Tis the season for, well, a lot of things really. It’s a time for family (both the born-into kind and the coffee kind), a time for giving, a time for ugly sweaters, and it’s the start of the 2020 US Coffee Championships. There are a lot of things to be celebrating right now and just not enough time to celebrate them all. If only there were an event where you could commemorate all these things at the same time.
Good news! There is! Taking place at the Counter Culture Training Lab in Durham, NC on Friday, December 20th, the Ugly Sweater Showdown is part latte art throwdown and part gear drive, with all proceeds from the Ugly Sweater Showdown will go to local coffee professional Cydni Patterson’s barista competition fund.
Host by Getchusomegear, a Durham-based initiative by Chris McAuley that provides coffee gear to marginalized baristas, the Ugly Sweater Showdown is a multi-faceted continuation of the brand’s thesis all in the guise of a ripping party. Along with feats of latte art strength, the event is a chance to dust off those dusty ass ugly holiday sweaters, the uglier the better (PSA: ugly sweaters really should be unironically ugly. Buying a brand new intentionally ugly sweater is no fun). Slingshot will be there slinging shots, aka creating fun coffee cocktails, and Wonder Puff will be on hand to spin some sugary delicious cotton candy treats.
But at the heart of it all, the Ugly Sweater Showdown is all about supporting fellow coffee professionals. Getchusomegear will be accepting gear donations (both new and used) that they will distribute to baristas in need, and all the money raised at the event will be given to Cydni Patterson, a Glitter Cat barista who will be competing at the US Barista Championship Qualifying Event in Nashville early next year. The money will be used to help Patterson cover travel expenses and competition materials.
The Ugly Sweater Showdown is a free event for those looking to come hang, and there is a $5 entry fee for the latte art throwdown. There will be raffles all night long and prizes for the ugliest sweaters. For those unable to attend but still wanting to help out, you can donate directly to Cydni Patterson’s Barista Championship GoFundMe page.
It all gets started at 7:00pm on Friday, December 20th at the Counter Culture Training Lab in Durham, NC. For more information, visit Getchusomegear’s Instagram.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
Top image via Getchusomegear
