This past weekend marked the 6th annual Bay Area Brew Fest, which featured 70 breweries, over 200 beers, local food vendors, and a bevy of freebies. Last year was my first time at the event and it appears they’ve made quite a few additions to the fest, including the freebie vendors, apparel booths, and an entire corner dedicated to ciders. I paced myself much better this year and had a really enjoyable time. If you’re curious about the event, I’m here to give you the basics and what to expect at Bay Area Brew Fest. If you’re a beer or cider fan, I highly recommend getting your ticket next year.

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Bay Area Brew Fest Basics 

• Location: Pier 35 (21 minute walk from The Ferry Building or a 12 minute walk from Fisherman’s Wharf). It is a very large cruise ship terminal so the event in indoors with options to take a breather outside by the water.
• Getting there: Having transited and taken Lyft there, I recommend taking public transportation. They are roughly the same price if you’re traveling in a group of 4, but Lyft took painfully long due to San Francisco traffic along the Embarcadero.
• Price: $45 for general admission and $60 for VIP. I highly recommend signing up for their mailing list or staying tune to their Facebook event page because they usually have a sale, which offers $10 off. I ended up paying just $35 for my ticket. Getting your ticket in advance also ensures you don’t miss out because the event usually sells out the week of.
• Timing: The event offers 2 time slots: 12-4pm and 5:30-8:30pm. I’ve done the latter both times.

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What to Expect at Bay Area Brew Fest

• Arrive early! I got there half an hour after it started last year and then waited in a long line so that by the time I got in, I only had about 2 hours left to take advantage of the event. This year, I got there half an hour early to find a line already formed, but we got to taken advantage of the whole 3 hours.
• Once your ID is checked and you’ve been let in, you will be handed a wristband and a plastic 4oz cup to fill with beer and ciders.
• You will proceed to wait in another line if you are there before start time. Once noon or 5:30pm hits, you are free to fill up that cup as much as you want over the next few hours!
• Beer and cider vendors include well known breweries such as Lagunitas and Ninkasi to small craft beers like 6 Rivers Brewery and Freewheel Brewing Co.
• Food Truck Alley at the far back of the event features a range of food trucks and booths.
• Freebies included water bottles from companies like Core, juices from companies like Bai, and chips from Kettle Chips.
• A small area of games includes corn hole and large Jenga.
• If you feeling like busting out some moves, there is a DJ and dance floor area.
• The fest has got your back when it comes to restrooms – in addition to the permanent pier restrooms, an entire section of the event is lined with at least 50 outhouses. I suggest bringing hand sanitizer.

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The Bay Area Brew Fest in Photos

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Thoughts on Bay Area Brew Fest? Let me know in the comments!

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