It's official: Bloomington Craft Beer Festival is my favorite of the three festivals the Brewers Guild puts on each year. I feel as if I can accomplish more sampling given the size of the festival and the number of breweries that participate. Yes, there are lines, but at most you're waiting five minutes for a pour. This is worth an early bird ticket for sure. Four of my favorite pours from the 2017 festival: -18th Street -Function -Four Day Ray -Chapman's read more

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This was the first time that my boyfriend and I actually got to go to this event! I was the DD so no beer for me but I still had a great time collecting all the coasters and stickers they had. Watch out beer fridge, you're about to be covered in stickers! I've read past reviews saying there were awfully long lines for the bathroom, but there were so many portable bathrooms this year. I saw people waiting around but never a "long" line. The porta potties weren't that bad. They aren't the cleanest things with drunk people peeing all over them, but they weren't bad. I do wish that were more options for non-drinker DDs like me. I enjoyed the food. How about making food free for the red banded non-drinkers? Hmmm. Great event on a really nice day. Aaaand in my boyfriend's eyes it was "THE BEST DAY EVER" haha. read more

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This was a pretty interesting beer event. The real star here was the setting. Located in an old quarry, it felt very industrial yet comforting. There were several Indiana microbreweries present that I had never heard of (and I am quite the local craft beer aficionado). Next year, they really need to increase the number of portajohns as I saw some huge queues. Also, more food trucks to accommodate the throngs of hungry attendees. read more

Bloomington Craft Beer Festival - Festivals Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

After attending this event a couple of times, I can say that it's one of my favorite beer festivals in Indiana. Why? - The venue is visually stunning and perfect for a beer festival. Bad weather or too sunny? Go inside and enjoy the beer. Too cold inside? Go outside in the sunshine and drink more beer. - The parking isn't a huge issue. It's a rather smooth process of getting in and getting out, especially since the event is so long that many people leave before the event is over. - The event is quite long. At 4 or 5 hours of beer drinking....that's a LONG time to be sampling. (One guy that came to this year said he tried over 90 samples only 3 hours into the event. That's a TON of beer sampling.) - Huge variety of breweries available, all offering at least 4 or so brews on tap. - Immense amount of port-o-pots available. - Not huge, huge lines. Could use some improvements: - Not accessible at all. - A few more options for non-beer drinkers. I know it sounds silly, but having a few of the ciders and the meads on hand were very helpful to get a nice break from the hops. - A bit pricy if you want the VIP entrance (but totally worth it if your body can handle 5 full hours of straight drinking.) Awesome job Brewers of Indiana Guild on the #BtownBFest! read more

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An annual Bloomington favorite. Tips: Arrive early/spring for the early bird tickets. Wear comfy shoes, there is no seating. Make a pretzel necklace for the day. Wear layers, it seems to always be a nice day and you will be hot outside and cold in the shade. This is always a fun afternoon of beer tasting and running into lots of friends. Enjoy as many tastes as you want from craft brewers around the state and lots of Bloomington local tastes. Always a few food vendors as well. You can usually expect to see Upland Quaff on Function Zwanzig Three Floyd's Daredevil Sunking Most breweries will have their favorites and you will see lots of limited releases early in the day. This year we saw a cask area and the local homebrew club also served their own. Rumor has it 2017 is the last year the event will be at the Woolery Mill. read more

Bloomington Craft Beer Festival - So far this raz wheat is one of our favorites - Festivals Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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All you can drink beer for a good price. Countless tents for food and coffee for those who don't like beer or like it too much (; Friendly environment and security/emergency help are on site just in case! Can't wait for next year! read more

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I look forward to this event every year. The Woolery Stone Mill is the perfect venue - you're protected from the sun while sampling but there is a lot of accessible space outside to hang out. If it rains you'll stay dry (though I've been fortunate enough to get clear skies in my four years of attending). And the character of the historic building is perfect for drinking beer all day (Urban Outfitters desperately tries to model products after places like this). The commemorative glass is a great keepsake and just the right size for sampling the huge variety of beer that is always present. I like to try all kinds of beer, but many I would never actually order in a restaurant, so this is a great opportunity to sample those. Most of the vendors also have free coasters and stickers that you can take to remember them. Everyone is so friendly, from the vendors to the guests. There are often lots of quirky people, which makes for great people watching. The only downside is the price. I personally don't think $40 is too much for 4 hours of all you can drink craft beer in an awesome venue during the time of year when spring is actually starting to spring, but that's often the reason I hear from friends who choose not to attend. But we're probably better off without those people anyway. If you like beer and people who like beer, then I highly recommend this event. read more

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Two words: Early Bird. Save up your money and spring for the Early Bird tickets. So worth it to have that hour before the hoards arrive. So many great breweries, food vendors and t-shirt/hat/etc vendors. We took our trusty map and visited brewers who we had never been to before. Then we hit up a few places that we have tried before. (shout out to Crown Brewing, from my home town of Crown Point, IN) The beer was good and the vibe was great. Friendly folks all around (especially after a few pours). We had a terrific time. Thank you again to Yelp, where I won two tickets for this year's fest. So happy to have the opportunity to attend and already planning on returning next year. read more

What an amazing place for a brew fest! Bloomington itself is stunning, so just throw in an event highlighting Indiana's breweries and you have yourself a winner. I must say, having it at this location really adds adds an element of uniqueness because rarely do you get the indoor/outdoor feel during a large brew fest. The mill leaves plenty of room for everyone, space for parking and a pretty sweet backdrop for all vendors handing out their best of the best beer. My main tip - make sure to have a sober ride to your next destination. It always makes me nervous seeing folks hop in their cars after a day's worth of sampling. Have fun, but get home safely. ;) read more

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Currently my favorite beer festival in Indiana. Why you ask? -This event is very well organized! Personally I feel the pure organization of this event puts the majority of beer festivals in Indiana to shame. Regardless if you have early bird or GA tickets they get you into this event effectively and efficiently. You will spend less time waiting in line for ID checks, wristbands, and finding parking and more time filling your beer glass, now that's a wonderful thing! Lines for beer are short because the number of attendees is limited so you have space to breathe. This is refreshing compared to other events. Cheers to that! -Woolery Mill setting. Awe... this old limestone mill is such a beautiful location for a beer festival. It doesn't get much better then this! You have shade from sun, protection against rain, a gentle breeze, and a whole lot of charm going on in one space. By far my favorite beer festival location. -All the breweries present are from Indiana. It's a true celebration of local beer! -The Breweries. This event tends to limit the number of breweries to 50-60 breweries which I personally like. I am someone that wants to visit with and try something at every brewery (Type A personalities are a bitch sometimes) and here I am able to pace myself well, not over do it, and feel like I spent time with the majority of the breweries here. This year I was a bit disappointed that 18th Street & Bare Hands weren't present. I would have liked to have seen them as well as a few other breweries but it did give me the opportunity to spend more time in the cask area. I would highly recommend visiting the cask selection at the beginning of your festival visit. You will find some rare finds here in very limited amounts and it will go quickly. TIP: First hit up Three Floyds, get your ration of Zombie Dust or try something new, then visit the cask area. You will avoid long lines and disappointment because when this stuff is gone it's gone and it will go first. -Bike Area: If I lived in Bloomington I would totally take advantage of biking to this event. There is a whole area set up to help peddlers get their bikes checked in safely and securely. -Entertainment. Don't miss the Jefferson St. Parade Band leading you into the venue. It's always a fun ceremonial fun festivity to get the party started. read more

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Man oh man do I love craft beer...and the best way to have craft beer is at a festival dedicated to it! I've been to this event twice now and each time I am blown away by our wonderful local breweries and their ability to create such wonderful beverages! The Wooolery Mill is an AWESOME venue, among my favorites...the only downfall is that it is outside. in April. in Indiana: sometimes it gets chilly. Never fear, just bundle up and drink some beer, you'll be good :) It's always fun to make a trip to btown and this is no exception! If you love craft beer, and you don't mind a trip to this sweet little college town, you will love a day of fun, beer, and entertainment...did I mention there is a sweet ass hippy band that plays throughout? well there is, and you will want to be graced by their presence! read more

This was a great event! I'm glad I was still able to go when it was in the historic Woolery Mill. The beer selection was great with most vendors ranging from central and southern Indiana. All of the breweries from Bloomington were in attendance and pouring some great stuff. The only downfall was the bathroom situation. I didn't have to wait in line for beer, but had to wait over 20 minutes to use the restroom. I know it seems petty, but that really does make or break your experience when you've been drinking all day. read more

I had a great time with Gretchen at Craft beer fest at Woolsey mill. The beer was great and the weather was awesome. Everyone should come out today wonderful time. I love Yelp! read more

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Thank goodness for purchasing the early bird tickets! The first hour of this event was GLORIOUS! After that, the masses swept in and made it a free for all. I loved being able to go to the different breweries and actually talk to them about their brews and their location etc. What made it even better is that they are all so passionate about what they do and are eager to tell you anything you want to know! The venue is AMAZING! Thankfully we had a warm and breezy day so the area stayed nice and cool. The food area was decent, however one of the vendors I really wanted to try was not close to ready to serve anything by 4pm which was disappointing. I will definitely return next year! read more

This was a beautiful venue. It was some type of old factory with high ceilings and open windows all over. A very refreshing brewfest compared to Indy's beer fest given the space and there were probably 1/4th of the people there. I had a great time. I just wish there were a few more breweries. Really looking forward to seeing Bear Hands there but it didn't happen :( I mostly spent my time at Upland where they opened up a bottle of sour every 30 minutes. I decided that after this year, I'm not to go to Indy summer or winter fest anymore (too many people, too many breweries- not necessarily good cause a lot of them don't know how to brew beer), but I could see myself going to Bloomington's beerfest. read more

This was a great event! I bought VIP tickets through Craigs List for $30 so it was a deal. The weather was perfect! Many local food trucks and enough beer to complete the experience.. it may seem crowded but people tend to gather in front of the tables instead of moving away from the areas to get beer. It was simple once you realized that you just have to meander your way around. VIP is the way to go so you can make personal choices. The Yelp tent was in place to get your take on the event and they had awesome swag! The pretzel, meat, cheese, and candy bar necklaces were a novel choice, and you were allowed entry with those. I borrowed a cheese stick from someone haha.. The newest and coolest give away in my opinion are the pins ... I will be making an official lanyard to represent all these beautiful pins and attach my pretzels to it. The only downside if you pay $60 to get why do you have to donate $5 to park ?? Oh well ... cheers to my cheap ticket! read more

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The tap has a American Brett Ale that is aged in a bourbon barrel. Super experimental and good. Also pro top if you're thinking of coming - wear a pretzel necklace! You won't regret it! read more

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A great event with one MAJOR flaw. You will spend a quarter of your time in line to the bathroom. It needs at least twice as many. People complain every year and every year they say "we hear you. We fixed it this year." read more

Awesome event. Early bird ticket is the best way to go. Good food and drinks. DJ was great! Will attend again. read more

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I won two (2) tickets to the fest through Yelp, and happily headed down to Bloomington with a Designated Driver and co-drinker in tow. The fest was located in an enormous renovated mill, covered from the elements, but still open to the beautiful spring weather on the sides. Parking was overwhelming at first, but we eventually found a spot in the nearby uphill apartments. At first we were a little dumbfounded by the mass of pretzel-necklace-wearing beer buffs, but gathered strength and started to confidently wedge our way through the crowds. Each fest drinker was given a small beer glass for sampling. I unfortunately do not recall every brewery I visited, doubling my sample size by swapping glasses with my co-drinking mate. Some sampled beers: chile porter, squid ink pale ale (Flat 12), cinnamon roll porter, White Russian stout, peanut ale, bubble gum lager, lemongrass wheat, Ruby Amber (BBC), and Sun King's Wee Mac. I did not visit the impromptu food court at the top of the mill's hill, being full from the more full-bodied stouts and porters I sampled; however, its offerings appeared to be a step above what you typically see at such festivals. I think it was fantastic to have a fest solely focused on Indiana craft breweries, and would love to attend in future years (free or not). read more

Worth a visit if you're in Bloomington, but not as good a selection as the ones in Indianapolis. The venue (Woolery Mill) is awesome, but I couldn't help but be a bit concerned about what kind of terrible dust I was breathing in, or how long until somebody hurt themselves (it's basically an abandoned, semi-derelict stone mill). The beers were good and it's great to catch up on the newest additions (and old favorites) in the Indiana beer scene. This year it was SUPER crowded, but the lines seemed to move quickly, so no complaints. read more

had an amazing time. the beer was great and the food was piping hot to pair with the bubbly beer. a woman even gave me her pretzel necklace! she was soo soo Sweet for that. I will surely pay it forward one day. the venue was rustic and on a hot day would be even more ideal. it wasn't too crowded. only downsides were the lines for the port-o-potties and that it should last alllll day and night long :) read more

Bloomington Craft Beer Festival - Down the hatch - Festivals Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Been to several beer festivals and for sure the Bloomington Beer Fest is my favorite. Really cool being in the Woolery Mill. Lots of space. Not over crowded. PortaJohn lines eat up a decent chunk of drinking time. Would be nice to get twice as many as they had last beer fest. Other than that get your early bird ticket and have a blast! read more