With over 45 breweries, local and out-of-towners, there was something for everyone to enjoy at the SLO Craft Beer Fest. Hosted at the Alex Madonna Expo Center, the festival featured two days of beer drinking fun. Festival goers could purchase tickets for the main event on Saturday, February 28th or weekend passes that included the Friday night Blues & Brews pre-party.
Attendees lined up outside of the Expo Center well in advance and by the time the doors opened at 1 p.m. on Saturday, the line wrapped around the parking lot – a testament to the popularity of the event, for sure! Once inside, we were free to meander and peruse the selection of beers. Breweries lined the perimeter of the building and were scattered throughout the center, with a stage and live music in the very back. Each brewery had anywhere between 2 to 5 samples to choose from and were happy to give you a sampling of each. A few of my favorites includes –
- Parabola by Firestone
- Pinner by Oskar Blue Brewing
- Black IPA by Mendocino Brewing
Not only were they serving beer, but several vendors had hard ciders and even hard root beer to try. Event passes included food tickets, as well, to sample everything from tacos and pizza, to bacon caramel corn – yes, bacon caramel corn.
I’d definitely recommend this event to locals and visitors alike who are looking for a fun way to spend a Saturday in February. Good food, great beer and a laid back atmosphere!