(WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.) –Williamstown Theatre Festival has teamed with restaurant Hops & Vines to provide expanded concessions and outdoor seating at the ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance during the WTF season. Hops & Vines concessions at WTF productions will feature a full bar, gourmet sandwiches, snacks, and dessert items including ice cream from SoCo Creamery.

From Thursday through Saturday every week, Hops & Vines will also provide outdoor seating for patrons to enjoy before and after the show and will serve an outdoor BBQ menu featuring sliders, German sausages, grilled corn, and more. These expanded offerings are available to anyone, not simply theater patrons.

“I’ve missed the old lawn life around the Adams Memorial Theatre – there was a ‘lawn culture’ of friends from the audience and artists who mingled, which created a palpable buzz around the Festival, literally,” said WTF artistic director Jenny Gersten.  “The board and staff shared a vision for recreating that at the ’62 Center, and we worked together with the town and Williams College to make this new step possible.  To see it come together with such a great and delicious local partner like Hops & Vines feels absolutely right and so fulfilling.”

To inspire more “lawn culture” around the festival, two special pre-performance events have been planned to engage audience and community members.  On Tuesday, July 24, 2012, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Todd Haynes will be present for a pre-show discussion about his film, Far From Heaven (on which the current Main Stage musical is based), and on Friday, August 10, the foremost contemporary translators of Russian literature, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, will talk about their first collaboration on a Russian drama, Ivan Turgenev’s A Month in the Country, which will have its world premiere on the WTF Main Stage in August.Hops & Vines managing partner David Aldecoa added,

“Hops & Vines is thrilled to join forces with WTF and is committed to enhancing the experience of the Festival.  The Festival has a strong significance to both our local community and summer visitors, so the opportunity to enter into this new venture with WTF is exciting.  We look forward to welcoming theatergoers and their friends to enjoy a cocktail and light fare before and during performances.”

Open in 2011, Hops & Vines offers a contemporary American menu featuring modern takes on comfort food, exciting twists on classically inspired French brasserie cuisine, a large selection of specialty craft beers, and a discerning wine list. Hops & Vines’ intimate tasting room hosts up to 12 people and is the perfect space for special occasions.  Serving lunch beginning at 12 noon daily, and specializes in Sunday Brunch, dinner and late night supper, Tuesday through Sunday.  Closed Mondays.