond, California.

(click on any image to see larger size)

Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant,

1414-1422 Harbour Way South,

Richmond, California, USA.

Photographed 2008-10-04 from Point Richmond

photo by Sanfranman59

The Pavilion was originally the Ford Assembly Plant which was opened in 1931; it was the largest on the West Coast. In 1934 it produced 56,016 cars with 2,500 men on the payroll. The building was designed by industrial architect, Albert Kahn. During the Second World War, it was converted to wartime production.

Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant

Richmond, California

Aerial view circa 1946

photographer unknown

It is an amazing structure to see on the inside.

Craneway Pavilion
photo by Styrous®

I was greeted at the entrance by Willie Wonka, right

and Chloe Tietjen, left, organizers of the event.

photo by Styrous®

The pavilion is a beautiful study of symmetry in steel with the support struts and the catwalks crossing the space.

photo by Styrous®

Chole showed me how to get up to the catwalks above the crowd so I could get an overall look at the pavilion . . .

photo by Styrous®

. . . and get some great shots. The view from the catwalk is impressive. The pavilion measures nearly 500,000 square feet (46,450 m²).

looking down the hall from the catwalk facing north
photo by Styrous®

looking down the hall from the catwalk facing south
photo by Styrous®

looking down at a vendor table from the catwalk
(that was kind of scary)
photo by Styrous®

Chocolate and Beer Festival poster
designed by Matthew Lopez
photo by Styrous®

Matthew Lopez and Katie
photo by Styrous®

The event featured dozens of manufacturers of chocolate with samples of it in every form possible, in chunks, on popcorn, on cup cakes, as liquid, etc.

photo by Styrous®

There were seminar/talks about chocolate; how certain chocolates go with certain beer. It was similar to a wine and cheese pairing I'd been to; not as formal, however. As they talked about these things, they handed out samples.

this was a seminar on beer and jelly beans

by Cicerone (means a beer sommelier)

photos by Styrous®

audience watching the seminars
photo by Styrous®

Oh, and yes, they sold chocolate as well.

Cocotutti

photo by Styrous®

Food was provided by Assemble.

photo by Styrous®

Items were raffled to benefit the

Richmond Police Activities League (RPAL)

photo by Styrous®

Music was provided by The Eli Carlton-Pearson Trio.

photo by Styrous

A couple of the band members on their break,
that's Eli on the left.
photos by Styrous®

There were things for kids to do . . .

they could jump around in an inflatable castle
photo by Styrous®

the kids could make art at a drawing/coloring tale
photo by Styrous®

photo by Styrous®

there was face painting . . .
photo by Styrous®

. . . and it wasn't just the kids that got in on the action . . .
photo by Styrous®

photos by Styrous®

There was entertainment for the adults as well. The Bay Area Derby Girls were in attendance promoting roller derby that is held in the pavilion. I had no idea that was there; I haven't seen a roller derby in decades. There is a bout scheduled for March 2, next month. There was also a "Beer Pong" table that got a very heavy workout the whole afternoon.

left: Bay Area Derby Girls right: Beer Pong table
photos by Styrous®

Beer Pong VICTORY!
photo by Styrous®

and, of course, there was beer

Drake's Brewery
photo by Styrous®

left: Bridgeport beer right: Lost Coast Brewery
photos by Styrous®

Lost Coast Brewery labels from
Humbolt County

photo by Styrous®

Hop Czar

photo by Styrous®

Great White

photo by Styrous®

Tangerine

photo by Styrous®

The views from the pavilion are beautiful . . .

photo by Styrous®

people could go out onto the dock . . .
photo by Styrous®

. . . to look at the view from the dock in front of the pavilion
photo by Styrous®

photo by Styrous®

It is a beautiful building that works well with the sunlight, coming through the plentiful windows, that plays across it at different times of the day.