Guests can save on mac-n-cheese sampling tickets by purchasing in advance online
ALBANY, NY; – The fourth annual Hannaford MAAC-n-Cheese Fest, the official fan festival of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, will feature an all-new lineup of breweries when it returns to the Albany Capital Center on Championship Monday, March 11 from 4 to 8 p.m. Admission to the event is free.
The Saratoga Eagle Craft Beer Garden will offer selections from Common Roots Brewing Company; Cooperstown Brewing Company; Empire Brewing Company; Founders Brewing Company; Goose Island Brewing Company; Great Lakes Brewing Company; Kona Brewing Company; Northway Brewing Company; Paradox Brewery and Peak Organic Brewing Company. Guests will also be able to enjoy numerous varietals of wine during the event.
Craft beer and wine tasting tickets will be $5 for three samples and are available exclusively at the event (cash only; must be at least 21 years old with a valid ID).
Fans will also have the opportunity to sample gourmet mac-n-cheese dishes from numerous local restaurants, including: 677 Prime; City Beer Hall; City Squire; Druthers; New World Bistro Bar; Public House 42; The Tipsy Moose; Valente’s; The Vintage House and Wellington’s.
“The Hannaford MAAC-n-Cheese Fest will be part of a spectacular Championship Monday,” said MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor. “We invite fans to attend the women’s championship game before enjoying the many activities at the Hannaford MAAC-n-Cheese Fest which leads right up to the men’s championship game. Championship Monday has everything basketball fans would want as they celebrate the culmination of the MAAC Tournament in downtown Albany.”
Sampling tickets for the Hannaford MAAC-n-Cheese Fest are on-sale now at www.albanyfanfest.com. Advance tickets are $8 and entitle guests to five samples of mac-n-cheese. Tasting tickets will also be available at the door for $10 (cash only).
Entertainment at the event will include MAAC college pep bands, the NYSCOPBA pipe and drum band, as well as fan shooting contests for gift cards from Hannaford Supermarkets and Dunkin’. The Hannaford MAAC-n-Cheese Fest will also feature free family-friendly activities, including face painting, balloon artists and inflatables.
“Hannaford is excited to once again be a part of this outstanding event to support the MAAC Basketball Championships,” said Hannaford Supermarkets Community Relations Specialist Brian Fabre. “We encourage both basketball and mac-n-cheese fans to join us for a fun afternoon and evening to celebrate the championship tournament.”
Fans can also catch the finals of the 3-on-3 MAAC Corporate Basketball Challenge at the Hannaford MAAC-n-Cheese Fest.
The semifinals will pit Capital Region financial institutions and financial investment organizations against one another when Ayco matches up against SEFCU and CAP COM clashes with Northwestern Mutual on Saturday, March 9 at the Albany YMCA. Game times are at 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Admission is free.
The tournament was developed to extend the excitement of the MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships to corporate boardrooms and businesses throughout the Capital Region. The tournament is being run and administered by the Capital District YMCA.
Sponsors of the Hannaford MAAC-n-Cheese Fest include Hannaford Supermarkets, New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), SEFCU, Saratoga Eagle, Dunkin’, AYCO, Northeastern Fine Jewelry, Hearts on Fire, Pioneer Bank, Albany Capital Center, Total Events, ESPN 104.5 WTMM and NewsChannel 13.
For more information about the Hannaford MAAC-n-Cheese Fest, visit www.Albanyfanfest.com.
The Hannaford MAAC-n-Cheese Fest will be part of MAAC Championship Monday. It will follow the MAAC Women’s Basketball Championship at 2:30 p.m. and take place prior to the MAAC Men’s Basketball Championship which tips off at 9 p.m. Both games will be held at the Times Union Center, which is connected by walkway to the Albany Capital Center.
The 2019 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will take place Thursday, March 7 through Monday, March 11. The tournament champions each earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships.
All-session and individual session passes are currently on-sale for the MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships. Flex ticket packages may also be purchased at the arena box office, charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and online at www.timesunioncenter-albany.com.