If you’re looking for something to plan a vacation around, why not plan it around a beer festival. There’s plenty of festivals to choose from no matter where you live. You could stay right in Baltimore or you can plan a trip to Florida, New York or even Missouri. I tried to stick to east coast festivals so that these will be realistic for you to attend. Enjoy!
(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)
1) Rails and Ales:
Where: Strasburg, Pennsylvania
When: April 4th, 2020
What better way to start off the spring than with a craft brew festival at a Railroad Museum. Trains…Beers… Strasburg. I’m not sure what’s in Strasburg but you could definitely make it a stop, on a trip to Philadelphia or New York. This will be a smaller a festival to check out and I think it’ll be worth the trip.
Where: Richmond, Virginia
When: March 7th, 2020
This beer festival is a little bit more serious. It has a very specific set of rules of how much beer you can consume, and that you can only try each beer once. Despite the elementary school like rules, this festival will have an assortment of some highly rated beers and this could be a good festival to check out if it’s close to you.
3) NYC Bacon and Beer Festival
Where: Brooklyn, NY
When: April 11th, 2020
This festival is a personal favorite of mine. It is absolute chaos, don’t get me wrong. This is not a small intimate gathering by any means. This festival has over 30 restaurants serving bacon inspired dishes, over 100 different drafts, and there is no limit to how many times you can fill up. This one is a must, just for the experience in my opinion.
4) Common Grounds Beer Festival
Where: Virgina Beach
When: May 2020
Although the exact dates of this festival have not been released, this is a festival that could be a good vacation. Leave the kids at home and head down to this festival that has an overnight campout with a bonfire. You have the opportunity to try unique one-time-only beers from your favorite breweries. My wife has never been camping before, so I’m totally going to surprise her with this one.
Where: Washington D.C.
When: May 15th, 2020
This is a higher-class craft beer festival than going camping but I think it’s nice to dress up and pretend sometimes. This beer festival is on the higher end of the price range, but what you get from this festival will not only be some beer, but you also receive a one of a kind pairing menu to try 200+ different dishes. This could be a great date night. You and your lady can get all dressed up and have a night out on the town.
Where: Cary, North Carolina
When: August 7-8, 2020
This is a two-day festival and you will need both days. This festival has been growing each year. There are 60+ beers to try, 40+ bourbons, and on Friday night they serve the BBQ. Your plate can consist of anything from whole hog, ribs, brisket, chicken, sausage and every southern side you can imagine. Saturday will consist of food including lamb, bison, gator, long horn and more. Come out to this one both days. Do one day of beer and one day of bourbon and two days of stuffing your face with meat that will raise your blood pressure by at least 50.
Where: Tampa, Florida
When: March 13th, 2020
This one is sponsored by Cigar City who recently reopened their draft room and bar. There will be over 100 breweries at the Amalie Arena. This one is going to be a good one. Cigar City is providing two bottles of their Hunahpu’s beer, food, entertainment, and a tasting glass with your purchase of a ticket. You can hit up this festival on Friday night and then head down to Cigar City brewery the next day to check out their new renovations.
Where: Kansas City, Missouri
When: June 19-20th, 2020
Look, I know Missouri isn’t the east coast, but for the few willing to travel this could be a great trip. Missouri is a great state to visit. There is so much to do, especially if you love music. Boulevardia is sponsored by my favorite brewery, Boulevard. This festival will have live music, food and beer. More information will be coming out on this one soon. The music and the food have not been released yet, but there are a lot of great breweries there including Deschutes, Pinthouse Pizza, and Side Project Brewing. Go to Missouri, drink some beer, and maybe catch a Royals game.
Where: Baltimore, Maryland
When: May 23-24th, 2020
Lions and tigers and beers…oh my. Okay, that was super lame. But zoo animals and beers sound like a great time to me. This Memorial Day fundraiser is a great way to raise money for the zoo and have a great time drinking beer. This one is right at home in Baltimore and is relatively affordable. Make it a family event and bring the kids, try some beers, and take a picture with a penguin.
Where: Baltimore, Maryland
When: May 30th, 2020
They haven’t released a ton of information about the upcoming event but there’s honestly not much more information I need. They have beer. They have BBQ and it’s right in your backyard at the Canton Waterfront Park. I’ll be interested to find out more about this one and upcoming festivals.
Anyone going to any other festivals we should know about? There are so many to find right in your town. You can find small festivals with a couple hundred people or you could go to festivals like the Brooklyn Bacon Beer Festival with a couple thousand. Either way keep trying beers.
Cheers.
Beer Analyst
Vince Del is a therapist living in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is originally from New York where he grew up and went to college. Vince has been writing for four years now creating his blog about the unfortunate events that happen to us on a daily basis – mycousinvinny.blog. In his spare time, he drinks beer, and now writes about that as well.