Appalachian summer beer festivals
April 12, 2018
Craft beer fans planning their summer beer festival appearances have some great options this year. Following are some Brilliant Stream suggestions for 2018 beer festivals to check out in our little part of the world: Appalachia from Asheville to Pittsburgh.
Beer City Festival
Saturday, June 2, 2018
12:00 – 5:00 PM
Roger McGuire Green
Asheville, NC
$25 Token Ticket – includes admission and 5 beer sample tokens
Additional tokens are $1 each
$45 General Admission – includes unlimited sampling
Beer City Festival is a super place to sample the breweries of Asheville and environs. Held in downtown Asheville, this festival caps Asheville Beer Week. Expect 30+ local breweries to be represented, all members of the Asheville Brewers Alliance, which is a co-sponsor. Live local music and full food court.
Beers of the Burgh Festival
Saturday, June 2, 2018
3:00 – 7:00 PM
Carrie Furnace
Swissvale, PA
$49 General Admission (includes samples & tasting glass)
$10 event parking
The breweries of Pittsburgh are on fire right now and producing some very nice brews. The problem is, they are all so spread out, not so easy to get to, and many don’t distribute. The Beers of the Burgh Festival solves this problem by bringing together over 50 Western PA breweries in one venue. Favorites like Brew Gentleman, VooDoo, Helltown, and Dancing Gnome will be there. Little known gems like North Country and Four Seasons too. Festival located at the site of an old mill along the Monongahela River southeast of Pittsburgh.
State of Origin
Saturday, June 9, 2018
5:00 PM–9:00 PM
Courthouse Square
Morganton, NC
Tickets on sale now
The imaginative team at Fonta Flora Brewery pulls out all the stops for this annual celebration of local ingredients in beer. Expect a nice group of the more creative North & South Carolina breweries to make up the core of the offerings. These are augmented by storied breweries from around the country, such as Jester King, Casey, Scratch, Allagash, J. Wakefield, Jolly Pumpkin, and Black Project. Of course, Fonda Flora will roll out its own line of rustic and savory libations too.
Fonta Flora advertises State of Origin as “a boutique craft brew festival focusing on fermentation which embraces the unique flora and fauna of each brewery’s “state of origin” in the creation of their craft brews.” If you enjoy beer creatively, this one’s for you.
Knoxville Brewfest
Saturday, June 16, 2018
4:00 – 8:00 PM
World’s Fair Park
Knoxville, TN
$45 General Admission (tasting cup & beer sampling)
Tickets on sale now
The 8th Annual Knoxville Brewfest will be held in the heart of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, from 4:00-8:00 p.m. Breweries, beer and enthusiasts from all over will gather around the fountains and lake at the base of the Sunsphere and Tennessee Amphitheater. With plenty of space, seating and natural shade, you’ll enjoy strolling along the water while sampling over 300 beers from Tennessee and beyond.
Beer Camp 2018
Saturday, June 16, 2018
12 noon – 5:00 pm
Sierra Nevada Brewery
Mills River, NC
$25 general admission – does not include beer
Advance purchase beer tickets: 5 for $25 or can be purchased at the festival
Beer Camp takes on a more summer-camp-like feel this year. Sierra Nevada calls it an “epic adult day camp experience.” They will be serving up full-sized pours of your favorites Sierra Nevada beers alongside six special festival beers brewed in collaboration with Sierra Nevada’s amazing employees. Festival is located on the gorgeous grounds of Sierra Nevada’s brewery.
Some of Sierra Nevada’s beer/day camp activities will include:
- Obstacle course
- Rock climbing wall
- Keg bowling
- Human foosball
- Hammerschlogan
- Strider bike cyclocross
- Corn hole
- Arts & crafts
- Hammock lounge stations
- Silent disco
Food trucks from Appalachian Chic, Bun Intended, SmashBox , Sunshine Sammies, as well as a full menu at their in-house Sierra Nevada Taproom will provide plenty of food options.
Pittsburgh Summer Beerfest
Friday, July 13, 2018 
Saturday, July 14, 2018
6:30 – 11:00 PM each evening
Stage AE
400 N Shore Dr.
Pittsburgh, PA
$45 – $55 General Admission each session
$40 – $60 Early Admission
Tickets on sale now
If you missed the Beers of the Burgh festival back in early June, and you want to sample a bunch of Pittsburgh and Western PA breweries, the Summer Beerfest is a good option. Beyond local brewries, the festival offers beer from major national and regional craft brewers. 120+ breweries and plenty of food and music. Stage AE is a multi-purpose entertainment complex located on North Shore between Heinz Field and PNC Park
Ohio Brew Week
July 13-21, 2018
Athens, Ohio
Various venues. Some activities may have admission charges.
Ohio Brew Week website
While they have not yet announced the schedule of events, you can count on Ohio Brew Week beginning with a homebrew competition and ending with a downtown beer festival on Court Street. Between those bookends, everything from special beer dinners to brewers panels, tastings, and tap takeovers will be found. All the downtown bar and restaurant taps are turned over to Ohio craft beer all week. It is the best place we’ve found to sample the incredible variety of brews that are coming out of Ohio today. Expect a sampling of 200+ beers from more than 40 Ohio breweries. Of course, the local breweries (Jackie O’s, Little Fish, Devil’s Kettle) get into the act with special beer releases and other activities.
See Brilliant Stream’s 2017 OBW coverage here and here.
Shirt pictured above is available from Ohio Is Home.
Rails & Ales Festival
Saturday, August 11, 2018
Afternoon and evening sessions
Harris Riverfront Park
Huntington, WV
$40 General Admission
$60 VIP
Tickets go on sale May 31 at 5:00 pm
Still West Virginia’s largest and best craft beer event, the 6th annual Rails & Ales Festival will bring together a dozen or more of the state’s best breweries and mix them in with a super selection of regional, national, and international craft beers. All this takes place on a gorgeous riverfront park along the Ohio River in downtown Huntington. Same set up as last year with afternoon and evening sessions, lots of food vendors, and very good bands.
See Brilliant Stream’s 2017 Rails & Ales festival coverage
Mountaineer BrewFest
August 18, 2018
4:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Wheeling Heritage Port
1201 Water Street
Wheeling, WV
Tentative: $25 general admission; $65 VIP (3:00 pm admission)
Ticket link (Begins June 1)
Mountaineer Brewfest is held at a super venue in downtown Wheeling along the Ohio River. It offers a good mix of West Virginia and out-of-state brews. Lots of food options. Musical entertainment all evening. Makes a large contribution to their selected local charity each year.
More details should be released soon. See our preview of the 2017 Mountaineer Brewfest. This year’s fest should be similar.
Mountaineer Brewfest website link
Other festival may be added to this list as their dates and details are announced and confirmed. We are watching for details of the 21st annual MicroFestivus in Roanoke, which will likely occur in mid-August. It is a good place to catch up with a whole bunch of Virginia breweries.
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