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Interview with Jeff Edwards of Freefolk Brewery

Visit Fayetteville had the pleasure of interviewing Jeff Edwards, founder of The Freefolk Brewery, to get to know him and learn about our new brewery in town.  

Here’s a little bit about Freefolk:

Head brewer/founder Jeff Edwards and artist/co-founder Jamie Lester have been doing business together for over 15 years. Together they formed Vandalia Bronze, a sculpture firm that has produced iconic public artworks such as The Jerry West Statue, The Don Knotts Statue, and The Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance. Jamie also designed the West Virginia State Quarter featuring the New River Gorge Bridge. It turns out large scale public art was not the only creative business they would explore. 

In the meantime, Jeff Edwards began brewing beer in his Morgantown, WV back yard in 2014, on a 15-gallon system that he cobbled together from a few different garage sales. What started as a hobby soon turned into an obsession, as he fell in love with the process of creating beer. Soon he was making some pretty good homebrew and wanted to take his craft to a higher level. After Jeff and his wife moved to Fayetteville, WV in 2018 (home of the New River Gorge) Jeff and Jamie found a run-down little building near downtown that spoke to them. They had a vision for it that was hard for even them to see at first, but after a few years of handcrafting nearly every object in the building, it finally became the place they wanted to share with folk. 

Jeff, Jamie and the Freefolk team filled the space with handcrafted steel features, wood, blacksmithing, concrete, and covered every inch of the walls with painted murals. The brewpub model is a key element at Freefolk, centering on the ability to brew and serve beer in an environment designed to be comfortable, inspiring, and fun. The craft of Jeff’s brewing has grown, blending his love for traditional English and German style ales, stouts and saisons with newer craft traditions of IPA’s, hoppy and juicy east coast style Pale Ales. 

“The Freefolk Brewery is dedicated to the balance of success while also serving our community. We are focused on being a steward for the environment, and a cultural ambassador for visitors from all over the country. We are excited to show everyone what we have to offer, and how we can help to make our world a cleaner, more beautiful andtasty place,” Jeff said. 

HOME

1. What brought you to this area? 

My wife, Sarah and I grew up in Beckley, WV. After spending many years in Morgantown, we decided to move back to the area. My mother and her husband live in Fayetteville and Sarah’s father lives here. We both have fond memories growing up with friends and family biking, hiking and boating in the New River Gorge. 

2. What makes Fayetteville the right fit for Freefolk? What was the inspiration behind Freefolk Brewery? 

What makes Fayetteville the right fit for The Freefolk Brewery is the spirit foradventure and independence that exist physically and spiritually. I feel that Fayetteville represents the new West Virginia: A place where people can dream of an existence that has life/work balance. The inspiration behind the name “Freefolk” is the West Virginia state motto Montani Semper Liberi (Latin for “Mountaineers are Always Free”). 

3. What inspired the menu and what are your favorite drinks and foods that you offer? 

The menu is inspired by simplicity. We had help with the menu from a fellow Fayettevillespot The Wood Iron Eatery and Jeffrey Toth. We want to be a brewery that offers food. Our focus is making great beer with the understanding that food cancomplement beer. My favorite beer so far is the “There Gose the Neighborhood”  paired with the Backyard Bird – chili chicken tacos. The Gose is technically difficult to make because it requires a souring stage and then a fermentation stage. The Trucker Speed IPA is fast becoming a Freefolk fan favorite. The Hook 99 – crispy fish tacos go great with the Trucker Speed IPA. There has been an emphasis on serving locally sourced meat. Pam Bailey (Five Springs Farm), Chris and Christine Jackson (Deep Mountain Farm) and Swift Level Farm have all supplied beef for our Burger Specials. We also have an espresso machine. We serve shots of espresso and Cappuccino. We are looking forward to offering beer and food pairing specials over the next few months. 

4. What do you love about Fayetteville?

The ease with which you can be outdoors. After or before a brew day it is no sweat to hop on trails to bike or river to float. This ease makes us feel connected to nature. The people in Fayetteville are super CHILL. The community has been great and we feel at home here. Our staff has been great to work with and we appreciate them immensely. 

5. How long have you been brewing and how did you get into it?

 I have been brewing on a home brew system for the past five years. I started by making plum wine from a plum tree in my yard. WVU offered a course in brewing in 2017. It was after that class that Jamie Lester (business partner) and I decided that we could make a go of owningand operating a brewery. 

The gnomes are taking over Fayetteville this Gnomevember! Embark on a scavenger hunt to track down Fayetteville’s gnomes from Nov. 1-30. These magical beings will be hiding throughout town. Stop by the visitor center for your gnome tracking sheet and start your adventure to see how many you can find. Turn in your tracking sheet at the visitor center for a small prize. Look at the gnomes closely. Throughout the month we will be hiding special gnomes with bonus prizes. Gnomes will sporadically have special instructions to award you with extra treats. We will hide a special gnome November 30th. This gnome will come with instructions to claim the grand prize of Gnomevember sponsored by Wild Art & Wonderful Things. Wild Art & Wonderful Things is also home to Fayetteville’s resident gnome, Walter of Wild & Woolly. Visitors are encouraged to stop by and grab a selfie with Walter, the giant gnome.

Share your Fayetteville gnome adventures with us by tagging us at #visittheville. If you have a beloved gnome at home feel free to bring them with you on your adventures around town. Grab a photo of your gnome in your favorite shop or enjoying the sites around town. Join in the fun by sharing your pictures on our Facebook page for a chance to win a prize.

Get ready for Gnomevember!!!!!
Calling all gnome owners! Do you have a gnome you could donate or lend to Visit Fayetteville for the month of November? If so, please drop your gnome off at the Fayetteville Visitor Center now through November 1st. We’re looking for weather proof garden gnomes. We’ll have a sign-in sheet and labeling available to help ensure safe gnome return after the event. Gnomes can return to their homes starting December 2nd.

Stay tuned to stay in the gnome for more Gnomevember fun!

We are here to help you get the most out of your Bridge Day experience with a weekend of fun lined up. Stay in the heart of all the action in Fayetteville!

Lodging

The first step to a successful Bridge Day is finding somewhere to stay and Fayetteville is the center of the fun. As Bridge Day nears lodging books up fast so now is the time to secure your lodging. If you are staying in town there is a Bridge Day shuttle stop right in front of the Fayette County Court House in the center of town and at the Fayetteville High School.

Lodging

What to Wear

We encourage visitors to dress in layers. Fall can be cool and damp, but the fun continues no matter the weather. Warm layers and comfy shoes make for an enjoyable experience. Backpacks are not permitted.

Schedule

Friday

Taste of Bridge Day at Adventures on the Gorge

For 17 years the Canyon Rim Rotary Club, has organized the annual Taste Of Bridge Day festival. This is a family-friendly event that showcases the area’s finest restaurants and caterers, who offer samples of their menu specialties. The event allows thousands of visitors to enjoy wonderful food, local artwork, and live music.

5:00 TO 9:00 PM

Adventures on the Gorge, 219 Chestnutburg RD, Lansing WV 25862

The Hustle Souls at The Grove

8pm-11pm

Saturday

Active Southern WV Bridge Day 5K Run

The only running race across West Virginia’s New River Gorge Bridge with a limit of 400 racers. Sponsored by West Virginia University Institute of Technology, Unicare, and Raleigh General Hospital.

This is a running only event, point to point, and requires security procedures. In it’s 4th year, the Active SWV Bridge Day 5K RUN is a spectacular race 1,000 above the New River spanning a 3,033 foot bridge.

Full racer details here: https://activeswv.org/racerinfo/

The race finishes in downtown Historic Fayetteville and allows for time to visit the hundreds of vendors and base jumpers parachuting from the bridge span.

40th Bridge Day Ruby Anniversary

9am-3pm on the New River Gorge Bridge

WHAT IS BRIDGE DAY?

Bridge Day is West Virginia’s largest single-day festival and one of the largest extreme sports events in the world. Held annually every third Saturday in October on the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayette County, West Virginia, this is the only day each year thousands of spectators can walk across the bridge and watch as serious BASE jumpers get their chance to fly 876 feet into the Gorge below and rappellers ascend and descend from the catwalk. Come and enjoy the view from the bridge, one of the best overlooks in the New River Gorge!

https://officialbridgeday.com

Fayette County Farmers Market

312 N Court Street in the Fayetteville Visitor Center & Station Parking Lot

8am-2pm

Come Stop by the Fayette County Farmers Market to stock up on delicious fresh goodies. The market will be hosting additional vendors for more shopping fun.

Bridge Day Chili Cook-off & Craft Beer Festival

3pm-5:30pm

Downtown in front of Fayette County Court House

Things are heating up in Fayetteville with the 11th Annual Bridge Day Chili Cook-off! Have fun at Bridge Day, then come to Historic Downtown Fayetteville, stop by to taste and to help judge some of the best chili samples from around the region from mild to wild! Admission and parking are FREE, but there is a charge for chili tasting tickets and beer tickets.

Enjoy incredible live music with Black Garlic, delicious chili, activities for the kids and more! Help us Crown this year’s Chili King or Queen with the Peoples choice vote, bead your favorite chef!

Sarah Shook and the Disarmers w/ Fabulous Brothers Steele at The Grove

8pm-11pm

Stay tuned as we update more events!

Stay in the heart of all the Bridge Day action.

Lodging