Beer Fest Prices

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Zuljin

Zuljin

I come from the water
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In March, The Foundry, in Dallas, TX, is having a beer fest. Fifty craft beers, all the bacon you can eat, other foods made with bacon (not clear if those are included in the price), music. Sounds great.

Tickets are being sold based on 2.5 hour blocks. That's a new one to me. I guess they're doing it for crowd control. One would be hard pressed to drink 50 beer samples in 2.5 hours at a beer fest. There will be lines. And you don't always get to drink all the beers for the admission price. You get a card for six or so, and then have to buy additional cards for additional beers. Sometimes. I've been to a few that let you drink all the beers for the price of admission.

The price of admission here is $39 for 2.5 hours for the cheap general admission tickets, plus $7.73 in taxes and fees. Prices go up to $55, plus $10 in taxes and fees for 2.5 hours. That's at least $93 for my wife and I.

Screw that! We've paid $75 with parking, and had to buy additional cards, and I thought that was a bit high. Now, yeah, I don't have to go, and I won't.

What are y'all paying for beer fests and what are you getting for the price?
 
One of the decent festivals here goes for $30 in advance/$35 at the gate. They claim 50 breweries 80 beers. I think it runs from noon to 5pm and it's unlimited (2-3 oz) samples.
 
Typical festivals around Atlanta go for 45-60 bucks... some are well worth it, but most are just a waste of time. If I go to a festival, I expect to be able to try beers that I can't typically get, not the same stuff I can go to the local package store and pick up. Unfortunately, the latter describes too many of the festivals around here. That being said, we do have some fantastic gems out there... it's just a matter of figuring out which is which!
 
Last one I went to in New Zealand was great. $40 entry (USD$25ish) and you pay for each taste, prices varied by the brew but not unreasonable. I spent $120 (USD$80) all up inc food and tried a lot of styles that just aren't available in the local shops. They had a few smash pale ales there so that was helpful, try out some new hop flavours.
 
I have no idea how much the fests I go to cost: Organic Beerfest in June, Oregon Brewer's fest in July and Vancouver Beerfest in August. I volunteer and get in free. For 3-3 1/2 hours of serving I get free entry, a tasting mug, tokens, and a shirt. The Oregon Brewer's fest also gave a hat last year.
 
We went to one of those BB&M (Beer, Bacon & Music) festivals a few years ago. It was OK, we were lucky to be there early and did get some bacon.

Many others didn't fare that well, stood at the gate forever, then when they got through, the bacon was long gone. There was a lot of b!tching about that. All other "bacon foods" are sold by vendors.

The beer was OK, pretty much like any other beer fest. I heard they polished up their act the next day, but also had only 1/2 the crowd load compared to the day before. They lasted one more year and went bye bye. Every big town/area seems to have similar "formula" events. It's hit and miss, mostly.

We go to a few beer fests a year, if the price of admission isn't over the top and you get 5-6 hours. One is a large fundraiser for the Baltimore Zoo, so we don't mind paying top price, $75 VIP plus $8 in ticket fees, each. It's a fun event, with a lot of very decent beer. The exorbitant ticket fees bother me the most.

Don't forget to look (and re-check) on Groupon, Eventbrite, LivingSocial, or one of those places. Those same tickets may show up at half price or less there...
 
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Not all festivals are bad value. Check out fests that are more revolved around panels. The ones purely based on tasting tend to be more expensive. And like lizard says go with something tried and true.

IMO the more its designed for brewers rather than consumers the more likely you are to get value (good beers, good info, fair prices, not just waiting around all day to try stuff thats not particularly interesting) consumers welcome of course just not designed purely for that purpose.

Here's an example of a nice middle ground consumer/brewer fest.
 
Zuljin said:
In March, The Foundry, in Dallas, TX, is having a beer fest. Fifty craft beers, all the bacon you can eat, other foods made with bacon (not clear if those are included in the price), music. Sounds great.

Tickets are being sold based on 2.5 hour blocks. That's a new one to me. I guess they're doing it for crowd control. One would be hard pressed to drink 50 beer samples in 2.5 hours at a beer fest. There will be lines. And you don't always get to drink all the beers for the admission price. You get a card for six or so, and then have to buy additional cards for additional beers. Sometimes. I've been to a few that let you drink all the beers for the price of admission.

The price of admission here is $39 for 2.5 hours for the cheap general admission tickets, plus $7.73 in taxes and fees. Prices go up to $55, plus $10 in taxes and fees for 2.5 hours. That's at least $93 for my wife and I.

Screw that! We've paid $75 with parking, and had to buy additional cards, and I thought that was a bit high. Now, yeah, I don't have to go, and I won't.

What are y'all paying for beer fests and what are you getting for the price?
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Just make your own beer. It's cheaper than going to a beer fest. ;)
 
Went to one in Asheville NC last weekend. $57 for 4 hours. They had 35 or so breweries, almost all local ranging form very small micros to Sierra Nevada and Stone. Price also included a meal and there were a couple of bands. I can't drink 50 bucks worth of beer in 4 hours* but getting to taste so many different beers is worth something -- stuff like some ciders and sours I would never buy without trying first.


*that typically takes me at least 5 hours.
 
I've never heard of getting tokens or having to pay for samples. We go to Louisville on tap, which is $45 40 or so breweries, and all you can drink for 2 or 3 hours. Brew at the zoo in Louisville was the same way, but I haven't been since 2014. And here in southern Indiana, we have fest of ale, which is about the same in price, and unlimited sampling. Granted, the ones I've mentioned are beer specific, there is food there, but nothing that is included in the price.....
 
The one Beerfest we go to every year is around $100 VIP. Less without VIP but worth it. You get in an hour early to sample tons of beer (no lines),skip an hour long admission line, Free beer(full size) at the bar all day,free buffet,private bathrooms for VIP only and the VIP is the only area that's indoor outdoor so if it rains we can escape...Plus there's bands all day...totally worth it. The food and free beer cover my $100 and I get to listen to bands all day with 1000's of people
 
Wife and I usually go to a couple of festivals each year. We usually hit the Porterhouse Productions Traverse City festivals, both Summer and Winter. This year's winter festival is $40 advanced and includes several bands and hundreds of beers. Due to a scheduling conflict we wont' be able to attend this year. We will instead be going to the Cadillac Winter Fest, also put on by Porterhouse. It's a smaller event, but much closer.

Me and some guys usually go to the Cadillac beer festival in summer/fall. I think it's usually like $35 and includes all the beer I care to drink, music, yard games, gourmet popcorn (if you are early enough). Also usually go to the Michigan Brewer's Guild Winter Festival in Grand Rapids at the Whitecaps Stadium. This year sold out before I found out they stopped doing bus tours. In the past I've been able to get tickets for a bus tour hosted by a nearby brewery. I can't recall the regular price of tickets, but last year they were about $80 for the bus ride down and back, some beers on the bus (from the brewery I mentioned), sandwiches (also from brewery) and way more beers than you can sample once you get there. It's huge.

I really liked the bus because I could just have my wife drop me off about 15 minutes from our house and then pick me up again hours later. It was always a pain to plan driving all teh way down to Comstock Park in GR.
 
Homercidal said:
I could just have my wife drop me off about 15 minutes from our house and then pick me up again hours later. It was always a pain to plan driving all teh way down to Comstock Park in GR.
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I can get to the beerfests I attend really easily on public transportation. I catch a bus two blocks from my house that drops me off three blocks from the Vancouver fest. To get to the other two I take the same bus and transfer to a bus that takes me to the yellow light rail line across the river in Oregon which drops me right off at the Organic fest or I continue to downtown Portland and walk six or seven blocks to the Oregon brewer's fest.,
 
I am definitely not a fan of the drink ticket beer fests. Here in CO we have a lot of beer fests. I would say about half of them are unlimited and the other half are ticketed. I stay away from the ticketed events because I just don't have as much fun as with the unlimited events. Ticket prices I've paid for the events recently have been between $35-45 advance purchase + fees. I wouldn't pay more than $50 for any of the local ones but yet don't mind throwing down $65+ for GABF.
 
Headed to this one next month: https://tatertotfestival.com/events/san-diego-ca/

It was $35 for GA, $75 for VIP. Though when VIP usually involves early entry/etc, I fail to see what would be worth an extra $40 per ticket here.

I've found a lot of the festivals to be pretty terrible. It seems like some of the festivals I've been to locally are run by the big beer distributors, and you end up running the gamut of "all the craft breweries AB has purchased", plus a few actual craft brewers. Then, many of the locals have long lines as well. I've become much more discerning as to which beer fests I'll attend.

Last year the Orange County Brewer's Guild put on a REALLY good one. They had asked for a couple local homebrew clubs to pour there as well, so myself and my club mates got in "free" (i.e. we paid in our own beer lol), and it was a really well run event. It was by brewers, for people who were really into the beer. Not heavily marketed, not overcrowded, etc. Much better than most of the fests marketed at your usual drunks. It was marketed at your exceptional drunks! :mug:
 
I don't go to beer festivals because they don't seem like a good value to me. I hate standing in line and despise being around a bunch of drunks. For $50, I can go see a band I really like at a club or bar, have some decent brews and have more fun than hanging around with a bunch of people standing in line trying to guzzle as many samples as they can.
Having said that, the beer expo posted by Ashevillian looks like something I would go to if I was in the area. The panel discussions look interesting and much different then the "tons of bacon" offered at a local festival near here.
Note that some beer festivals have home brew competitions, and that could be a way home brewers can get in for free, as judges or competition stewards, or maybe by just entering.
I'm glad they have beer festivals, and I'm happy for people that enjoy that activity, but the only way I would go to one is if I had a free ticket and even then I'd probably skip it.
 
Sounds like I got it good compared to some of y'all.
The one we have here is $35 in advance and like $40-45 on the day. Sampling is unlimited, and they had over 100 beers last year.
Plus gave out "Rome Beer Fest" glasses and a score card with all the beers on it.
Lots of good music, too. We are lucky to have some good local bands.
 
The Oregon Spring Beer and Wine Fest is a pretty good value. I think it is about $20 gets you in, a sampling cup and enough tokens to get a good buzz. I usually get a second round of tokens, 20 for $20 and split with the wife. Plus most vendors take tokens for food. :tank:
 
jmcquesten said:
One of the decent festivals here goes for $30 in advance/$35 at the gate. They claim 50 breweries 80 beers. I think it runs from noon to 5pm and it's unlimited (2-3 oz) samples.
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Sounds reasonable.

JONNYROTTEN said:
The one Beerfest we go to every year is around $100 VIP. Less without VIP but worth it. You get in an hour early to sample tons of beer (no lines),skip an hour long admission line, Free beer(full size) at the bar all day,free buffet,private bathrooms for VIP only and the VIP is the only area that's indoor outdoor so if it rains we can escape...Plus there's bands all day...totally worth it. The food and free beer cover my $100 and I get to listen to bands all day with 1000's of people
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That sounds worth $100. At least once.

bwarbiany said:
Headed to this one next month: https://tatertotfestival.com/events/san-diego-ca/

It was $35 for GA, $75 for VIP. Though when VIP usually involves early entry/etc, I fail to see what would be worth an extra $40 per ticket here.

I've found a lot of the festivals to be pretty terrible. It seems like some of the festivals I've been to locally are run by the big beer distributors, and you end up running the gamut of "all the craft breweries AB has purchased", plus a few actual craft brewers. Then, many of the locals have long lines as well. I've become much more discerning as to which beer fests I'll attend.

Last year the Orange County Brewer's Guild put on a REALLY good one. They had asked for a couple local homebrew clubs to pour there as well, so myself and my club mates got in "free" (i.e. we paid in our own beer lol), and it was a really well run event. It was by brewers, for people who were really into the beer. Not heavily marketed, not overcrowded, etc. Much better than most of the fests marketed at your usual drunks. It was marketed at your exceptional drunks! :mug:
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jmark said:
Typical festivals around Atlanta go for 45-60 bucks... some are well worth it, but most are just a waste of time. If I go to a festival, I expect to be able to try beers that I can't typically get, not the same stuff I can go to the local package store and pick up. Unfortunately, the latter describes too many of the festivals around here. That being said, we do have some fantastic gems out there... it's just a matter of figuring out which is which!
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I've been to some that were mini fests or tastings inside of other fests. Yeah. Most were "craft beer" offerings from AB or MC. At least they were cheap.

The Ren Faire here, Texas, had a beer fest inside of it last year. $10 per person. It was a limited time during one day. They had punch cards, but the number you got matched the number of breweries there, and they didn't care if people piggybacked on friends unused punches. Water, cheese and snack mix included. They had some local beers and some Euro beers. That was the best beer fest in another fest.
 
AZ_IPA said:
Good luck. That group are notorious scam artists...

They sell lots of tickets before they even have a venue or beer distributors lined up; let alone advertising things are against local liquor laws. Well, that's at least what happened in AZ about a year ago...
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Damn. Well, at least there are positive things...

  1. I'll be there with my girlfriend.
  2. We both (having been to other crappy beer fests) have managed our expectations.
  3. We'll be in San Diego, will be uber-ing around, and have a hotel for the night.
  4. There's a good looking restaurant/bar within walking distance of the fest site that we can go to if it sucks to drink and wait out the Uber surge pricing (if there is any).
  5. Did I mention we'll be in San Diego? Already planning on hitting Modern Times afterwards and Pizza Port on the way back Sunday. Might get other breweries in there too.

Thanks for the heads-up, though... I'll make sure I mention it to her so that we both have tempered our expectations, and we'll make a quick exit if it's crap.
 
bwarbiany said:
Damn. Well, at least there are positive things...

  1. I'll be there with my girlfriend.
  2. We both (having been to other crappy beer fests) have managed our expectations.
  3. We'll be in San Diego, will be uber-ing around, and have a hotel for the night.
  4. There's a good looking restaurant/bar within walking distance of the fest site that we can go to if it sucks to drink and wait out the Uber surge pricing (if there is any).
  5. Did I mention we'll be in San Diego? Already planning on hitting Modern Times afterwards and Pizza Port on the way back Sunday. Might get other breweries in there too.

Thanks for the heads-up, though... I'll make sure I mention it to her so that we both have tempered our expectations, and we'll make a quick exit if it's crap.
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https://m.yelp.com/biz/tater-tot-and-beer-festival-costa-mesa?osq=Tater+Tots+and+Beer+Festival
 
m_c_zero said:
Thanks for posting this. I had some friends in another state who were wanting to attend this festival. Gave them the link to inform them of what to expect if they do end up going.
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They HEAVILY censor their Facebook pages and delete lots of posts outting how bad their fests are.

I wonder how much money they're making off people by selling tickets and then changing/cancelling events.....so many people are probably too lazy to try to get a refund.
 
I see a ton of "beer and bacon" fests advertised on FB. I'm wondering if they're just as sketchy...
 
m_c_zero said:
I see a ton of "beer and bacon" fests advertised on FB. I'm wondering if they're just as sketchy...
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Can't speak for all, the one we attended was OK for us, but very spotty bacon supply wise.

The bacon we did get was good though (4 varieties), but many attendees missed out on it. The 4 bacon lines were very loooong, and as soon as trays of new bacon arrived, only 20-30 people per line got served before they ran out again.
 
Nice one! It is always fun to see the ingenuity that homebrewers have at these fests. I enjoy checking out all the dispensing rigs people have built and producing 5 gals or so at a time, you can get a ton of different variations of beers.
 
http://www.firestonebeer.com/brewery/invitational-beer-fest.php
Paying $90 after fees for the ticket, plus hotel, gas, food and likely some beers to bring home. I am generally frugal and this will oretty much be my fun budget for the summer, but going with some friends and expect to have a good time. I say if you can afford and will enjoy it it's worth it. The pat two years this festival wasn't worth it because I would have been stressing about the cost instead of having fun.
 
planker101 said:
http://www.firestonebeer.com/brewery/invitational-beer-fest.php
Paying $90 after fees for the ticket, plus hotel, gas, food and likely some beers to bring home. I am generally frugal and this will oretty much be my fun budget for the summer, but going with some friends and expect to have a good time. I say if you can afford and will enjoy it it's worth it. The pat two years this festival wasn't worth it because I would have been stressing about the cost instead of having fun.
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That looks good, and I trust FW to put on a classy event...

...unfortunately it's already sold out according to Eventbrite :(
 
bwarbiany said:
That looks good, and I trust FW to put on a classy event...

...unfortunately it's already sold out according to Eventbrite :(
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Yeah, sells out almost instantly. I wasn't aboe to get any tickets, but luckily my cousin got an extra for me.
 
Beer festivals in Canada are often a lot more than that, OP. In Toronto they are about $150 a head.
 
Zuljin said:
What do you get for that price?
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Depends on the event, some are more expensive. The Toronto Craft Beer Festival in June is $55 for VIP which gets you 10 samples and a sampling glass. Cask Days I know was about $100 but I don't remember how many samples I got. Granted, everything in Toronto is usually more expensive.
 
Went up to the Belle Centre in Montreal with my Dad 3 weeks ago to see the Habs play the Sabres and I walked in and bought 2 16 oz cans of Molson Export and paid $21 Canadian. This is in an arena that is blocks from the Molson factory to see a team owned by Jeff Molson. I guess I've been living under a rock...
 
FYI the "Beer & Tater Tots" fest was this past weekend... Based on everything I had heard, and read, and the fact that it was sold out and people were looking for tickets, my girlfriend and I still went to San Diego, sold our tickets, and then just went brewery-hopping...

Lunch at Toronado in North Park, followed by Mike Hess Brewing, then Modern Times, and finished up at Acoustic Ales before going to dinner.

I think it was a much better decision :D
 

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