Home > 2008 February Beer Festivals
2008 February Beer Festivals
Festiv-Ale - Regina, SK, Canada - February 1-2
More than 300 beers; live music, singing, and dancing; a variety of food; Festiv-Ale store; blackjack dealers in the VIP Lounge; Legion Color Party Parade, with pipers.
Bock Fest 2008 - New Ulm, MN - February 2
New Ulm's Fasching celebration, with Bock beer, music, grilled bratwurst and other food, and the traditional "Bock Hunt"; museum and gift shop will be open.
Central New York Brewfest - Syracuse, NY - February 2
Two tasting sessions; beer from breweries throughout the Northeast and Canada; food available.
International Mead Festival - Lakewood, CO - February 8-9
The world's largest and most prestigious mead competition and festival; three tasting sessions, including a new third connoisseur session Saturday afternoon; nearly 100 commercial meads; commercial and home mead competition; educational seminars.
KLCC Microbrew Festival 2008 - Eugene, OR - February 8
Microbrewed beer from all over the West; collaboration brew and homebrew competition; live music; record and CD sale.
Minnesota Craft Brewer's Guild Winterfest - St. Paul, MN - February 8
An intimate festival, which typically sells out quickly, featuring "big" beers to ward off the winter cold, live music, and appetizers; "Best of the Fest" Award, as chosen by festival-goers. This event is sold out.
Food & Froth Fest - Milwaukee, WI - February 9
Tenth annual event; last year's festival featured more than 200 beers from Midwest and international breweries, including special creations and seasonal beers; food and live music; a raffle; and exhibits in museum's Brewing Heritage Hall
Beerapalooza 2008 - San Francisco Bay, CA - February 9-22
Twentieth annual event, featuring a Double IPA Fest at The Bistro (Hayward); a beer and cheese tasting at the Rogue Ales Public House (San Francisco), a chocolate and Belgian beer dinner at the Cathedral Hill Hotel (San Francisco), a barleywine festival at Toronado (San Francisco; see separate listing on this page); and Celebrator Beer News' 20th Anniversary Bash (Oakland).
Winter Warmer 2008: Barleywine & Strong Ale Tasting - Lafayette,IN – Feb. 9
Open tasting of barleywines and strong ales from small breweries; barbecue; live entertainment; raffles, contests, and free taxi rides home. This event is sold out.
Mid*Winter Beer Festival - Milwaukee, WI - February 10
Beer from 25 breweries, Usinger's sausage, and live music; this year's theme is "back to the keg," with all participating breweries bringing fresh draft beer.
Extreme Beer Fest - Boston, MA - February 15-16
Fifth annual event: Friday, "Night of the Barrels," featuring wood-aged beers, guest speakers, and snacks; Saturday, two tasting sessions with distinctive American craft-brewed beer.
Max's Taphouse Belgian Beer Festival - Baltimore, MD - February 15-17
Three days of beer; last year's festival offered more than 60 Belgian and domestic Belgian-style beers on draft and another 120 beers in bottles, and a full Belgian-style food menu. More details of this year's festival will be posted on Max's website.
Arizona Craft Brewers Guild Strong Beer Festival - Mesa, AZ - February 16
Strong beers and a variety of other styles brewed in Arizona and other Western states; food vendors and live entertainment.
Beats Brews and BBQ - Philadelphia, PA - February 16
Beer from 30 local and regional breweries (to be announced on the festival website), as well as other beverages; food, including Tommy Gunn's American Barbeque; live music; beer seminars; homebrew shops; VIP tickets, with early admission and access to limited-edition specialty beers.
Confluence Wine, Beer, Seafood and Music Festival - Gardiner, OR – Feb. 16-17
Beverages from area breweries and wineries; craft and food vendors; entertainment, including seven bands and solo acts; chef demonstration; free shuttle bus between Gardiner, Reedsport, and Winchester Bay.
Winterfest - Lafayette Hill, PA - February 16
Strong beers from the regional microbreweries; food will be served; limited-availability brewers' post-party. This event is likely to sell out.
Hillsboro Brewfest - Portland, OR - February 17
The "Battle of the Belt," in which 20 beers from 20 McMenamins breweries compete for the right to represent McMenamins at the Oregon Brewers Festival; entertainment, including Joe Mishkin the Balloon Guy; and food, including bratwurst, beer potato cheese soup and cake.
Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Beer Festival - Grand Rapids, MI - February 23
New city and larger venue this year; a celebration of Michigan-brewed barrel-aged, cask, and "big" beers; hot food and live music; the festival will be held outdoors, "snow, rain or shine."
Midwest Winter Beer Festival - Covington, KY - February 23
Inaugural event; two tasting sessions; more than 100 beers, featuring winter ales, from 30 brewers and distributors; appetizer buffet; organizers also plan a VIP reception with brewers in attendance and a Cincinnati pub crawl the evening before the festival.
Shadowbrook Beer Fest - Tunkhannock, PA - February 23
More than 50 microbrewed and imported beers; live music.
