LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Tailspin Ale Fest at Louisville’s Bowman Field is less than 30 days away. Named one of USA Today’s 10 Best Beer Festivals for five years, this year’s event will feature a dedicated section to Kentucky brews.

The local beer festival will once again partner with a local nonprofit organization — this time to raise awareness for Parkinson’s disease.

In  2012, Doug Pifer was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, a neurodegenerative disorder that progresses over time.

“The best thing to do is exercise, keep the body limber, keep it functional, keep it to where you can keep using it,” said Pifer. 

In 2016, he started T.K.O. Parkinson’s, an exercise program for people living with Parkinson’s.

“We started with a small group, we said, ‘If we have four people who get exercise in, we’re doing it,’” said Pifer. 

As of last week, Pifer’s free program has grown to over 60 participants.

This year, T.K.O. Parkinson’s is partnering with Tailspin Ale Fest, one of Louisville’s premier beer festivals, at the oldest continually operated airport in America — Bowman Field.

“We bring in people from 23 states to our great city to enjoy over 250 beers. We have a Green River Bourbon Barrel Beer Bar, we have a Cox’s Cigar Lounge, we have Drake’s Silent Disco,” said Tish Gainey, co-founder of Tailspin Ale Fest. 

All to help continue the fight for a great cause. 

“People understand that you shake a little, that you move slow a little, that maybe you stutter a little bit. You know, all of these things and all of these symptoms, we accept it. And as long as we can stay with it, we’re going to keep our bodies as good as they can be kept,” said Pifer. 

T.K.O. Parkinson’s meets every Monday and Wednesday at Buechel Park Baptist Church in Louisville.

Tailspin Ale Fest is set for March 2 at Bowman Field. Tickets are on sale now.