10-03-2025
Best Beer Festival (2025) - USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Photo courtesy of Scott Mauer No. 10: Great Taste of the Midwest - Madison, Wisconsin
One of the longest-running beer events in North America, this craft beer festival brings around 200 of the Midwest's finest craft brewers to Madison each year. Attendees can taste some 1,400 beers, attend beer-centric seminars, and sample foods from local vendors, all while strolling through a beautiful park overlooking Lake Monona.
Photo courtesy of FilippoBacci / E+ No. 9: Blacktoberfest - Durham, North Carolina
This annual beer festival in Durham, North Carolina, celebrates Black culture within the craft beer community. Organized by Black Brew Culture and Proximity Brewing Company in partnership with Black-owned and BIPOC businesses, it features a month-long showcase of craft beer, live entertainment, and culinary events.
Photo courtesy of Christopher Malloy No. 8: Brave Brews Festival - Auburn, New York
Brave Brews Festival in Auburn, New York, celebrates women and nonbinary individuals in the craft beer industry. The event is inspired by the Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day, an annual ritual at Prison City that kicks off Women's History Month. Not only can you sample some of the top beers created by women and nonbinary brewers in the New York beer industry, you'll be able to check out Prison City's fantastic Fire & Ice Festival, where tons of ice gets carved into sculptures, drink luges, and courtyard games. It's the coolest event in town.
Photo courtesy of Tailspin Ale Fest No. 7: Tailspin Ale Fest - Louisville, Kentucky
Tailspin Ale Fest in Louisville is all about beer and planes — and it's a great way to warm up in the dead of winter. Beer enthusiasts and flight fanatics gather around a display of World War II-era aircraft at Bowman Field and sample from over 250 craft beers from more than 50 breweries. Attendees also enjoy live music and some of Louisville's best food trucks.
Photo courtesy of Garrett Poulos No. 6: Brewgaloo - Raleigh, North Carolina
North Carolina's largest craft beer festival, the two-day Brewgaloo showcases over 110 craft breweries from across the state. This festival in Raleigh, which attracts more than 60,000 people, also features local artisans, food trucks, vendors, and live music.
Photo courtesy of Jose Manchola No. 5: Snallygaster - Washington, D.C.
Advertised as "the East Coast's greatest beer festival," this sell-out, full-day event features some 450 small-batch craft beers from more than 175 producers. Live music and food trucks round out the offerings at this monster beer fest on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Photo courtesy of Brewers Association No. 4: Great American Beer Festival - Denver, Colorado
For more than 40 years, Denver has hosted the Great American Beer Festival, bringing together hundreds of breweries for beer education, awareness of beer trends, networking, research, the chance to sample from the largest annual U.S. beer selection, and pure fun. The festival is also a competition— medals are awarded in more than 90 categories.
Photo courtesy of Bryan Cook No. 3: Kill The Lights - Knoxville, Tennessee
If you like your beer festivals big, head to Knoxville, where XUL Beer Company invites some of the country's top-tier brewers for Kill The Lights fest. Started in 2022, this event brings more than 70 different breweries to one spot, with tents set up in the parking lot and warehouse. XUL also provides music, food, and all the beery cheer necessary to make this one of the premier events for serious beer geeks seeking to sip the best of the best.
Photo courtesy of Epicast No. 2: Barrel & Flow Fest - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
During Pittsburgh's Barrel & Flow Fest, some 3,000 craft beer industry professionals and enthusiasts come together for a weekend celebrating Black-owned breweries. The event also includes collaborations with Black artists and entrepreneurs from throughout Pennsylvania and the United States.
