A Definitive Guide to North America’s Biggest Beer Festivals

Are you a beer lover who’s always on the lookout for new and interesting brews? Or are you a microbrewery looking to gain recognition in your state? Then the answer is simple—you need to hit up more beer events.

Beer festivals are also a great place to meet other enthusiasts, share recommendations, try new and interesting beer, and chat with brewers about their craft. With live music, food, and other entertainment, you can expect a fun and lively atmosphere.

They’re also great opportunities for local breweries to make themselves known to new audiences. Some even offer educational seminars or workshops where you can learn about different styles, brewing techniques, and food pairings. 

Here are the biggest beer festivals happening in North America! 

APRIL

Irie Jungle Craft Beer Festival

When: April 22
Where: Tripping Animals Brewery, Doral, Florida
What: It’s a festival like no other: The Irie Jungle Craft Beer Festival is held in a 20,000-square-foot facility, featuring only the best and most prestigious breweries from all over the world.

It’s known as a “multi-sensory” beer-tasting event because it offers immersive art installations, live music performances, and Miami’s most-famous culinary pop-ups. Irie Jungle also offers unlimited wine and coffee tasting during this one-day-only event.

MAY

Southern Grist Anniversary Party

When: May 6
Where: First Horizon Park, Nashville, Tennessee
What: Southern Grist’s Annual Party is an annual event that showcases more than 100 breweries from all over the world. It’s a one-day event that features local food trucks, exclusive merchandise, and unlimited samples from the finest brands.

The Craft Brewers Conference

When: May 7 to 10
Where: Music City Center, Nashville, Tennessee
What: The Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) is returning to hold the biggest annual beer conference in North America. The CBC is the event to attend if you want to be surrounded by fellow professional brewers, distributors, and suppliers from all over the world. 

Thousands of industry experts will be there, offering valuable brewing education and discussing ideas, brewing techniques, and marketing and branding strategies.

JUNE

The Barn Town Get Down Beer Festival

When: June 10
Where: Barn Town Brewing, West Des Moines, Iowa
What: After two years of waiting, The Get Down Beer Festival is back to showcase some of the industry’s best brews. This is a beer-tasting event that features over 60 different brews, meads, and cider brands from across the country. 

Not only that, but the organizer—Barn Town Brewing—will open its taproom to provide festival-goers with additional drinks, slushies, and even ice cream all made exclusively from their own brews.

JULY

Free the Whales Beer Festival

When: July 1
Where: Hopfly Brewing Company, Charlotte, North Carolina
What: Free The Whales Beer Festival is hugely popular and features the best craft brews from some of North America’s top brewers. 

The name is a nod to the event’s motto of spotlighting the rarest, most hard-to-find beers often referred to as “whales” in the industry. This all-you-can-drink festival offers exclusive drinks from over 70 brewers and food from the best food vendors in the city. 

Good Vibes Beer Festival

When: July 8
Where: The Compound, Meadville, Pennsylvania
What: Voodoo Brewery’s Good Vibes Beer event is a summer festival that aims to bring craft beer lovers together. Enjoy a relaxing day of delicious food and music coupled with the best lineup of brews from some amazing craft breweries.

Toronto’s Festival of Beers

When: July 28 to 30
Where: Bandshell Park, Exhibition Place, Toronto, Ontario
What: Toronto’s Festival of Beer is an annual celebration that showcases beer of all styles from over 400 brands all over Ontario and across the globe. 

Enjoy a hearty culinary experience courtesy of Toronto’s best restaurants and chefs and world-class entertainers, such as T-Pain, Ice Cube, and Third Eye Blind. Attended by more than 40,000 people each year, it’s one of the city’s premier beer events. 

AUGUST

Wavy Days Beer Festival

When: August 3 to 6
Where: Thompson’s Point, Portland, Maine
What: Wavy Days Beer Festival is a multi-day event where guests can sample different drinks from over 50 guest breweries. 

The event will feature exceptional food vendors from Maine and is set to be held on the water at Thompson’s Point. It should be a unique summery event for festival-goers and guest breweries alike!

SEPTEMBER

The Great American Beer Festival

When: September 21 to 23
Where: Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colorado
What: The Great American Beer Festival is one of the biggest festivals in North America and is an annual celebration held in Denver, Colorado.

Over 500 breweries from all over the country compete to impress the panel of judges during the festival while showcasing their finest samples (over 1,500 types) to event-goers. It’s attended annually by over 60,000 people.

OCTOBER

Kill the Lights Beer Festival

When: October 28
Where: Xul Beer Co., Knoxville, Tennessee
What: Xul Beer Company is holding its annual Kill the Lights Beer Festival at its brewery in Knoxville, Tennessee. The local brewery’s event will feature more than 60 breweries, local food vendors, live performances from some of the best musicians in the area, and exclusive merchandise releases as well as new offerings from Xul’s own taproom. 

2024 Beer Festivals You Don’t Want to Miss

Wakefest Beer Festival

When: February 2024
Where: TBD
What: Organized yearly by Johnathan Wakefield, a home brewer who gained worldwide popularity, Wakefest Beer Festival is a themed event that highlights small or independent breweries looking to increase their visibility.

Festival-goers have the opportunity to showcase their own brews, sample other craft beers, and enjoy food made by some of Miami’s top chefs. 

Get Your Beer Where It Belongs

If you’re planning on bringing your products to one of these beer festivals, it’s important they arrive on time and in perfect condition. After all, this is your chance to make a lasting impression in front of an amazing community of people. 

When you partner with Brew Movers, your drinks are being moved by a team of professionals using industry-leading shipping equipment. With over two decades worth of logistic experience in the industry, we are the most trusted shipping solution for local breweries thanks to our competitive rates and dependable services.

These craft beer events are waiting for you, so contact us today to learn more about our festival logistics services.

If you’re running a festival and don’t see it on this list, please email hello@brewmovers.com to let us know! We’d be happy to include it.