August 2012 Events
3-4: Beer, Bourbon & Barbecue Festival, Cary, NC
Trigger Agency, LLC, presents the Cary stop on the Beer, Bourbon & Barbecue Festival tour, which will take place in Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park. Friday evening's "VIP Whole Hog Session" will feature a barbecue dinner, unlimited bourbon and beer tasting, and four pit masters on hand. Saturday's regular afternoon session will feature unlimited sampling of 60 beers and 40 bourbons; live rock and blues music; barbecue, Southern specialties, and other foods; and seminars led by master distillers, brewmasters, and pit masters. Saturday VIP tickets, with early admission, and all-session "Grand Poobah" tickets, are available.
3-5: International Berlin Beer Festival, Berlin, Germany
The 16th annual International Berlin Beer Festival will be held along 2.2 kilometers of Berlin's Karl-Marx-Allee in Berlin. The festival, described as "the world's longest beer garden," features 2,000 beers from Germany and 85 many other countries, including beer from German Privatbrauereien (small independent breweries). Food will be available, and there will be live music and other entertainment on stages. The festival website is entirely in German.
4: Grand Tasting at the Mammoth Festival of Beers and Bluespalooza, Mammoth Lakes, CA
The Mammoth Brewing Company presents the 17th annual Mammoth Festival of Beers and Bluespalooza, which will take place at Sam's Wood Site on Mammoth Lakes near Yosemite National Park. The Saturday afternoon Grand Tasting is an afternoon event, held among the pines at an elevation of 8,000 feet, with beer from 70 breweries, food, and a lineup of blues and country performers.
4: Magic Valley Beer Festival, Twin Falls, ID
The inaugural Magic Valley Beer Festival will be held in the City Park in Twin Falls. This afternoon event, which is a fund-raiser for Twin Falls' Senior Center and Rotary Club, will feature a variety of beers to sample, along with live bands, food, and prize raffles.
4: New Almondsbury Beer Festival, Almondsbury, England
Brizzle Beer Festivals presents the inaugural New Almondsbury Beer Festival, which will take place at Almondsbury Parish Hall. There will be afternoon and evening tasting sessions, each with 14 ales and four ciders from the region. There will be food, including a hog roast, at both sessions; and The Gecko Blasters will provide live music during the evening session.
7-11: Great British Beer Festival, London, England
The Campaign for Real Ale presents the 2012 Great British Beer Festival, which will take place at a new venue, the London Olympia. (This year's festival will take place during the London Olympics.) This event is Britain's biggest beer festival, with more than 1,000 Real Ales, ciders, perries and international beers. The festivities also include the Champion Beer of Britain competition, tutored tastings, live music, food and merchandise for sale, and pub games and quizzes. Thursday, the traditional anniversary of the GBBF, is Hat Day.
11: Great Taste of the Midwest, Madison, WI
The Madison Homebrewers and Tasters Guild presents the 26th annual Great Taste of the Midwest, which will take place at Olin-Turnville Park, a lakeside venue in Madison. This afternoon event traditionally features around 500 beers from over 100 breweries from the Great Lakes and Midwest regions, food, an all-acoustic lineup of entertainers, a celebrity brewer dunk tank, and an exhibit by the Museum of Beer and Brewing. Tickets go on sale May 1, and this festival will sell out.
11: Millvale Brew Festival, Millvale, PA
The Borough of Millvale, Millvale MainStreet, and The Millvale Borough Development Corporation will host the sixth annual Millvale Brew Festival, which will take place at Riverfront Park. Last year's festival consisted of two sessions, each with more than 80 craft-brewed and imported beers from over 25 breweries; live entertainment; food and merchandise vendors; and a homebrew competition. Proceeds will help revitalize Millvale, which was devastated by flooding from Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
18: Chesapeake Crab & Beer Festival, National Harbor, MD
Trigger Agency, LLC, presents the third annual Chesapeake Crab & Beer Festival, which will take place on the waterfront at National Harbor. This event will consist of afternoon and evening tasting sessions, each with more than 50 beers, wines, and spirits; a chilled tequila tasting bar; all-you-can-eat crabs; other food, including hamburgers, sausages, and barbecue; live music on the main stage; and a kids' area and family fun zone.
21-25: Peterborough Beer Festival, Peterborough, England
The Peterborough & District Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale presents the 35th annual Peterborough Beer Festival, which will take place at The Embankment. Recent editions of this festival have featured more than 350 Real Ales, along with a selection of ciders, perries, and foreign bottled beers, served under massive marquees on the riverside. The festivities have also included food and merchandise vendors and live music.
25: Great Nebraska Beer Festival, Papillon, NE
The Nebraska Brewing Company presents the fourth annual Great Nebraska Beer Fest, which will take place "in the shadow of" the Shadow Lake Towne Center Mall in Papillon. This festival will feature more than 200 beers. All of Nebraska breweries will be represented, along with regional breweries whose beer is not normally available in the state. Many breweries will have breweries or other representatives on hand. The festivities will also include educational seminars and live entertainment.
25: Hops in Humboldt, Fortuna, CA
The ninth annual Hops in Humboldt will be held at Rohner Park in Fortuna. This afternoon event, which takes place in the heart of the redwoods, will feature beer from more than 35 breweries from around the country, voting for the "People's Choice" award, five bands performing on stage, food, arts and crafts vendors, and the Hops Games.
25: Midwest Brewers Fest, Plainfield, IL
The second annual Midwest Brewers Fest will take place at the Plainfield Riverfront Park on the banks of the DuPage River. Last year's festival was an afternoon/evening with around 200 beers from more than 50 breweries, brewpubs, and homebrew clubs; artisanal food; local musical artists; brewing expos; and river activities including kayaking and fishing. The festival is a benefit for the Plainfield Riverfront Foundation.
25: Sierra Brewfest, Grass Valley, CA
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company presents the 23rd annual Sierra Brewfest, which will take place under Ponderosa pine trees at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley. Last year's festival was an afternoon event with more than 100 beers from over 30 microbreweries; live blues music; and food, including sausages, barbecue, and Mexican dishes.
29: Long Ashton Beer Festival, Long Ashton, England
Brizzle Beer Festivals presents the inaugural Long Ashton Beer Festival, which will take place at the Long Ashton Community Centre. There will be afternoon and evening tasting sessions, each with 18 local and "not so local"ales along with five locally-produced ciders. The festivities will also include music at both sessions and a live band in the evening; and food, including a hog roast. The festival is a fund-raiser for Community Hall.
30-September 2: Key West Brew Fest, Key West, FL
The Southernmost Hotel Collection, together with the Key West Sunrise Rotary of the Conch Republic, presents the 2012 Key West BrewFest, which will take place at several locations in Key West. The signature event, on Friday evening, is the Grand Tasting on South Beach, with more than 100 beers served on the beach. Other events over the weekend include a kickoff party at the Bottlecap Groove Lounge, beer dinners, tastings led by brewmasters, brunches, a pool party, and after-parties.
30-September 2: Savannah Craft Brew Festival, Savannah, GA
The fifth annual Savannah Craft Brew Fest will be held at the Esplanade at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center overlooking the Savannah River. This festivities begin on Friday evening with a Craft Brew and Food Pairing Dinner featuring Lowcountry cuisine. On Saturday afternoon, The Grand Tasting will take place, with nearly 150 different craft beers along with live entertainment and food and souvenir items for sale. On Sunday, there will be an International Craft Brew Tasting with beer from several different countries.
31-September 1: Little Woody Barrel-Aged Beer Festival, Bend, OR
The 2012 Little Woody Barrel-Aged Beer Festival will be held at the Des Chutes Historical Museum in downtown Bend. The festival will feature oak-, wine-, and whiskey-barrel aged beers from more than a dozen local breweries, along with a selection of bourbons and Oregon wines. Local restaurants will be serving food, and there will be live music both days of the festival. Part of the proceeds will be donated to the Historical Society.
31-September 3: Cleveland Labor Day Oktoberfest, Berea, OH
The 2012 Cleveland Labor Day Oktoberfest will be held at the Berea Fairgrounds. The four-day celebration will include German food, beer, and entertainment; "People's Choice" awards for beer; local musicians and German dance groups; and competitions, including the Bavarian Strong Man/Woman Contest and the Oktoberfest 5K Bier Run.
TBA: Belgrade Beer Fest, Belgrade, Serbia
The Belgrade Cultural Network presents the tenth annual Belgrade Beer Fest. The festival, which organizers describe as "the most-visited festival in Europe," will take place at Usc'e, near the confluence of the Danube and Sava Rivers, three kilometers from the city center. Recent editions of this festival have featured about 45 beers from 20 breweries, along with live and DJ music. Admission to the festival is free.
TBA: Brews & Blues, Westford, MA
The 11th annual Brews & Blues will be held at the Nashoba Valley Ski Area in Westford. Recent editions of this festival have been afternoon rain-or-shine events with beer from dozens of regional craft breweries, including a special booth serving cask-conditioned ales. The festivities have also included live blues music, raffles, games, homebrew demonstrations, and craft and vendor booths. Proceeds will be donated to local charities.
TBA: Microfestivus, Roanoke, VA
The Square Society presents the 15th annual MicroFestivus, which will take place at Elmwood Park in downtown Roanoke. Last year's festival was an afternoon event with more than 100 micro- and craft-brewed beers from two dozen breweries from the Mid-Atlantic region.
TBA: Toronto's Festival of Beer, Toronto, ON, Canada
Toronto's Festival of Beer, described as "Canada's leading beer festival," will be held on the Canadian National Exhibition grounds in Toronto. Recent editions of this festival have featured more than 200 beers, Southern-style barbecue, live entertainment, and appearances by television personalities. During festival week, a number of satellite events will take place throughout the Greater Toronto Area.
TBA: WaZoo, Tampa, FL
J.J. Taylor Distributing Florida, Inc., presents the 17th annual WaZoo, which will take place at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. Recent editions of this festival have been evening events with more than 200 beers and other beverages from around the world, food from local restaurants, and live music from area artists. "Beastly Beverage Club" (VIP-level tickets), with early entry and an air-conditioned space tasting area, are available.
TBA: Willamette Valley Blues and Brews Festival, Eugene, OR
The fourth annual Willamette Valley Blues and Brews Festival will be held at Island Park in Springfield. Recent editions of this festival have featured more than 40 beers from the area's local and regional microbreweries, music from more than 130 Northwest blues musicians, food vendors on the festival grounds, and a KidZONE on Saturday.