Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – Coffee lovers, rejoice! You can sip for a good cause in November at Hope Found of Northeast Arkansas’s fourth annual Brewing Hope Coffee Festival.
The festival, which drew around 300 attendees last year, will feature coffee and baked good vendors from Jonesboro and greater Northeast Arkansas, as well as provide information regarding human trafficking. All proceeds from this event will benefit Hope Found of NEA, a Jonesboro-based nonprofit that assists human trafficking victims and educates the public about the issue.
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“It gets our mission out there. It helps people to know who we are, that we’re here in the community to help serve people that are affected by this issue,” said Megan Brown, executive director of Hope Found of NEA. “It also helps people learn more about human trafficking. Maybe they’ll take a brochure or a flyer and learn more at the moment or schedule a presentation to learn more.”
In addition to sampling coffees and baked goods from curated menus, participants can also get a taste of vendors’ lineups of other drinks, such as teas and lemonades. Guests can vote on their favorites in the following categories:
- Best drip coffee
- Best specialty drink (must be coffee-based)
- Best anything but coffee drink
- Best baked treat
The winner of each category will receive Hope Found’s traveling trophy, which they can display in their businesses until next year’s festival. Confirmed coffee vendors so far include Shadrachs, IV Kings Coffee, Osceola-based Delta Brew, and Rector-based The Caffeinated Cow, with more expected to attend.
In addition to coffee and baked goods, retail and craft vendors will be present, and Hope Found will have a booth selling Brewing Hope Coffee Festival merchandise and providing information about the organization. The festival will also see the return of Hope Found’s virtual reality exhibit that teaches participants about human trafficking.
Applications are still open for those wanting to be vendors, with applications open for food and retail, drink, and nonprofit vendors. Vendors are asked to submit their applications and commit to attending the event by Nov. 1. More information and the applications can be found here.
Volunteer opportunities prior to the event, as well as during, are open. Brown said the organization will need help hanging posters across Jonesboro, as well as decorating the festival area beforehand. During the festival, volunteers can assist with set up and tear down, cleaning up garbage, and traffic flow control. Those interested in volunteering can contact Christie Miller at christiemiller@hopefoundnea.org.
Tickets for the Brewing Hope Coffee Festival go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 29 and will be available for purchase at Hope Found’s website. Tickets are $20 if pre-purchased or are $25 if purchased at the festival gates. Children aged 10 and under get in free.
The festival is set for Saturday, Nov. 14 from 8 a.m. to noon at Union Park in downtown Jonesboro, located at 405 Union St.
“It hopefully gives people an opportunity to come, get super hyped up on caffeine and then maybe go shopping, explore downtown,” Brown said. “Hopefully, it’ll be a beautiful fall morning.”
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