Well, we’ve reached the last installment of our “Best Festivals in the US” blog series and we’ve had a lot of fun discovering the variety of festivals that take place throughout the country. From music to theater to food and more, we’ve learned that a great festival is just a short drive away from nearly anywhere. In our last part of the series, our EWR Airport parking company dives into the best wine and beer festivals around:
Great American Beer Festival
One of the most popular beer festivals in the U.S., the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado features more than 1,600 beers in over 80 different styles every fall. Visitors can enjoy everything from IPAs to stouts to barleywines from hundreds of domestic breweries. There’s also a slew of food pairings, a homebrew marketplace, and awards for the best brews.
VeritageMiami
Once known as the United Way Miami Wine and Food Festival, VeritageMiami is a four-day festival that supports a good cause. With more than 3,000 wines, beers, and spirits to try along with food from notable chefs and a lineup of auction lots, visitors will have lots to do. Proceeds from the auctions help support the Southern Florida community while benefits from the festival go to supporting the United Way.
American Craft Beer Fest
Each year, Boston, Massachusetts becomes home to a BeerAdvocate Magazine extravaganza called the American Craft Beer Fest. This two-day festival is attended by people all over the world who come to taste more than 630 beers from over 140 breweries. It’s considered the largest beer festival on the East Coast and even features beer brewed exclusively for the festival.
California Wine Festival
For three days each year, Santa Barbara becomes home to one of the largest outdoor wine festivals in the state. Visitors can enjoy more than 300 wines from California’s best winemakers along with live music, lessons in food pairings (such as cheese, olive oil, and bread), a silent auction, and more.
Fresh Hop Ale Festival
Once fall rolls around in Yakima, Washington, hop-lovers from all over gather to taste beers that feature hops picked no more than 24 hours prior to brewing (hence the term “fresh”). Each year, brewers bring their beer to the festival and a panel of judges awards a first, second, and third place honor while festival-goers award a crowd favorite.
Brewgrass Festival
For the best combination of beer and bluegrass, visitors can head to the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina for the annual Brewgrass Festival. While guests are sampling beer from more than 50 national and regional breweries, they can enjoy the sounds of popular bluegrass artists.
Virginia Wine Festival
The Virginia Wine Festival began in 1975 by a group of individuals known as the Virginia Wine Growers Association. Forty years later, the festival continues every September in The Plains and features wine from more than 50 of the state’s premier wineries. You’ll also find live music, food and craft vendors, and a seminar tent to teach you more about wine.
Oregon Brewers Festival
Every summer, more than 80,000 beer lovers gather in Portland, Oregon for a long-running annual festival that celebrates a wide variety of beer styles. For five days, visitors can enjoy more than 90 beers from around the country as well as home brewing demonstrations, a lineup of music artists, food pairings, and more.
Denver International Wine Festival
Denver is a great place to be if you’re a fan of spirits. Each year, thousands of people enjoy a four-day festival that showcases more than 400 wines, beer, and spirits along with a food pairing competition from Colorado chefs, seminars, and a day-long tour of three different wineries and one distillery.
Atlanta Food & Wine Festival
Head to Atlanta at the beginning of summer every year and you’ll find a four day-long Food & Wine Festival that features food and drinks from award-winning chefs, sommeliers, and mixologists. Guests can attend a variety of dinner events, partake in more than 100 classes, and enjoy tastings from over 150 participants.
