Swampscott Beach Beer Garden Officially Back For 2021

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Dave Grishman thought he had discovered some community-building gold when an idea hatched amid the harsh winter of 2019 came to fruition with two highly successful Swampscott Beer Garden events that summer in fall.

Nearly two years later, he and the rest of those behind the craft beer, hard seltzer, food and music party at Fisherman's Beach will finally get another chance to strike that gold alongside some dearly missed Swampscott neighbors.

"We were in the winter doldrums and were thinking: 'What can we do to get through this cold, dark winter?'" Grishman, the Swampscott Beer Garden founder, told Patch Tuesday of the event's origins. "We came up with a Bent Water Day at the Beach. It was incredibly successful and brought out a lot of positive feelings about the community from that event.

"We had many more plans for a multitude of events. Then COVID hit."

That meant taking 2020 off from getting together and enjoying the camaraderie of some cool beer and music next to the Swampscott Yacht Club.

But as coronavirus-related restrictions eased throughout this spring, there was growing optimism about bringing back the Swampscott Beach Beer Garden for 2021.

This week, organizers made it official that on July 31 from 4 to 9 p.m. the 21-plus event will be held at Fisherman's Beach once again. A $5 entrance fee gets Swampscott residents — and those from surrounding communities who wish to check out the town's pop-up party scene — access to a day of beer and hard seltzer from the Lynn-based Bent Water Brewing Co., food from the Swampscott Yacht Club and live music from Kevin Farren, Laurence Scudder, The Navigators and Birdface.

"We've been itching to get back to doing something, and partnering with Bent Water and Swampscott Yacht Club for what many consider a premier event in the town," Grishman said. "The idea we were thinking of was a big grand reopening."

Grishman said this event is for adults, with a more all-community event being planned for the fall.

"I think it's really just building community and not just being that bedroom community where you have to go to Salem, or Lynn, or Boston to do anything," he said. "We want to bring that city amenity to our 14,000-, 15,000-person town.

"You're seeing other communities do this. If Beverly and Peabody can do it, then why can't we bring people together for an incredible event on the beach, so residents can get together and people from other communities can see what Swampscott has to offer?"

Grishman said previous events had about 500 attendees, but he thinks the July 31 event could draw as many as 700 to 750 because of pent-up anticipation of doing something together after more than a year of being told to stay apart.

"I am looking forward to reconnecting with neighbors and friends that I haven't seen in a long time," he said. "It's really about building our community and supporting our local businesses with these events where we can."

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)