Friday evening over 1,200 people flooded Central Park in downtown Davis for Clips of Faith, a bike-in beer and short film festival brought to the area by New Belgium Brewing. The event was a fundraiser for Davis Bicycles! and was supported by dozens of volunteers from around the area.

Image by: Anthony Caer

Patrons were able to taste over a dozen kinds of beer, including Prickly Passion Saison, featuring prickly pear and passion fruit juices; Belgo, a Belgian IPA; and Cocoa Mole, a chocolate beer with more than a hint of chili pepper. Of course, they also served their classics. Fat Tire and Shift, for instance, are generally quite popular, and were available, though many chose to try out the newbies rather than taste those that can be found at any old grocery store. 

In addition to those tasting, children and families packed the green space in the center of the park with blankets and lawn chairs. Some focused intently on the short films, submitted by fresh filmmakers from around the country, while others simply hobnobbed and laughed as they sipped the goods. Food for the event was provided by Monticello Bistro and Woodstock Pizza, both of Davis. Wastebusters and the compostable corn cups provided by New Belgium Brewing kept the event green.

Image by: Anthony Caer

Many of the jovial Clips of Faith volunteers seemed to make this service opportunity an annual event. Most servers were there representing either Davis Bicycles! or the Davis Food Co-op. Joined by others from the area, some spent the three-hour event pouring for the second or third year in a row. 

Davis Bicycles! is a community group that promotes bike safety and education, besides promoting bicycling in the Davis area in general. Last year the organization was able to raise over $5,000 for bicycle advocacy and had higher attendance than any other stop on the New Belgium Clips of Faith tour. Though the final numbers were not yet available when this article went to press, the Davis Bicycles! team was optimistic that this year was even better than the last.

The New Belgium team will do 18 Clips of Faith events this year. Each festival is paired with a local non-profit, the vast majority of them bicycle-related. They continue on from Davis to Missoula, Mont. for a festival on Aug. 17.

Image by: Anthony Caer