Riverfest may have been canceled this year, but one Wilmington business found a way to keep the festival spirit going.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Riverfest may have been canceled this year, but one Wilmington business found a way to keep the festival spirit going.

Fermental Beer & Wine hosted its first-ever Liverfest in Wilmington’s Cargo District, bringing together live music, local vendors and community members.

The event was designed in part to give vendors who had planned to participate in Riverfest another opportunity to set up and connect with customers.

For co-owner and event organizer Steve Gibbs, though, Liverfest carried a more personal meaning.

Gibbs said the event also served as a fundraiser for the American Liver Foundation, in honor of his friend Mark Muller, one of the former owners of Waterline Brewing Company.

Muller, who was a member of the local beer community, died from liver failure several years ago.

Gibbs said Liverfest is something he plans to continue, even if Riverfest returns next year.