Old Bakery Beer Company Hosts Inaugural Eagle Market in Alton

On Saturday, Jan. 3, Old Bakery Beer Company (OBB) opened its doors at 400 Landmarks Blvd., Alton, for the brewery’s first Eagle Market, a community-focused event that started at 11:30 a.m. The market tied directly into the town’s weekend Eagle Fest, creating a central indoor gathering spot for visitors, families, and local shoppers during winter festival activities.

The market featured a range of local vendors offering bird- and Alton-themed art, crafts, and food, giving the community a single place to find festival-related goods and support small businesses. OBB complemented the vendor lineup by unveiling its seasonal Eagle Beer, described as an amber lager brewed with wild rice, and rolling out new eagle-themed merchandise at the taproom. Those elements positioned the brewery as more than a pour spot, turning it into a seasonal hub where people could sample a festival-specific beer, buy locally made gifts, and warm up between outdoor activities.

Practical details were straightforward for visitors: the market began at 11:30 a.m. at the brewery’s Alton address, and the beer debut meant attendees had first access to the limited seasonal release. For readers tracking local beer and event calendars, the market demonstrated how small breweries can extend their role into community events by combining product launches with curated vendor markets.

The timing alongside Eagle Fest also illustrated a cooperative festival model that benefits both municipal programming and private businesses. By hosting an indoor market tied to a larger town celebration, OBB created an alternative for festivalgoers seeking shelter from winter weather while continuing to support local artists and food vendors.

For homebrewers and beer fans, the use of wild rice in a lager highlights a creative local ingredient choice that links a seasonal beer to regional identity. For the community, the inaugural market reinforced OBB’s role as a neighborhood gathering place during seasonal events and offered a template for future collaborations between breweries and town festivals.