Raise a glass; the craft beer party is about to get started.
Sponsored by the Brewers Association, the national event is in its twelfth year. This year's celebration runs from May 15-20, with festivals, tours, tastings, limited releases, and more rounding out the event that puts craft beer on center stage from coast to coast.
The week's theme is #beeritforward and, according to Andy Sparhawk of the Brewers Association, it is not something new: "It's 'pay it forward' but with craft beer. Beer it Forward promotes doing good, simply, honestly, without an expectation of reciprocation and with the hope that the act will be passed down the line."
CraftBeer.com has a list of member breweries holding events, but cities and event planners across the country have festivals scheduled to coincide or lead into the week celebrating all things craft beer:
Fayetteville Foam Fest (North Carolina)
Fayetteville Historic Downtown will offer tastings of more than fifty regional and local beers on Saturday, May 13 from 5 to 9 p.m., with a cycling tour starting at 10 a.m. Foam Fest includes live music and food trucks, with partial proceeds going to local charities.
Midwest Beer Fest (Wichita, Kansas)
The BeerFest in Wichita is a two-day event from May 19-20 where food trucks, a dance contest and bagpipes make for an interesting combination. Beer from across the country is represented.
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Spokane Craft Beer Week (Washington)
Release parties, dart tournaments and beer pairings take place all week long in the Pacific Northwest's Inland Empire region. Events run from May 15-21 at various tap houses and breweries.
Pints in the Park (Waco, Texas)
Texas craft beer, BBQ and live music highlight Pints in the Park along the banks of the Brazos River on May 20. Be sure to sign up for the disc golf tourney on Waco's legendary course.
San Antonio Beer Week (Texas)
Just down the highway from Waco, enjoy a multitude of events as San Antonio breweries celebrate "beer and the people who love it" during Beer Week from May 13-21.
Central Oregon Beer Week
From May 19-28, the breweries and taprooms in Central Oregon will show off their new brews during "10 days of pure craft beer goodness." Yes, it's as simple as that.
Beer. Bacon. Music. (Frederick, Maryland)
Three words when strung together equal one heck of a festival. Imagine two tons of bacon, 75 beers and live music from noon to 5 p.m. on May 20. (They had me at bacon.)
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Beer, BBQ, Bacon Fest (Morristown, New Jersey)
Are you seeing a trend here? Enjoy beer from 30 New Jersey breweries from 1 to 5 p.m. on May 20, plus food trucks, gourmet restaurants and live music at the Beer, Bacon, BBQ Showdown.
Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ is a traveling festival that makes its way to Knoxville in time for American Craft Beer Week. Enjoy 60 beers, 40 bourbons and heaps of BBQ on Saturday, May 20, noon to 6 p.m.
Front Range Rally (Loveland, Colorado)
No list of craft beer festivals would be complete without representation by Colorado. The Front Range Rally is on May 20 from 2 to 7 p.m. and features food trucks and craft breweries from across the state.
Surf 'n' Suds (Ventura, California)
Surf 'n' Suds toasts SoCal's surf culture with samples from more than 45 breweries on Saturday, May 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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