New beers, cider and music on tap for 2024 Gig Harbor Beer Festival. Tickets are on sale
.jpeg "The Gig Harbor Beer Festival is noon to 5 p.m. May 18, 2024, at 4701 Pt. Fosdick Dr.")
There are new breweries and new bands lined up for this year’s Gig Harbor Beer Festival.
The event will run from noon to 5 p.m. May 18 at 4701 Point Fosdick Dr., at the Uptown Pavilion. It’s the 13th year for the festival.
Early-bird tickets are $30. Regular tickets, starting May 6, are $32. Those prices include 10 tasting tokens and a 5-ounce pilsner cup until they run out.
Designated drivers can get in for $20.
The festival does sell out, longtime organizer John Fosberg said.
They had about 1,700 people last year, including volunteers, brewers and everyone else.
“There’s only so much beer inside the gates, so we play it pretty carefully, because we don’t want to run out of beer,” Fosberg said. “That’s no fun at a beer festival.”
Only a couple of the beers ran out last year, he said.
They had a limited number of tickets left at the door in 2023, but that’s never guaranteed, he said.
“You’re better off buying a ticket now,” Fosberg said.
Asked about parking, he said it shouldn’t be an issue.
“There’s just parking everywhere,” he said about Uptown.
If it does start getting full, there’s underground parking at the nearby MultiCare building, he said.
The festival benefits the Gig Harbor Kiwanis Foundation.
Fosberg said he’s been the main organizer for the 13 years of the festival, and that he’s passing the torch to the Kiwanis, who he’s been working with on the event for about 10 years.
“They’re taking over the festival slowly but surely, this year and probably next year,” he said. “And it’ll all be in their hands after that.”
What will be on tap at the 2024 Gig Harbor Beer Festival?
One of the new participants this year is 2 Towns Cider from Corvallis, Oregon. Another is Crane’s Castle Brewing out of Bremerton.
Asked about new or interesting beverages in the lineup this year, Fosberg said many haven’t finalized what they’ll serve, but he mentioned a few.
Bent Bine Brewing in Belfair will bring their Juicy Bine IPA.
2 Towns Cider will have their Dark Cherry Bad Apple, a 10.5 percent imperial cider, according to the company’s website, that’s “crafted with Bing cherries, a touch of raspberries, pomegranates, and of course, plenty of local meadowfoam honey, finished with Oregon white oak.”
Deep Draft Brewing from Bremerton is bringing their Beer Day Munich Helles, which the company’s website calls: “A lager that’s as beautiful as it is refreshingly delightful, brewed with Pilsen, Two-Row and Munich Malts and hopped just enough with Euknot & Crystal hops.”
The description explains that sailors get a “beer day” when they’re at sea for a stretch without a port visit. The brewery named the beer “to reward us all for being isolated during the COVID crisis,” the company wrote.
Festival attendees vote for their favorite beer each year, and the winning brewery returns the next year to receive the award. Ridgeline Brewing in Bremerton had an Island Time pale ale that won in 2023, Fosberg said.
Here’s the list of participants for 2024:
- 7 Seas Brewing
- Acorn Brewing
- Bent Bine Brewing
- Crane Castle Brewing
- Deep Draft Brewing
- Ghostfish Brewing
- Gig Harbor Brewing
- Lazy Boy Brewing
- Narrows Brewing
- Rainy Daze Brewing
- Ridgeline Brewing
- Silver City Brewery
- Wet Coast Brewing
- San Juan Seltzer
- Locust Cider
- 2 Towns Cider
- Heritage Distilling Company
The festival also has new bands this year.
“Two new music performers at the Festival this year are classic rock band RAUCOUS, and country music singer Gene Sievers,” a festival news release said. “Closing the show again this year is Gig Harbor favorite, My Guilty Pleasure, with their multiple-decade mix of your favorite high-energy party tunes.”
Rhubarb, the Tacoma Rainiers mascot, will make an appearance from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Note: The festival is for those 21 and older. No kids allowed.
As far as food, Fosberg said attendees can bring in their own or they can take a break from the festival (as long as they have their wristband to get back in) to visit the Uptown restaurants.
He said he also thinks the Kiwanis will be selling pretzel rings again this year.
Visit gigharborbeerfestival.com for more information and to purchase tickets.
