The craft beer industry is booming in the United States. Whether you are new to craft beer or a seasoned connoisseur, beer festival events are a great way to discover new flavors and expand your horizons. Beer festivals also make it easy to meet new people who share your love of brew. The year is more than half way over, but there are still plenty of exciting beer-themed events yet to come. These following 7 festivals are among the most noteworthy.
1. BrewMasters Craft Beer Festival
Dates: November 24-26[Festival Update: BrewMasters rescheduled to November 24-26.]
Location: Galveston, TX
Website: http://www.brewmastersbeerfest.com/
Located in sunny Galveston, TX, the BrewMasters Craft Beer Festival is known for its stunning selection of international beers. This event kicks off on Friday night with a classy pub crawl that places beer experts in some of Galveston’s best beer bars. On Saturday, attendees can taste more than 400 local, domestic, and international brews at the BrewHaHa Grand Tasting. The event also features a “Beer University Seminar Stage” which hosts several educational seminars about the brewing process. General Admission costs $40 at the door, and all attendees receive a card for 24 one oz. samples.
2. Brewgrass Festival
Date: September 16
Location: Asheville, NC,
Website: https://www.brewgrassfestival.com/
The Asheville Brewgrass Festival combines all the best things about beer and bluegrass. Since it was established in 1996, the festival has hosted musicians like the Yonder Mountain String Band, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, and the Infamous Stringdusters. While you listen to banjos strum, you can also sample a wide variety of beers from both local and national breweries, including Stone, Altamont Brewing Co., and Hi-Wire Brewing. This year, there are more than 40 participating breweries and three participating bands. General admission costs $55 at the door, but discounts are available beforehand.
Photograph by Bob from Flickr
3. Where the Wild Beers Are
Date: September 30
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Website: https://wherethewildbeersare.com/
The next festival on the list is loosely based on the children’s book called Where the Wild Things Are. While wolf costumes are abundant, the similarities end there. Rather than focusing on classic European brewers, this funky festival focuses on sour, wild, and farmhouse beers. In fact, if you bring a bottle to the festival, you will earn yourself 10 free drink tickets. This year, the event will feature more than sixty draft beers and an annual bottle share. If you can’t attend this year’s event, or you just love it so much you can’t get enough, there are 2018 events planned for Des Moines and New York City.
Photograph courtesy of Where the Wild Beers Are Festival
4. Fresh Hop Ale Festival
Date: September 30
Location: Yakima, WA
Website: http://www.freshhopalefestival.com/
Washington state has one of the largest hop harvests in the entire country–so large that it produces 75% of the United States’ hop crop. As such, it also has an appropriately large beer-drinking festival known as the Fresh Hop Ale Festival. Fresh-hopped beers are made with hops that have been picked within 24 hours of brewing. The process results in a fresher, lighter taste than the bitter, hoppy flavor associated with many IPAs. This year, the festival will offer access to more than 40 different breweries. General admission tickets cost $45.
Photograph by Andrew Estes from Flickr
5. Great American Beer Festival
Dates: October 5-7
Location: Denver, CO
Website: https://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/
The Great American Beer Festival is the oldest event on the list. Established in 1982, this classic festival features more domestic beers than any other festival in the country. The event is so large, in fact, that all attendees are provided with a map of the Colorado Convention Center before entering. Once inside, participants can sample more than 80 different styles of beer from brewers like the Boulder Beer Company and Dock Street Brewery. The event also features artisan cheese vendors, a homebrew marketplace, and a lounge for drunk drivers.
Photograph by Alltherooms.com
6. Four Peaks Oktoberfest
Dates: October 13-15
Location: Tempe, AZ
Website: http://www.fourpeaksoktoberfest.com/
Dust off your lederhosen for Oktoberfest at Tempe Town Lake in Arizona. Sponsored by Four Peaks Brewing Company, this three-day event will feature more than 30 types of beer as well as booths from local restaurants and bars. The best part is that admission is free for everyone. Oktoberfest is organized by Tempe Sister Cities, an award-winning nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting multiculturalism. As such, the event’s proceeds are used to send more than 30 high schools and teachers to international sister cities for five weeks each year.
7. World Beer Festival – October 14
Date: October 14
Location: Durham, NC
Website: http://allaboutbeer.com/gather-for-beer/world-beer-festival/durham-nc/
The World Beer Festival actually includes four separate events over four different weekends, and the next one will be held in Durham, North Carolina. Sponsored by All About Beer Magazine, this event encourages people to stop reading about beer and to start drinking. Each event features two four-hour sessions during which attendees can drink an unlimited number of samples from breweries like 21st Amendment and Boone Brewing Company. General admission costs $25 for the first hour of the sale and $35 thereafter.
About the Author – Haley Kieser:
Haley resides in the valley of the sun. Although an Arizona native, the Midwest is her favorite place to be. Her favorite beer is a West-O Coco Stout from Okoboji, Iowa.