We've always enjoyed Beerfest--it's one of those events we look forward to every year! Most of us can't wait for the moment tickets go on sale so we can snag our VIP passes. This year was by far the best VIP experience yet! The free appetizers, ice cream, and mixed drinks were such a nice touch, and the improved shade coverage made a huge difference. We also never had a problem finding a table, and the bathrooms (always one of the big reasons we go VIP) were as great as ever. We're so happy they got rid of the drink tickets this year--it felt much smoother and less wasteful. The variety of food trucks was excellent, with something for everyone. Our group has our favorite breweries we look for every year, and the variety of swag did not disappoint! It also seemed like they didn't run out of beer this year, which has been a common complaint in the past, so that was awesome. We also loved the big screen showing the football game--lots of people seemed to enjoy that too. Overall, this year's Beerfest VIP was the best yet. We're already counting down to next year! The only thing I think they should improve is the parking and directions for VIP entrance. We were asking the volunteers and each person told us something different as we were walking from the ride share drop off. read more

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I had a blast at the 2023 Charleston Beer Fest and would recommend it to anyone who likes craft beer, live music, vendors, and supporting a great cause, Palmetto Community Cares. Every PCC-hosted charity event I've been to has been well-organized, and Beer Fest was no exception. With five rows of vendors and breweries, everyone found a new to them beer or brewery they liked. You receive a mug when you walk in and use it to walk around the aisles of breweries and sample. Most Charleston breweries were represented, but you could also try breweries from around South Carolina and a few North Carolina breweries. I saw tents with hard kombucha, ready-to-drink cocktails, ciders, seltzers, as well a Fall beer flavors (hello pumpkin or Oktoberfest styles). Sour beers are my favorite, and I found no shortage of them. The sour from Sumter Brewing Company was my favorite, along with the Ginger's Revenge alcoholic ginger beer. The lines move quickly, and the small pours of the drink were enough for me. I saw a few tents run out of certain beers about 4 hours into the event, but even when we left, you could still find plenty to drink. Beer Fest had at least 10 food trucks with everything from smash burgers to pierogis to boiled peanuts. Even the vendors were high quality. With the event in September, we bought several Christmas gifts AND the weather was cooler than a summer event, especially in Riverfront Park. The ground was a little soggy from rain earlier in the day, but we avoided the showers and storms. This was my first Charleston Beer Fest, but I would return again and recommend it for both locals and visitors- it's a one stop shop to try many breweries and even cuisines for a low cost and great cause. read more

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This was my first ever Charleston beer fest and partook in the day as a volunteer! I heard about volunteers being needed via the Charleston Today email newsletter and thought why not! I seek out opportunities to volunteer and this one fit my work schedule! They offer different days and time frames for shifts. I did the morning one but after the shift was over, felt wiped out so didn't feel enough energy to attend afterwards but from what I saw, the variety was good! I liked how the fest had vendors and food trucks as well / saw some nice platters of foods here and there. The event this year was organized where your general admission ($50, $55 day of) get a cup and that itself was the "drink ticket" by getting 3 oz pours from the respective brewery tents. If you enjoyed the sample, there was an option to get a bigger pour for $5. The VIP entrance was near the pedestrian bridge where you get your swag bag and designated area. I could see how that was confusing for some people depending on where you were driving in, there could of been more signs but coming from Park Circle I was able to see the postings pointing out where to park for volunteers, general admission, VIP, vendors. Overall a fun event to sample and enjoy the flavors of local and regional breweries. I had the best time volunteering and meeting nice people, Erin and Bobby were most welcoming. Would highly recommend y'all to try it out plus got a rad shirt out of it too! read more

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So this is my second year here and it is always fun. I enjoyed the beer and the food. It's always worth it. You get to engage in so much good music, food, and oh yeah beer, lol. read more

FUN but HOT!!!!!! This was my first time attending the even. Great Job! The bad stuff would be having it in the middle of May and it being so hot. I would like to see less vendors and more beer! The mugs we received, the ink rubbed off and ended up on our hands. There was a good selection of beer and the lines moved quickly. The food offered was a good variety as well! Next year I will definitely get VIP! read more

Charleston Beer Fest - Festivals Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

The Charleston Beer Garden is a fun local event that benefits a local charity. What more could be wanted than beer, food, and a fun environment? Located at The Groves at Patriots Point, this yearly event happens in rain or shine. This year it was cloudy, and the grass a little wet, but it was still worth going to. I'm not sure how many beer vendors there were to enjoy, but there were plenty. Best part was the local presence like Munkle, Two Blokes, Tradesman, Cooper River, Rusty Bull and so many more. Food vendors were spaced through out to also, my favorite Braised in the South was here, but I also really like tacos from Root Note. The Yelp games were played through the afternoon. It was entertaining to see pizza eating with no hands, and the bouncy horse race. Good competition! Live music was also played, and many brought folding chairs to enjoy the day. Good beer, good food, a good time for all! read more

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First time going and we had a group of friends with us. Setup at Riverfront Park was nice and open with plenty of seating and vendor room. It was nice to see the number of breweries there most of the people pouring we're volunteers for the event and did not have knowledge of the beer not the brewery. Many also ran out early in the afternoon around the 2pm hour. I would definitely go back and opt for vip tickets next time. This is a decent replacement since Brewvival is no longer an active event in Charleston. read more

Charleston Beer Fest - Festivals Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

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The Beer Garden is always an event to look forward to in Charleston. Beer lovers from all over gather around at Patriots Point and with beautiful weather, this event can't be beat. Local breweries and vendors and obviously, beer games. Most of them, hosted by nobody else but Scotty C. Definitely an event to look forward to every year at The Grove! read more

Charleston Beer Fest - Checkin and get schwag! - Festivals Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

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This was my second year attending the Charleston Beer Garden. 2017 showed some improvement with organization but I was pretty shocked that 2 years in a row they really dropped the ball on providing people with maps/directions/guidance as to what beer was located where within the facilities. Sure, I know it's nice they give you a list of all the beers in attendance, but without any idea where each of the beers was set up it was kind of a wild goose chase. You may say that the point is to walk around and see all of the beers and decide as you go but as someone who likes to set up a home base with a blanket/seating and be able to bounce around from there it was not very convenient to find what I was looking for. Even when you walked around looking for signage the lines at the tents were so long that you couldn't tell what beer people were even waiting for. The $5 parking fee for Patriots Point lot is not bad but you can park along the street or nearby in the area for free and walk just a minute or two extra which is good to know. Overall the location and setup of the Beer Garden is great but I feel like for the price of a ticket there could be some simple improvements that would go a long way for making the experience better. THEY NEED TO PROVIDE SOME COMMON AREA OF SHADE that is accessible and available to EVERYONE, not just the VIP. If you want to offer the VIP above and beyond what the general admission gets then bring in some fans or misters for the VIP area but the privilege of being able to escape the sun should be available to all in attendance. The few areas of shade on common grounds were quickly crowded as people tried to linger in any amount of shade they could find. A few tents would have gone a long way to provide areas for people to cool down. read more

Charleston Beer Fest - Festivals Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

This year was my third event and it just keeps getting better. There's more than enough beer to make you feel good and just as much food to try. The beer games are a staple and it's always a fun time watching people race on the pony hop. A diving finish or two is always guaranteed. The no hands pizza eating contest is a fun thing to experience because everyone has a different strategy. Arm wrestling and beer just go hand in hand (pun very intentional). Thankfully this year's (2018) weather was overcast and the rain held out so it was a perfect temperature. Great beer, tasty food, fun games and fantastic music make attending this festival a no brainer. Oh, and if that's not enough the proceeds go to a wonderful cause. read more

I had a great time and will definitely be back next year. I think for the future, I'll bring some chairs and some entertainment, as other than drinking and listening to music, there's not a whole lot to do. I would've liked 2 stages since there was so much space, and I really loved that setup for Spring Jam earlier in the year. I bought the VIP tickets, which I think were worth it, as I really enjoyed the private beer garden area with the VIP-only portapotties. Although they weren't any cleaner than the other porta johns, the lines were shorter, so there was that. read more

I found this festival last year and bought a ticket almost immediately. It was the first ever Beer Garden Festival put on by the Gusto Group, and my friends and I were up for the trip from Orlando to Charleston. The festival itself is great. You have the option of a VIP ticket, General Admission, or Designated Driver when you purchase, and each comes with some perks. I personally think the VIP ticket is the best thing, but to each their own. Included is free parking, free beer samples, a swag bag, water (which was unlimited the first year, this year you received 2 glass fills from a station), and access to the VIP lounge. Ladies, this means no disgusting port-a-potties. Unless you hit them up after 5, then it's a free for all to find the port-a-potty without any puke inside. Also fair warning, any port-a-potty with a sink inside should be touched as little as possible. Some guys tend to think they're really high urinals. The festival offers local and nationwide brews (served from kegs in refrigerated trailers), delicious local food trucks, local music, homebrew schools, corn hole, growler toss (think ring toss but with growlers), and beer lessons. This year they actually added a keg toss (see photos!) which was a lot of fun and probably the most entertaining thing to watch while you sip on a growler full of beer and feel the breeze off of the Ashley River. Definitely check out this festival. It's fun, it's moderately sized, and the Gusto Group ladies are very sweet and in the thick of the action throughout the entire festival. read more

Charleston Beer Fest - Keg toss! Toss an empty keg as far as you can for a chance to win some brewery swag. - Festivals Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

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The Charleston Beer Garden is an annual tradition in my house. Although we are sad it was relocated from Brittlebank park to The Grove, we still like to attend. If you buy your tickets in advance, the $15 price is worth the value you get drinking beer and listening to music all day. There are numerous breweries on site pouring large samples of beer for 1 ticket ($1). There are also a variety of food trucks and vendors to check out. This year we had a delicious sandwich and peanut butter cookie from The Bked food truck. If you plan to go, go early and find a shady spot to set up camp in. There are some tables and chairs to sit at, but they are in the sun and get hot quickly. We usually take a blanket or chairs and find a cooler place under a tree. read more

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It's cool to see the Charleston Beer Garden continue to grow each year, and I think it being held at The Grove this year really helped continue that trend. There was plenty of beer and food to be had and so much room for activities! While there were plenty of breweries present it would have been nice to see some more adventurous beer options to choose from. It seems like everyone brought their most basic options. For beer enthusiasts that can get old fast. Despite this I came across a couple of brews I had never imbibed and quite liked them. I was able to get a wee bit tipsy after a couple of hours at the beer garden. There were plenty of food trucks to choose from for grub which is good when you're standing around in the heat all day drinking. Some of the live music left a little something to be desired, but oddly enough it seemed to get better as the day wore on. The Yelp games were a nice treat. There were arm wrestling competitions, pony races, and beer trivia challenges which all seemed to draw attention and a good crowd. They did a great job having plenty of free H2O on hand. It was needed to keep things level. This is my third time attending the Charleston Beer Garden, and I look forward to many more! read more

Charleston Beer Fest - Festivals Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

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Great event! The parking was easy, plenty of free tasty water, good number of porta pottys, food vendors, and beer vendors. The lines were very short which is always very nice for a Charleston event. I'd definitely come back next year. read more

Signage, Signage, Signage y'all. People were wandering trying to find the entrance to the event-- parking was a complete mess. Kudos on the "party bus" - but without any signage or marketed info, and the fact the driver never stopped, none of us realized it was a shuttle! Your staff I realize it mostly volunteers but it would serve you well to train them on basic event protocol/etiquette - like not grabbing people. My arm was grabbed when security guard #2 didn't look in my bag, after I had already been checked/cleared by security guard #1. And the ticket/info volunteers seemed very confused and ill-informed. More bathrooms and a better layout -- spread your beer and food tents out! So you don't have to go to one corner for each thing. I.e.: Beer, Vendor, Food, Beer, Vendor, Food, Water Tent...and so on. Seemed like breweries offered a much better selection of beers this year. And nothing ran out too quickly. Cheers for that! I also liked that the event lasted until 7:00 this year so the crowd was staggered. Lines were not as long. And for god's sake, for the second year in a row it was brutally hot. PLEASE invest in some shade tents and/or misting fans. At 100 degrees, it's not a VIP luxury item, it's a safety matter. read more

This was year 2 for my attending Charleston Beer Garden and I must say it was better than ever. Last year, my biggest complaint was the limited food selections. With all that great beer... I needed some food in my stomach! This year there was much better variety of food, making the choices better and the lines shorter! All the better for sampling the great variety of beer. We enjoyed the entertainment as well as shopping in the booths. I was a bit disappointed that a few vendors ran out of their beer very early on but generally the event was well run and everyone had a great time! I can recommend this as an annual event for a good cause. read more

Charleston Beer Fest - No rain yet loving this beer! Great having more food trucks this year - Festivals Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

This was our first time attending the Charleston Beer Garden and luckily, it coincided with our son's annual visit home, so the whole family got to enjoy some day drinking (that's just good parenting). Parking was a little confusing, but once we found a spot along the street it was easy enough to walk to the entrance to the event; after a short wait, we were given our steins and tickets and it was go time. There was a nice variety of beers to sample, quite a few food trucks, the games were fun to watch, and overall this was a fun event. I'm glad we got there early as it wasn't too crowded, but it was HOT and there definitely need to be more shaded/tented areas. If you like beer, I would definitely recommend checking out this annual event. read more

Charleston Beer Fest - Festivals Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

Great event!!! When you come into the park - you received a commemorative cup and tickets for 1 or 2 free drinks. There were some great food trucks there. Friend and I shared an awesome plate of BBQ from Bay Street Beirgarten. Plenty of different drafts for you try from crafters from all over. Beer school was fun and free. Lots of great vendors there selling their wares as well. Fun time was had by everyone !!! read more

I always enjoy this event. Each year they do a great job of improving. There was great local music all day and couldn't ask for better weather. I only had one gripe with this year's festival. I felt like it was more of a shopping fest than a beer fest. There were more clothing and informational booths than there was beer. And that doesn't fly at a beer fest! Unless you are my girlfriend, then you were all smiles. I'm no alcoholic but I do think there should be some sort of rule... Maybe for every non beer tent, there should be two beer tents? Seven tents? Yeah, that sounds about right. I must say, my favorite part was trying all the different home brews. They were completely free and delicious. Get there fast because they unfortunately run out of supplies quickly! All in all, it was a great day! Favorite of the festival: Bleu Collar Brewery (one of the home brews) read more

So much fun today at the beer garden. Great vibe with a bunch of breweries and fun games to play. There was also a bunch of good food trucks to pick from. The only knock that I would give this event that it is not like Brewvival where the breweries would bring their A game. I felt like all the beers out there today were pretty basic. Nothing really blew me away. That being said, I still had a blast. read more

Charleston Beer Fest - Das Bier - Festivals Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

I recommend a lot more additional seating or at least tents for seating area. This event is in May and SO hot since it's outdoors. Bring sunscreen and make sure to drink tons of water! read more

Great selection of beer, good assortment of wares, good variety of food (although I didn't eat any), good entertainment, and excellent prices!! read more

I was pumped to have won tickets to the Charleston Beer Garden. I'm a huge fan of craft beer and I love the opportunity to try new brews. I hate to be overly critical; however, I was a bit letdown by the breweries in attendance. This event drew more big-name breweries (Sierra Nevada, Goose Island, Lagunitas, etc.). Don't get it twisted, I love a lot of these breweries, it's just that I'd rather be tasting beer I can't pick up at the supermarket. Where was Westbrook? Or Revelry? Or Palmetto? No truly local representation aside from Holy City which was gone by the time I had arrived. At $25 a pop, this event was pricey. At its core, this event provided live music, a pint of beer, and a commemorative mug. For $25... At the end of the day, I have no room to complain since I got in for free but I feel bad for those who paid the full price of admission. It just didn't seem worth it. Throw in a few more beer samples and it starts to look more reasonable. The food options were solid and logistically speaking, everything was perfect. I would consider going next year if there were more Charleston-based breweries. read more

The Beer Fest was incredible this year at the new venue. Besides the great weather, the beer games were a blast with a surplus of beer vendors. read more

An excellent time, lots of vendors, food trucks and of course great beer! Will definitely will return next year.

What's more exciting that a festival....of beer... I'm waiting..? That's right nothing. Me and the lovely Pamela Woods got a pair of tickets to this magical land of hops thanks to Scotty and everyone at Yelp Charleston. While it was a muggy humid day the rivers were filled with the beery goodness. There were so many great breweries here from bigger well known ones like Palmetto Brewery and Frothy to much smaller homebrewers (who sometimes had the better beer!). The event was filled with fun games and great music, if the loads of beer wasn't doing it for you... Really enjoyed the vendors present as we were able to finish some drunk (I mean completely sober..) gift shopping for friends and family, not to mention alcohol infused cigars were discovered and you rest assure I tried the pluff mud porter...amazing.. All and all the event was amazing and there was so much to try and do and eat, thank you Yelp Charleston for the opportunity to attend and review the event! read more

Charleston Beer Fest - Festivals Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

When I saw the Charleston Beer Festival was happening on my birthday weekend, that was all I wanted to do. I bought VIP tickets the moment they were released. And then we waited. Having moved from south Jersey, we had been to many wine festivals. They are a bit of a nightmare because they are always too crowded and people tend to park themselves at a wine table making the crowd back up and the wait to sample wines very long. The CBF was PERFECT. They had a very large number of breweries present, along with many vendors selling crafts and plenty of food trucks. If there was a line at all, it moved very quickly. TONS of beer to try and everyone was friendly; patrons, volunteers, and vendors. The venue was a great size, so nothing was crowded. Can't forget the Yelp sponsored games, which were hysterical. We had an absolute blast. Can't wait for next year! read more

This is one of the best weekend deals in Charleston that I have found in Seven years! Great vendors, food, drink and beer games. Come with with old friend. Make new ones and have a blast! read more

This was a great event for a good cause. Lots of stuff to do that was hosted by Yelp! Live music started about halfway through the afternoon. Beer that was there was good, especially loved the Evolving Hare Whabbit Wheat. My only complaint was lack of beer vendors and that many of them were running out of certain beers when the event was only half over. You can go to the Raleigh beer fest for the same price and have arguable three time the options. Overall I have to give this event high marks as myself and my friends had a great time. read more

Charleston Beer Fest - Great beer! Give it a try if you come across it. - Festivals Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

I'd have to say I was a bit overly excited to attend this one. We didn't buy tickets but to our luck, my boyfriend won a pair so we got to go! We showed up a little late because we had to attend an event that morning but got down to business the second we got there. 1 ticket for a tasting or 5 tickets for a full cup had me worried that 1 ticket wouldn't be enough but most of the volunteers were very generous with their pours! We tried as many as we could and then went to check out the food trucks. Sadly, because we were a few hours into the event, there were not many options. We each ended up with totchos and continued on our beer journey to try as many as we could! So many beers to try and we were worried we wouldn't have enough time! It was great to check out the different stands, I even bought some shirts for my mom for Mother's Day. It was like a market wrapped into the Beer Garden! All in all, we had a great time, Charleston Beer Garden won this round. Totchos were the only thing I had to eat, I tried as many new beers as I could, and thankfully my boyfriend was there to pick me up when the world began to spin. read more

Charleston Beer Fest - Festivals Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

This is probably my most favorite festival in Charleston yet! I've gone 3 years in a row and it is keeps getting bigger each year. I'm more partial to it's original location at Brittlebank park where you can be near the water and catch a breeze. They changed this year's location to Patriots point, most likely to handle the larger crowd, but it was a bit hot! There were more varieties of beer than ever this year. Vendors included but limited to Palmetto, Frothy Beard, LiHo, Sweet Water, Travelers, Knonos, and Two Blokes. You receive 5 beer sample tickets with your festival ticket. 1 ticket for 3oz sample which is really almost 1/2 cup of beer. They are not stingy when it comes to beer samples! I never actually needed to use all 5 tickets for one full beer. It was much more fun sampling the different options. There is even a tent where you can sample non commercialize beer for free. Basically people who home brew beer, wine and/or mead. There was also a nice variation of food from Mexican, pizza, middle eastern, New Orleans and BBQ. You could play games such as horsey bounce, corn hole and arm wrestling. I actually won 4 river dogs tickets from the Mix96 tent. You could even shop at tents for tshirts, dresses, and olive oil. All of these activities with live music! read more

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Well done Charleston. The location, the beer, the food vendors...just the right mix. Fun times for all.

I always look foreword to this event every year. It a great opportunity to hang with friends and have fun in the sun. There's always tons of venders and as hard as we try we can never get to them all. read more

This one is one of the biggest highlights of our trip to Charleston. My boyfriend and I had the time of our lives. It's well worth the price. We got to taste so many different beers and we made so many new friends. We danced our shoes off to the live music, played Jenga, did keg tosses, and just overall had a freaking good time! I think we will plan our next trip to Charleston around this event read more

Located was right outside of Charleston Naval Shipyard (where USS Yorktown is), this small beer fest was nice mix of beer, food, shopping and live music. We got a groupon deal for this event and at 2 for $35 (comes with 5 beer samples each), it was a pretty good value, though I'm not sure I would have paid the full cost (which was $25 in advance I believe and $32 at the door). There were supposedly 30 breweries at this beer garden, but by the time our group arrived at 4 pm (event runs from 12-8 pm), about half of them were out. Live music was good and there was ample food and seating when you wanted to take a break. There was also games and a mechanical bull set up. read more

Fun event! Saw the yelp stand and had to check it out! Got free yelp sunglasses for checking in and won the quarters game for a free fan on this hot day! Lines a little long for beer samples but other than that, great event! I also wish I knew about the Groupon deal so I didn't have to pay 32$ a person! It wasn't worth 32$ a person. read more

This was our 2nd year attending. It's a fun event but they start running out of good beer WAY TOO EARLY! I'm glad we got there at noon because more than half of the brews we liked/wanted were gone before 4pm! They need better planning for the numbers in attendance. It was a warm day so we were glad we shelled out for VIP with a shade tent and fans but the area seemed much smaller than last year. Misters and more water stops would've been appreciated throughout the Grove. read more

My niece turned 21 on the day of the Charleston Beer Garden so what a perfect way to celebrate! I was lucky to score free entry tickets as a back up winner. Not often I get to enjoy Yelp perks so that was a nice surprise! I've never been to the Charleston Beer Garden so this was a first for us both. We got there maybe within the first hour of the event starting. We didn't have trouble finding parking, and after a short walk, it wasn't long before we had our drink cups and tickets! This was a really fun event. Beautiful day, various vendors, beer options and food trucks. It wasn't long before the free samples were out so we only got to try one, but I'll know for future reference because we definitely plan to return. I need to remember what food truck we tried on our way out, because their bacon, chicken, cheese ranch fries were BOMB!! So good. We had a great time, my niece had a lot of fun, and we were able to try a variety of beers. The tickets gave us enough to drink that we (meaing me since it was her bday) didn't even end up spending money on alcohol. Next time I'll bring a blanket or chairs, but I look forward to checking this event out again next year. read more

My husband and I had a great time yesterday at the Charleston Beer Garden event. The event took place at the Grove at Patriots Point. It was pretty hot and humid and I guess the trees must have caught any wind, because there was little breeze. We were given some cute plastic beer steins to carry around and we were given 5 tickets for beer tasting. Apparently the people pouring the beer we're volunteers and not a part of the breweries, which made it difficult to ask questions about the beers we were tasting, but everyone was very friendly and tried to answer the questions. I think my favorite beers from this event were the PB&J beer and Oyster Gose. Delish. The best booths there were [obviously lol] the Yelp booth, the In-Town booth, and the Photo booth sponsored by Avita Pharmacy. I feel like the Yelp beer garden games (hands free pizza eating contest and arm wrestling) really livened up the event. Oh and can't forget the keg toss. That was pretty funny to watch too. Also, shout out to Tony the peanut man for being there to satisfy the craving for Cajun boiled peanuts while drinking some delicious beers. Some recommendations for next year... A breezier venue or have artic cove sponsor a booth or breeze chute like they did at Marion square for the bridge run. Also tips for future party goers- we are allowed to carry in camping chairs, back backs, and umbrellas. Also bring sunscreen and cash (they do take credit cards though) Other than the heat, we had a blast!!!! Will be going again next year!!! read more