Photo: franckreporter (Getty Images)
Everybody looks forward to a summer road trip. The warmer months were seemingly created for travel. Whether you enjoy a weekend of camping, a day trip to the beach, or a visit to a historical landmark, the summer is the perfect time to get in your car and see this vast country. But, visiting Civil War battlefields and roadside attractions can get old really fast. Who really needs to take a selfie in front of the world’s largest ball of twine anyway? That’s why you should add beer festivals to your itinerary.
Check out our list of the best beer festivals to road trip to this summer (and one really popular one in the early fall).
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Beer Festivals To Road Trip To
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Firestone Walker Invitational Beerfest (June 1)
If you find yourself within driving distance of Paso Robles, California, on June 1, you should probably find your way to the Firestone Walker Invitational Beerfest. Sampling beer from over 50 breweries is a pretty good way to get your summer started. On top of some of the best beer in America, the festival also features dozens of delicious food.
Photo: Firestone Walker
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Burning Can Colorado (June 1)
Fans of Oskar Blues are already aware of this festival (which also takes place in Asheville, North Carolina, on Aug. 9-10). The Burning Can Colorado festival takes place on June 1 in Lyons, Colorado, and features more than 70 breweries a concert by Moon Taxi and Wildermiss as well as countless outdoor activities and mouth-watering food vendors.
Photo: Oskar Blues
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Breckenridge Summer Beer Festival (July 13)
Breckenridge, Colorado, is an outdoor lover’s dream. It only gets better on July 13 when the 14th annual Breckenridge Summer Beer Festival kicks off. Located at the Beaver Run Resort & Conference Center, this year’s festival includes more than 40 breweries, great food, and live music.
Photo: Breckenridge Summer Beer Festival
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Oregon Brewers Festival (July 24-27)
Located at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland, Oregon, the Oregon Brewers Festival is the premiere beer summer event in the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1988, the event will bring together 93 breweries this year as well as 8 Oregon cideries. There will also be beer-related vendors, a “brewer dunk tank,” and a wide variety of food vendors.
Photo: Oregon Brewers Festival
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Great Taste of The Midwest (Aug. 10)
Located at Olin Park in Madison, Wisconsin, the Great Taste of the Midwest is more than just an average beer festival. It’s one of the largest beer festivals in the country with around 190 breweries (serving up 1,400 beers) attending each year. It was created to educate drinkers about the various beer styles available but has become the go-to festival in the Midwest.
Photo: Great Taste of The Midwest
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Great American Beer Festival (Oct. 3-5)
All festivals lead to the Great American Beer Festival. This is the big dog. Although not technically a summer festival, a few sunny months of drinking beer is necessary to prepare you for this. Located at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, the event features hundred of breweries. There’s no chance you’ll even be able to try them all.
Photo: Great American Beer Festival
