It’s not often that you see firefighters in full gear unfurling firehoses and racing against time. This year’s BrewLoops combines a craft-beer festival with the excitement of the firehouse. In a beautiful setting on the Thompson River, you can watch the drama of the FireFit Regional Championships with a beer in hand.

Here are 4 highlights of the events, which take place together behind the Sandman Centre (100 Lorne Street) on May 25 and 26.

Firefighting Drama

The Scott FireFit Championships is a competition based on fire-fighting tasks commonly performed in emergency situations. Over 100 firefighters from BC’s interior will compete in relays that involve forcing open hydrants, running up towers, and dragging victims to safety.

Craft Beer

BrewLoops brings together over 20 craft breweries at the licensed venue. There’s free admission to the venue during the day, and the daytime event is family-friendly. Those 19+ can purchase tasters from breweries around BC, including Gibson's Persephone Brewing, Valemount’s Three Ranges Brewing, and Kamloops’ 5 breweries.

Rocking Bands

Saturday evening (May 25) features a ticketed 19+ event. Musical entertainment takes place on the BrewLoops Main Stage inside the event and will include Small Town Artillery (a rock band from Kaslo), Vancouver’s Gleneagle, and Kamloops funk band ThunderChild.

Outdoor Fun

The festival is a chance to celebrate spring in a quintessential Kamloops outdoor location. You can graze from food trucks, play at the pop-up arcade, and watch the competitions to a valley backdrop of Mt. Peter and Mt. Paul.

The festival runs from 11am to 4pm both days and a ticketed portion from 6pm to 11pm Saturday night.