If you live in or near Vancouver and looking for what promises to be an exciting beer event, then Farmhouse Fest is for you. Taking place on June 18th, Farmhouse Fest specializes in Saisons, Sours, and Wild Ales.

Don’t expect to find traditional IPAs, Stouts, Light Lagers, or Pale Ales at this festival. Farmhouse Fest features limited, vintage, or exclusive farmhouse ales and ciders from the British Columbia area and worldwide that are guaranteed to please the palate of saison, sour and wild ale lovers. The festival is also about embracing people who enjoy stretching out on a sun drenched field and sipping a beer made with passion and craft. The festival takes place on University of British Columbia (UBC) Farm, which is full of open space that is surrounded by a sustainable working farm.  The UBC Farm is a 24 hectare model farm on the south end of UBC’s main Point Grey campus. Farmhouse Fest will also have plenty of water, non-alcoholic refreshments, shade, and food for you to keep hydrated, cool, and fed throughout the day.

Farmhouse FestFarmhouse Fest will take place on June 18th, 2016 at UBC Farm

Farmhouse ales provide a perfect means for talented brewers to explore creating rich, vibrant, and innovative flavors for beer. As noted on the Farmhouse Fest website, “Malt character, hop flavors and aromas, yeast esters and phenols, funk and acid, fruit and spice additions, and oak aging are all on the table for the brewmaster. As such, brewing farmhouse ales is no easy task, but drinking them sure is.” And some excellent breweries are going to be at this festival, including one of my favorites – pFriem Brewing. Check out the current list of breweries scheduled for the festival by clicking here.

Farmhouse FestImage provided courtesy of Farmhouse Fest

Here’s all the basic information you need to know:

When is Farmhouse Fest?

Saturday, June 18th 2016. 12pm – 6pm.

How much are tickets?

Tickets are $55 plus taxes. You can buy them here. All ticket sales are final.

What do I get for $55 plus tax?

  • Entry
  • A stylish tasting glass
  • 5 tokens (4oz pour per token)

Do I need to bring my ticket?

Yes, please bring your EventBrite ticket as a printout, a PDF, or in Passbook. We will be scanning your ticket on entry.

How much are additional tokens?

$10 will get you 6 tokens, good for a 4oz pour each. Every beer we pour will cost a single token. We accept Visa, MasterCard and good old cash for token sales.

Can I ask for a refund on a ticket I bought?

Sorry, no. All ticket sales are final. If circumstances have changed and you’re unable to attend, we will honor tickets that have been transferred.

Will there be food?

Absolutely, there will be multiple food booths at the festival this year, offering great selection for vegetarians and omnivores alike. No outside food or beverages will be permitted on site, with the exception of sealed or empty water bottles.

This year we have lined up three food trucks to provide a wide variety of choices, available for purchase: Pressure Box, Tacofino, and Via Tevere’s food truck. Please bring cash in case your choice of truck doesn’t process plastic.

Where is the Farmhouse Fest being held?

At the UBC Farm – 3461 Ross Drive, Vancouver

What bus do I take to get there?

Get to the UBC Loop however you can (99 B-Line, 25, 33, 41, 49, etc), then take shuttle C20, which runs every 30 minutes and will drop you off at the gates of the UBC Farm. Or get off at UBC Loop Bay 8; walk 0.61 kms south on West 16th, turn left at the first street East Mall; right onto Ross Drive.

Is there parking?

There isn’t much. We would really prefer that you take public transit anyway.

Can I bring my kids? Dogs?

This is a licensed 19+ event. The farm offers limited space which we’d prefer to maximize for attendees, and animals aren’t permitted on the farm. So unfortunately, no.

Are there in & out privileges?

Yes. Your wristband allows you to come and go from the Fest as you please. But it must be on your wrist to get back in. And we’d hope this goes without saying, but you are not allowed to enter or exit the venue with open alcohol.

Can I smoke at Farmhouse Fest?

UBC Farm is a strict no smoking venue. If you do feel the need to light up, please use the designated smoking area outside the venue, and dispose of your used cigarette butts in the provided bins.

What happens if it rains?

Farmhouse Fest will proceed rain or shine. In addition to plentiful open air seating, a lot more covered seating will be provided this year, to block out the blazing sun if nothing else. If the weather looks uncertain, make sure to bring an umbrella.

Who’s running this thing?

Your friendly neighborhood organizing crew consists of Jonathan Evans (@jonnybeers), Lynn McIlwee (@hopscanary), Dave Shea (@mezzoblue), Matt Kump (@kump), and Simon Droscher (@foodandbier).