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Brandon Thompson, BA, BSC ā€™03, (center) poses with Athens Mayor Steve Patterson (left) and Jackie Oā€™s owner Art Oestrike, BA ā€™01, MA ā€™08. The 2018 Ohio Brew Week will be held July 13-21. Photo courtesy of Brandon Thompson

Throughout the year, thousands flock to Athens to enjoy the many unique annual events held on and off the bricks. From their live music, delicious food and local drinks, these treasured traditions are revived every year with the help of a few individuals, including alumnus and Athens native Brandon Thompson.

Thompson, BA, BSC ā€™03, plays a central role in two major events: He helps organizes the cityā€™s Halloween festivities and is the executive director of , which will take place July 13-21.

ā€œThe traditions give Athens character. People say, ā€˜Keep Athens funky,ā€™ and I think thatā€™s totally true,ā€ Thompson said. ā€œItā€™s kind of a funny place and having these signature things in Athens makes our events better than other ones.ā€

Thompson, also known as ā€œDJ B-Funk,ā€ gets the crowd excited during one of his DJ events. Photo courtesy of Brandon Thompson

This yearā€™s Ohio Brew Week will mark Thompsonā€™s third as executive director. With more than 40 breweries represented, Thompson has worked to strategically organize the weekā€™s flow of events.

ā€œOne of the difficulties that we run into is that Brew Week is only nine days out of the year, and then itā€™s over,ā€ said Thompson, who also runs his own DJ business. ā€œItā€™s not my full-time job. Itā€™s not anyoneā€™s full-time job, but itā€™s definitely full-time work.ā€

After graduation, Thompson didnā€™t foresee becoming such an active member in the Athens community. He moved to Maine, attended graduate school, but eventually realized he wanted to get back to his hometown roots.

Upon returning to Athens, Thompson decided to DJ again, a hobby of his throughout high school and college. Thompson, known as ā€œDJ B-Funk,ā€ and his friend ran a series of electronic dance music events, called ā€œDave Raveā€ at The Union.

The duo also performed at Numbers Fest, held just outside of Athens, and the Halloween block party on Court Street, where they caught the attention of a sponsor who wanted ā€œDave Raveā€ to have a bigger presence at the event. Soon, they had their own stage to manage.

ā€œWe kind of just grew,ā€ Thompson said. ā€œ[Then the committee] asked me if I would be interested in being on the board because I had been getting the sponsors, booking bands and security.ā€

As he became more involved with Halloween, Thompson also pursued his DJ career, performing at one of Ohio Brew Weekā€™s ā€œLast Callā€ events. Similarly, Thompsonā€™s dedication was recognized and eventually led him to the executive director position of Ohio Brew Week.

Ohio Brew Week has seen many changes with Thompson at the helm, including a completely revamped, interactive where attendees can find a list of available beers, events, participating breweries, directions to the venues, merchandise and much more.

There will be two new events added to this yearā€™s lineup: and the on the top of the Athens parking garage. In addition, Thompson said attendees should expect special exclusive drinks from some of the breweries.

ā€œPeople want to have a good time, so itā€™s important to make sure Iā€™m creating something that is worthwhile,ā€ Thompson said.

Planning on coming back to Athens for Ohio Brew Week? Stop by the Konneker Alumni Center near the corner of University Terrace and Park Place to catch up, grab some OHIO swag, or take a campus tour!