2021 Craft Beer Festivals

Craft beer festivals are not entirely new. As craft beers become popular throughout the United States, it seems that more and more craft beer clubs and aficionados, as well as local breweries, have been staging their own festivals.

These are, of course, uncoordinated social events where different groups of people or brewers in a district in a city or in a corner of a state get together to hold a craft beer drinking and showcase festival. These happen with a lot of regularity.

Often times, big cities have several craft beer festivals at certain times of the year. It really just depends on the region that you live in. The great thing about a craft beer festival is that it highlights the best and most promising craft beer brands in your neck of the woods.

So if you’re looking to buy or get a taste test of the variety of craft beers in your city district or region, you definitely should look into attending a craft beer festival. Usually, small breweries would get together and pitch resources so they can get the word out about their festival.

The name of the game is to put their product out there and expand their reach. The way the craft beer market is set up currently is a lot of them have a fairly limited reach. It’s not unusual for corner craft breweries to only have a fanbase that hardly reaches past a few blocks. That’s how localized and often fragmented the American craft beer industry is.

Events like craft beer festivals go a long way in spreading the word introducing people to the distinct taste profiles of local craft breweries. For craft beer festivals in the United States this year, the earliest festival will be in February 2021.

The following are upcoming events for craft beer aficionados throughout the US.

South West Craft Beer Festival in Australia

If you’re looking for a craft beer event happening outside of the United States and prefer a location close to South East Asia or Oceania, definitely check out the South West Craft Beer Festival. It will take place on February 27, 2021.

They will be held at the Signal Park at the Busselton Foreshore. Over 120 craft beers from 20 local breweries will be on offer. In addition to the beer, there will be gourmet bites, food, live music, and, of course, DJs.

Buffalo on Tap

Scheduled for April 24, 2021, this event will take place at the Buffalo Niagara convention center in Buffalo, New York. Tickets will go on sale after approval by the local and state health officials in keeping with COVID health and safety protocols.

Tickets for VIP are $55 each and general admission tickets will cost only $35. Attendees can sample a wide range of craft beers, enjoy live music, food, and games. There will also be giveaways of souvenir sampling glasses.

Cedar Rapids Beer Summit

Scheduled for May 15, 2021, this event will take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton convention complex in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Tickets will go on sale after authorization from local and state health officials per COVID protocols.

Still, pre-sale sign-ups are available online. If you want to make sure that you get a ticket, you can sign up for a pre-sale slot. This way, you get dibs on tickets as they become available per local and state regulators.

Sioux Empire on Tap

This is scheduled for July 17, 2021, and will take place at the WH Lyon Fairgrounds in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Tickets will go on sale on April 2, 2021. Pre-sale sign up is available online.

Honolulu on Tap

This is scheduled for August 7, 2021. If you find yourself in Hawaii around that time, this is definitely a great way to top off your visit to the islands. The location will be at the Waikiki Shell. Tickets are tentative depending on the go-ahead from local health officials as the event date nears.

VIP and general admission tickets are available. Attendees not only get to sample a wide range of craft beers from Hawaii, but there’s also a tremendous amount of food, games, and live entertainment available.

Participants can also take advantage of giveaways like souvenir sampling glasses and a commemorative hat.

Portland on Tap

This is scheduled for September 11, 2021. The tentative venue will be Thompson’s Point in Portland, Oregon. Tickets will go on sale in the summer of 2021.

Hudson Craft Beer Festival

To be held on September 18, 2021, this event marks the 7th annual Hudson River Craft Beer Festival. If you’re looking for the very best craft beers in the Hudson River region, this is your grand opportunity. It will be held at the Riverfront Park.

Attendees can sample over 180 craft beers from 90 regional craft breweries. On top of the amazing craft beers, you will also get to enjoy live music, local food, and arts and crafts from local vendors. VIP and general admission tickets are available.

To make sure you don’t lose your spot, pre-sale sign up is now available online.