Beer festival facts for kids
A beer festival is a fun event where many different kinds of beer are available to try. These festivals often have a special theme, like beers from a certain place or a particular way of making them. They are usually big celebrations with lots of people, food, music, and games, making them more like a folk festival or a fun fair!
Beer Festivals Around the World
Asia
- In Singapore, there's an event called Beerfest Asia every June. It started in 2008 and brings in over 30,000 visitors who enjoy the different beers.
- China hosts the Qingdao International Beer Festival.
Europe
Germany: Big Folk Festivals
Germany has a long history of many festivals that are more than just beer events. They are often big fun fairs and folk festivals. Many of these have been happening for hundreds of years, starting from old parish fairs, markets, or other historical reasons. In some parts of Germany, especially in the southwest, these festivals are more about wine than beer.
The Oktoberfest in Germany is often called the world's largest beer festival. However, some people say it's really a huge folk festival because it includes so much more than just beer.
Many other smaller beer festivals happen all over Germany throughout the year. The second largest beer festival in Germany, and possibly in Europe, is the Cannstatter Volksfest. It takes place in Stuttgart and is very similar to Oktoberfest. More and more people from all over the world visit this festival each year.
Many places have festivals called "Oktoberfests," but the name usually refers to the big event in Munich. Smaller festivals like Oktoberfest are common in Germany and happen all year in most big cities.
Another large festival in Bavaria is the Gäubodenvolksfest in Straubing. It's similar to Oktoberfest but has its own unique history. The Barthelmarkt by Manching is even older, dating back to Roman times! Other big festivals in Bavaria include the Nürnberg Volksfeste in spring and autumn, the Fürth Michaeliskirchweih (which has been held since the 12th century), and the Bergkirchweih in Erlangen, which has Europe's largest open-air beer garden.
Other German festivals include the Hanover Schützenfest, the Freimarkt in Bremen, the Hamburger Dom, the Stuttgarter Frühlingsfest, the Cranger Funfair, and the Düsseldorf Funfair. Like Oktoberfest, most German beer festivals are also funfairs. They are called "Volksfest," meaning "festival for the people," and there are many of them across Germany.
Berlin also has a festival that claims to have the world's longest beer garden. The International Berlin Beer Festival features over 2,100 different beers from 86 countries.
United Kingdom: Real Ale Focus
British beer festivals often focus on real ale, which is a special type of draught beer. They also often include bottled beers and ciders. These festivals emphasize having a wide variety of drinks to try.
Festivals can be organized by groups like the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), or by pubs, brewers, social clubs, or charities. CAMRA festivals are run by volunteers. Pub festivals usually have professional staff and often no entry fee.
Larger British beer festivals are usually held indoors in big venues. Hundreds of casks of ale from different brewers are set up. Staff serve beer directly from the casks. Food is usually available, and there's often entertainment like live music, pub quizzes, or raffles.
Medium-sized festivals are often held in meeting halls or large tents. These might be organized by local CAMRA groups or other clubs and charities. They might have a theme, focusing on beers from a certain area or in a particular style, like the Winter Great British Beer Festival.
Some pubs host small festivals by quickly changing the guest beers they offer. They might set up temporary serving areas inside or in a tent outside. Pub festivals usually last for a long weekend. The Wetherpoon pub chain holds big festivals twice a year in all its pubs, lasting over two weeks. They claim these are Britain's largest festivals. A pub festival can offer anywhere from about 15 to 100 different beers.
At all British festivals, beer is sold in half or full pints. Since 2006, the GBBF also serves "nips" (one-third of a pint) for those who want to try many different beers.
Famous British Beer Festivals
Many beer festivals take place across the United Kingdom. Some well-known ones include:
- The Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) is held every August in London. It's the largest beer festival in the UK, organized by the Campaign for Real Ale. Founded in 1977, it had over 66,000 visitors in 2006, who enjoyed 350,000 pints of ale over five days. It has been held in London since 1991.
- The CAMRA Great British Beer Festival Winter is held in different places, currently in Birmingham. It showcases beer styles that might not be available during the summer festival. It happens every February and has also been held in Glasgow, Burton upon Trent, Manchester, Derby, and Norwich.
- The Farnham Beer Exhibition in Surrey has been held every year since 1977. It's the longest-running annual beer festival at a single location in the UK. It sells over 29,000 pints of real ale during its three-day opening.
- The Cambridge Beer Festival, started in 1974, is the longest-running beer festival in the UK, though it has moved locations a few times. It's held for a week each May in a large tent on Jesus Green in Cambridge. It's the third largest British beer festival. In 2007, over 30,000 visitors drank about 70,000 pints of beer.
- The Rotherham Real Ale and Music Festival, held since 1992, is the largest Real Ale Festival in the North of England. In 2011, it sold over 85,000 half-pints of beer during its four-day event.
- The Battersea Beer Festival is a three-day annual festival held at the Battersea Arts Centre in London since 1991.
Many smaller festivals are also organized by local CAMRA groups, pubs, clubs, and charities.
Belgium
Belgium hosts several beer festivals, such as:
- The BAB-bierfestival, held every year in the first weekend of February in Bruges.
- A festival held every spring in Leuven, organized by the Zythos consumer group.
- The Belgian Beer Weekend held in Grand-Place, Brussels, organized by the Brewer's association.
- Karakterbieren Festival in Poperinge, which is Belgium's hop-growing capital.
- The Beer Passion weekend held each July in Antwerp, organized by Beer Passion magazine.
- The Christmas beer festival in Essen.
Czech Republic
- The Český Pivní Festival is the biggest Czech beer festival. It lasts 17 days and is held every May in Prague.
- Pilsner Fest is a large festival held every August in Plzeň.
Poland
- The Festival of Good Beer in Wrocław is held every year on the second weekend of June. It is the third largest beer festival in Europe.
Israel
Israel has several annual beer festivals. The largest and oldest is the Jerusalem Beer Festival, which has been running for 15 years and attracts 20,000 visitors. It offers 120 different kinds of beer.
Other annual beer festivals in Israel take place in towns and cities like:
- Afula
- Ashdod
- Ashkelon
- Hod Hasharon
- Kfar Saba
- Modi'in
- Netanya
- Petah Tikva
Other European Countries
- In Yerevan, Armenia, the Yerevan Beer Fest is held every August at Swan Lake. In 2020, it was organized for the seventh time.
- In Belgrade, Serbia, the Belgrade Beer Fest takes place every August at Ušće Park.
- In Braşov, Romania, a large Beer festival is held every October.
- In Copenhagen, Denmark, the big Copenhagen Beer Festival takes place every May.
- French festivals are held in Schiltigheim (August) and Felletin (July).
- In Dublin, Ireland, the All-Ireland Craft Beer Festival is held every September.
- In Cork, Ireland, the Franciscan Well Easterfest is held annually on the Easter Bank holiday weekend.
- In Karlovac, Croatia, Dani piva is held every year for 10 days, starting on the last Friday in August.
- In Kragujevac, Serbia, Šumadija Beer Open is held every June.
- In Zrenjanin, Serbia, Dani piva is held every August.
- In Prilep, North Macedonia, Фестивал на пивото (Festival na pivoto) or Пивофест (Pivofest), is held every July.
- In Riga, Latvia, the festival Latviabeerfest (Latvijas Alus Festivāls) is held every May.
- In Tallinn, Estonia, the festival Õllesummer is held every July.
- In Trondheim, Norway, an Oktoberfest is held every second year during the student festival UKA.
- In Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo Beer Festival takes place every May–June at the Zetra Olympic Center.
- In Solothurn, Switzerland, Solothurner Biertage is held every year for 3 days, starting on the last full weekend in April.
- In Stockholm, Sweden, Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival is held every September.
- In Malta, the Farsons Beer Festival is held every year in the last week of July.
- In Laško, Slovenia, the Pivo in Cvetje (meaning beer and flowers) festival is held in the first weeks of July.
- In Bodegraven, Netherlands, the Borefts Beer Festival is held annually in the last week of September. It features more than 230 different beers from 30 brewers.
- In Helsinki, Finland, the Helsinki Beer Festival is held every April.
- In Ossetia, the Eeron Bagany takes place every October.
- In Pristina, Kosovo, Beerfest Kosova is held annually near the Palace of Youth and Sports. It is the biggest festival in Kosovo. Beer and Wine Festival Prishtina is another annual beer festival held at the same location.
North America
United States: Craft Beer and Oktoberfests
- The Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado, started in 1982. In 2008, over 46,000 people attended, and judges chose winners from nearly 3,000 beers from 477 breweries.
- The Garden State BrewFest in New Jersey celebrates local brewing. It's an outdoor festival held on Mother's Day Saturday.
- Brewtopia: The Great World Beer Festival is the largest and longest-running beer festival in New York City.
- The Oregon Brewers Festival has taken place every July since 1988 in Portland, Oregon. It's one of the largest beer festivals in the country, attracting over 85,000 people by 2014.
- The Oktoberfest in Nashville, Tennessee, is the oldest festival in the city, held annually since 1980. It's a 3-day event where major German breweries are present. In 2015, about 143,000 people attended, making it the largest Fall Festival in the South.
- Philly Beer Week is a 10-day series of beer events starting in early June in Philadelphia. It celebrates the city as a great place for beer.
- The Great International Beer Festival is held in Providence, Rhode Island twice a year.
- The KC Beerfest in Kansas City, Missouri, is a newer event where you can try beers from hundreds of different craft brewers from around the world.
- The Seattle International Beer Festival is held annually in Seattle, Washington, in July. It offers 100-150 beers from about twenty countries.
- The Great Arizona Beer Festival is the state's longest-running beer festival, held in Tempe, Arizona since 1990. It features 50 breweries offering over 200 varieties. This event helps Sun Sounds of Arizona, a non-profit that provides reading services for the blind. They also run beer festivals in Tucson and Flagstaff.
- Brewbeque is a craft beer festival held annually in Evansville, Indiana. It benefits Guardianship Services of Southwestern Indiana.
- Fresh Fest, held annually in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania since 2018, is the nation's first Black craft beer festival. It features Black-owned breweries and breweries that work with Black artists and businesses.
- The Oldenburg Freudenfest, in Oldenburg, Indiana, has been held annually since 1977. It offers German food, family activities, and many beers.
Canada: Diverse Celebrations
- The Great Canadian Beer Festival, held since 1993 in Victoria, British Columbia, focuses on cask ales from the Pacific Northwest. It takes place at Royal Athletic Park after Labour Day. The festival attracts over 60 craft breweries and more than 8,000 visitors.
- The Kitchener–Waterloo Oktoberfest is a nine-day event in Kitchener-Waterloo. It started in 1969, inspired by the original German Oktoberfest. It's held every October, starting the Friday before Canadian Thanksgiving.
- Toronto's Festival of Beer was first held in 1995 at Fort York in Toronto. Since 2009, it has been held at Exhibition Place.
- The Lauder Beer Festival is a smaller, more exclusive festival in North Toronto.
- In 2010, Vancouver Craft Beer Week started, which is the first "beer week"-style festival in Canada. It lasts nine days with events across Vancouver, ending with a three-day tasting festival.
- Also in 2010, the Ontario Craft Brewers started Ontario Craft Beer Week, a week-long celebration of craft beer across the province.
- The Mondial de la Bière was founded in 1994 in Montreal and attracts around 80,000 people.
- The Edmonton International Beerfest is held each spring in Edmonton, attracting about 25,000 people.
The Golden Tap Awards is an annual beer awards event held in Toronto. These awards are presented by The Bar Towel, a website dedicated to promoting Toronto's craft and microbrew beer scene.
Other North American Countries
- In Mexico, cities like Puebla, Mexico City, Mazatlán, and Tapachula celebrate Oktoberfest. These are held by the descendants of German immigrants. The largest ones are in Puebla and Mexico City, where you can enjoy German music, food, and traditional clothing.
Oceania
- In Tasmania, The Tasmanian Beerfest is held in November. It showcases over 100 local and international beers. It started in 2006, and in 2009, over 10,000 people tried more than 100 different beers. There's also the Tamar Valley Beer Festival.
- Queensland has many small Oktoberfest celebrations, along with the Milking the Cow Beer Lovers Festival, Queensland Beer Week, and BeerFestABull. These are popular with university students and local restaurants.
- Sydney celebrates Oktoberfest at the German-Austrian Society Club in Cabramatta. Other festivals include the Australian Beer Festival and the Bitter and Twisted Boutique Beer Festival.
- Canberra celebrates Oktoberfest and the Canberra Craft Beer & Cider Festival at Thoroughbred Park.
- Adelaide celebrates Schuetzenfest in January at Bonython Park.
- Western Australia dedicates an entire week to beer every June with WA Beer Week. Other festivals include Elmar's Food & Beer Festival, Perth Beer Festival, FeBREWary, South West Craft Beer Festival, and Sprung in the Alley Craft Beer Festival.
- The New Zealand Beer Festival has been held in Auckland and Wellington since 2007. BrewNZ - Beervana was previously organized by the Brewers Guild of New Zealand. Beervana was taken over by the Wellington Culinary Events Trust in 2015 and is held every August at SKY Stadium in Wellington.
South America
Argentina
- In Argentina, the town of Villa General Belgrano in the Córdoba Province has a very well-known Oktoberfest, which is the biggest in the country.
Brazil
- A huge Oktoberfest is held in the Brazilian city of Blumenau (Oktoberfest of Blumenau), with over 600,000 visitors in 2004. Many other Brazilian cities founded by Germans have their own Oktoberfests, such as Santa Cruz do Sul (over 500,000 visitors in 2004), Igrejinha (over 200,000 visitors in 2006), Rolândia, São José do Cedro, Seara, and Itapiranga. They also host the Brazilian Beer Festival.
Chile
- In Valdivia, Chile, a Bierfest is held every summer. It is organized and sponsored by Kunstmann Bier, a local beer company.
- Llanquihue, Chile also hosts a Bierfest once a year during summer. The main sponsor is Cerveza Cristal, Chile's largest beer brand.
Ecuador
- In Quito, Ecuador, a yearly beer festival called VIVA Cerveza! takes place. The first one was in 2016. It is listed as the third largest festival in South America.
