- Festivus returns to Alliance Brewing Co. on Dec. 20 for its ninth year on Sevier Avenue.
- Event highlights include the keg-hold Feats of Strength, an Airing of Grievances, beer releases and family activities.
- The day runs from noon to late night with a Michelada bar, Elaine dance-off, silent disco and kids’ Kraft Korner.
Festivus is back at Alliance Brewing
Festivus — the Seinfeld-sanctioned holiday “for the rest of us” — returns to Alliance Brewing Company (1130 Sevier Ave.) this Saturday, Dec. 20. The 10-year-old brewery is hosting its ninth annual Festivus, a full day of lighthearted competition, public gripes and seasonal beer releases.
Co-founder Adam Ingle and events coordinator Matt Malone say the brewery embraced Festivus after a friend dropped off an aluminum pole nine years ago. What started as a joke has grown into one of Alliance’s most anticipated days, second only to SoKno Pride.
What to expect at Festivus
Alliance keeps the spirit playful. Expect a mix of family-friendly activities in the afternoon and more rowdy traditions in the evening. Staff screen submitted grievances for public appropriateness, then call them out from the mic. The goal is catharsis and community laughs, not personal attacks.
Other crowd-pleasers include limited beer releases, a build-your-own Michelada bar and a seltzer bar later in the evening. The brewery will also host an Elaine Dance-Off — an ode to Seinfeld — and a silent disco to close the night.
Airing of Grievances — how it works
A decorated grievance box collects anonymous submissions throughout December and on Festivus Day. Alliance staff performs a quick editorial pass; inside jokes, gentle roasts of staff and regulars are fair game. Around 8 p.m., participants take the mic or climb the bar to read complaints aloud.
The brewery encourages blunt, humorous entries but asks patrons to avoid personal attacks. Inside of Knoxville is also running an “Inaugural IOK Airing of Grievances” in the article comments for readers who want to vent online.
Feats of Strength — the keg hold
Alliance’s Feats of Strength avoid actual wrestling. The signature event is a keg-hold: competitors press heels to the wall, keep shoulder blades glued, and hold a keg at a strict 90-degree angle. Drop below the angle and you’re out. Most last one to two minutes; three minutes is a record.
The keg-hold is intentionally brutal and quick so many people get a turn. Some competitors even train for it.
Full Festivus lineup
- Noon–2 p.m.: Build-your-own Michelada bar
- Noon–4 p.m.: Kids’ Kraft Korner
- 2 p.m.: Beer release #1
- 4 p.m.: Beer release #2
- 5 p.m.–close: Seltzer bar
- 6 p.m.: Elaine Dance-Off
- 7 p.m.: Feats of Strength
- 8 p.m.: Airing of Grievances
- 8:30 p.m.–close: Silent disco
How to join
Festivus at Alliance Brewing is open to the public. Drop by noon to catch family activities and stick around for the evening traditions. Bring a sense of humor — and a grievance or two — for the Airing of Grievances. Check Alliance Brewing’s social channels or the brewery taproom for last-minute updates.
Image Referance: https://insideofknoxville.com/2025/12/alliance-brewings-9th-annual-festivus-ioks-inaugural-airing-of-grievances/
