A How To: Beer Festivals

Having just come off an AWESOME weekend in fabulous Asheville, NC and yet another top notch Beer City Festival it occurred to us that #1 we’ve done a lot of beer festivals – too many to count and #2 this is a new venture for some – as we found out this weekend. So, we thought we’d take a moment to share what we’ve learned so that you too can benefit from our mistakes and make your festival going experience as great as it can be!

Pre-game: Once you have your tickets secure take a moment to look at the festival site to see what they allow. Can you bring chairs? A backpack? Portable tent dealie? Most festival websites will tell you what they do and do not allow. Also, since in most instances they don’t allow people to come and go, you’re going to need to be ready to rock when you get in line to enter. We’ve also learned that a solid breakfast the day of is a good thing – lay a good foundation for the day’s activities. Bring your ID. Snob Don likes to leave his wallet in the hotel and just bring cash and his ID. Less to worry about.

Other things to consider bringing:

  • A backpack – you’ll pick up some stuff along the way – stickers, a pint glass maybe, t-shirts – no sense in stuffing all that into your pockets. Also toss a few granola bars in there. Quick and free energy.
  • Camping chairs – if they allow it, the pop-out $10 camping chairs are great for this.
  • Water/some sort of water container. CamelBak products are PERFECT for these events.
  • Sunscreen
  • A hat – so you don’t burn your noggin and it keeps a little shade on your face. Snob Don’s personal favorite is a large brimmed one such as the one in the pic. It keeps the sun off your neck as well as providing ample shade for your eyes allowing for better beer spotting.
  • CASH – you’re not going to see “credit/debit accepted here” at a festival. Food/t-shirts and that pint glass you just gotta have are all going to require cash.
  • Shoes – ladies, don’t bother w/ heals or anything that is more “cute” than comfortable. Function is the name of the game and your feet don’t need to be miserable.
  • A rain jacket – you never know and also why that backpack can come in handy.

During the festival: As soon as you get in the gate, seek out a base camp to drop those chairs – look for shade and pay attention to where the sun is at that point and where it’ll be later. STAY HYDRATED – that’s probably the #1 rule. Most beer festivals are during the warmer months and are outside. When it’s 95 degrees and you’re drinking a decent amount of beer, your body needs water – drink it and lots of it. Also, spread out the food intake. Don’t feel like you have to clean your plate for lunch. Grazing throughout the event helps keep some food in your belly as your body processes the tasty beer you’re consuming. Also don’t be afraid to hit that sunscreen more than once – for those of us that will inevitably go overboard at one point or another nothing makes a hangover worse than a sunburn. Snob Don swears by the 3 BBQ sandwich rule. Two around 2 hours after arriving at the festival and one about an hour before leaving.

Post festival: Continue with that H2O so your body gets good and flushed and plan on seeking out a solid dinner. If you’ve done the day right you might even be able to sneak in another brew before bedtime.

For festivals out of town – a hotel is a MUST. Don’t try to hightail it home after drinking all afternoon in the heat. Further, don’t scrimp on saving $50 on a hotel that’s a little further away – you’ll pay that in the cab to and from if not more or in the frustration of thinking you can walk, getting lost and waking up somewhere other than the room you paid for. The closer the better and if you can get some friends to split the room charges, everyone wins.

Remember that even seasoned experts sometimes go down hard and heavy like Snob Don at our last venture, just get back on the horse and learn from your mistakes. Oh, and yes, Don still has the red shoes in the picture below.

Hope this post helps make your festival experience more enjoyable. If you’ve got any other tips, let’s hear ’em in the comments below.

Cheers!