Winterfest was expanded to two days with the addition of a Friday night session. It was night and day in terms of atmosphere and people. While they would have liked to have sold more tickets for Friday, they accomplished their goal by having a more intimate and less hectic experience. There were little or no lines and you can interact with the brewers a lot more. One of the selling points of Friday were the special brews that were available only that night. They delivered with that objective. If you can shell out a little more cash for a premium experience, then the Friday session is for you. If you like a more party atmosphere and don't mind the crowds, then Saturday is still a good option. read more

Wow. What a fun time. Frankly shocked at how many breweries are in Indiana. Happy to see that. Had a chance to sample some great stouts and porters. Wanted to stick with winter beers and had so many options. Dis have one hazy ipa and it was a huge winner. If you want to see the beer reviews you will need to check me in Untappd. Back to the event. A couple of tips. The porto lets outside where the fastest. They had plenty of water stations. Food was pretty basic. Crowds were large but lines moved quickly. Order your Uber/Lyft about 30 min out and be prepared for surge pricing. This was a fun event and I look forward to next year. read more

See all

Had a great time at Winterfest! There definitely were a lot of people and lines got kind of crazy but overall got to try a bunch of different beers and had fun. The venue was indoor which was fantastic, but also meant that traffic got a little odd at times. Hard to go behind some lines, so people just cut through. Good number of consessions scattered around. Water was easy to find. My only beef was that the venue website's FAQ specifically said you HAD to print out your tickets, but that wasn't true at all. A majority of people we saw used the tickets on their phones. read more

See all

Amazing beer festival! Over 75+ breweries from all over Indiana. All of the classic Indiana breweries were there and I discovered a lot of breweries that I hadn't heard of before, which was fun! Once you buy your ticket (ahead of time or at the door), it's drink as much as you'd like. They have a few food booths selling pretzels, nachos and other items. The festival is put on by the Brewers of Indiana Guild, a non-profit who promotes Indiana's craft breweries. Drink unlimited amounts of beer and supporting a great cause...it's a win-win! The festival is on Friday and Saturday. Friday is the VIP session. Saturday is the General Session, which is what we did. Tickets were $40/person if purchased ahead of time. I'd recommend buying your ticket ahead of time because the line to get tickets at the gate was very long. There were a lot of people at the General Session, but the lines at most of the brewery stations moved pretty fast. Also, the session was from 2-6pm, so there's plenty of time to explore and taste as many breweries as you'd like. I would get there at 2, as once beer runs out it runs out. I was happy with the General Session and didn't see a need to to go to the VIP session, but that's just me. If you love beer and have never been to Winterfest, I'd highly recommend going! read more

See all

My husband and I arrived on a Saturday for Winterfest for the first time after hearing fantastic things. The festival was located at the Indianapolis State Fairgrounds. We arrived shortly after the 2:00 pm start time and the line was already wrapped around the building. We were greeted by a wonderful crowd of people wearing homemade pretzel and snack necklaces along with colorful balloons to identify themselves amongst the crowd. We received a small glass for our samples and were welcomed into a large open space with tons of beer vendors. We immediately bought some of the fantastic Indiana beer themed merchandise and began to wander through the crowd. Tons of fantastic beers, some of our new favorites included 450 North, Guggman Haus, & Switchyard. There were tons of classics too like Taxman, St. Joes, and Scarlet Lane. While some of the lines were long, the pours were generous and time flew by. We really enjoyed our time here. We only hope that next time we will be better prepared with our very own pretzel necklaces read more

See all

The 2020 Winterfest was AWESOME! My husband and I got the Friday night tickets as a Christmas gift, and it was so fun to taste some specialty beers along with rare releases. The crowd was smaller and the lines were super short. For what the tickets cost, I feel like it's definitely worth every penny! Had I written a review the last time we attended Winterfest when it was just on the Saturday (which was probably 3? years ago), I wouldn't have given this event such high praise. We waited FOREVER in line back then, and it seemed like the lines for each brewery moved slow too. 2020 really delivered. Saturday's event was a blast too, and pre-banding was the way to go! We got our bands the morning of the event at the Sun King in Broad Ripple, which took 2 minutes tops! Then, once we got to the Fairgrounds, we were inside the beer fest as soon as we arrived! I really appreciate the separate entrance for pre-banding. The lines looked super long to get in, so it was nice to not have to wait! We will definitely attend in 2021! We absolutely loved it! read more

I volunteered at Winterfest this year. From my understanding, The Brewers Guild held the event in two buildings instead of one with 102 breweries in attendance, the biggest yet. All of your favorites are here--3 Floyds, Bell's, Dogfish Head, Founder's, Sun King--but it also is an opportunity to find fandom in new brewers both in Indiana and beyond. Yes, the lines are long, and yes, it is crowded, but I also think Winterfest gives you opportunities to enjoy the festival without the disadvantages of any festival (i.e. VIP access and arriving an hour earlier than General Admission, volunteering and being able to skip the lines). I really enjoyed myself as a Winterfest volunteer and will sign up next year for sure. The beer is delicious, the pretzel necklaces are creative, and the people are a little...tipsy. It's good fun for amateurs and aficionados alike! read more

I was lucky enough to win tickets through Yelp for Winterfest 2020 and I only entered to take my husband, who is a beer lover. I was excited to see that you could get your bands early if you headed to Sun King in BR or another spot downtown. Best idea ever! We got dropped off at the fairgrounds right around 2pm and the line was insane to get in! A nice fellow was yelling to the crowd about coming forward if you were already banded and we got in super quick. I was surprised to see how many people were there already since it was literally right after 2pm when we got there. There were already lines. We did come prepared with our pretzel necklaces, but some were quite creative in their overall attire and their snack wearing. I thought the groups with balloons tied to them had a great idea! We jumped into one and started our way around. My favorite was definitely the S'mores porter from Zwanzigz Brewery. They even took the time to toast a couple of marshmallows! We went back here so I could also try the Snickerdoodle as well. I of course had to stop and give a shot out to my girl, Krysha, working the Deviate booth! There are so many breweries, you really have to pick and choose which ones you want to wait in line for. I guess it's a good way to try beers from breweries you may not get to go to at all or very often. But, I would likely not pay to go to this. For the cost, and the price of responsibly getting there and back, it's not a cheap outing. I'm sure beer lovers would argue that it's worth it. The lines were not worth it to me by the late portion of it. I did appreciate it was indoors and not only did they have indoor restrooms, but portapotties were located outside too. There were also two places to check your coats and access to free water was a plus. read more

Indiana Brewers Guild - Winterfest - Festivals Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all

After taking a 3-year hiatus from attending Winterfest, my husband and I won tickets, so we came back for 2020. We got our wristbands the night before at Sun King in Broad Ripple, which took all of 2 minutes. However, once we got to Winterfest, there was no signage for people who already had wristbands. Nobody working the line we were in knew where we were supposed to go if we already had wristbands, so we waited in line like a couple of chumps. Luckily, the line to get in went quickly, so it wasn't a big deal (except we made a special trip to BR from the west side the night before...). This year seemed to have gone smoother than in years past. Food options were more plentiful, and the bathroom lines didn't seem as long. We tried a lot of beers we probably wouldn't have gotten to try, and saw some friends, so it was a fun time overall. read more

The lights in the trees were awesome as was the music and light show. and the hot chocolate was really good. We just didn't care for no mention of Christ or Christmas in the house was a bit boring. read more

Winterfest is a great time. Tons of fantastic beer to try. That can carry you a long way. On top of that I thought it was very well organized. The booths were arranged alphabetically, which was mostly fine. There were two problem areas due to that. Bell's was put back in a corner, which is really not enough room for a brewery with their popularity, and Three Floyds and Sun King were right next to each other, resulting in a huge amount of people right there. As far as things go those were small concerns. Getting in worked really well, they let people inside early and then at start time let them get to it. That helped avoid a terrible line right at start time. Of course you still had to stand out in the rain before then, but hey, what can you do? The main thing keeping this from being a five star experience was the food. As this is at the fairgrounds there was only one option. They tried to make good exciting food, but only succeeded in making bland food expensive. I wish they would have just gone with hot dogs and the like and kept the price down. In that case there's no surprises and you get what you pay for. I got some shaved chicken sandwich and it just wasn't very good. Bland and dry. I know there's nothing the Guild can do about this if they want to hold it at the fairgrounds. All in all, I will be back for winterfest and so much good beer. read more

See all

I pretty much agree with everything Kristy K. wrote. If I had written this review in years past, this would have been a 5 star review without question. But three hours this year instead of four (we didn't even get to all of the rows, which was sad, and we have in years past), and tickets going up to $40 was a real bummer. I do understand it sells out every year, so it's a supply/demand issue, but still... But ASIDE FROM THAT. The beers here are awesome. The brewers and brewery staff are awesome. Everyone is passionate about good beer. It's wonderful getting to taste great beers from around the state, region, and in a few cases, the country. It's been an excellent way for us to find out about more breweries in easy road trip distance as well! One thing that's new as of the last two years that I'm happy about - snacks are now consolidated to the concession stands instead of being separate freestanding booths. This is a much more efficient use of space. I brought a purse full of munchies, because this is my fourth or fifth winterfest, and I understand the importance of snacking while you drink! read more

I love WInterfest. I've been 4 times and I don't think I've ever tried the same beer twice. Winterfest is a great opportunity to try many Indiana breweries, especially those outside of Indy. A lot of people attend, but they do a great job of getting people through all the likes quickly. Plus, you have the opportunity to get pre-banded and get through the entrance line even quicker. The only bad part of Winterfest is finding a favorite beer at a brewery that's a couple hours away and knowing you won't be able to go get it as much as you want. A great event, especially for people who enjoy local beer. read more

What's not to love about a night full of beer? You're right, nothing. We had VIP tickets which was great because it gave us a chance to test around before the huge crowds arrived (which also led to a very looped group of VIP's) and there was literally a beer for every person. I am partial to wheat and IPA brews so I went straight for my lighter options but I saw plenty of stouts and fuller flavored beers. It was the perfect opportunity to find out about brewers in Indy that I was unsure of or hadn't heard of yet, and I was so happy to find out that so many were really easily accessible as well! Every brewer that I met was so friendly and so fun, and were really passionate about their brews, which made the whole event worth it and that much more exciting. Caution: if you are getting general admission tickets, you should arrive very early...the line was wrapped around the ENTIRE building...and it was raining :( read more

See all

It's the greatest day in Indiana craft brew! I've been a fan of Winterfest since it was just a pup. This thing has grown into an all out beast! So. Many. Good. Beers. Too. Many. Good. Beers. So many that I couldn't enjoy a sample from everyone in attendance. Not to say that I didn't try, but in only 3 hours, it's nearly impossible to get to every beer stall. A few tips: --Bring snacks...pretzel necklaces are your friend here. Some food is available at the event, but nothing beats a granola bar from your purse. --Seriously consider the VIP hour if you're a serious beer guru. I've not actually enjoyed VIP hour, but it's under strong consideration for next year. --There is a coat check, so it's okay to come bundled. You look like an idiot standing in line outside in January in just a tshirt. It can take a good 20 minutes to get inside, depending on when you show up. This event gets 4 stars because it's gotten a wee bit crowded and I'm pretty sure the event used to be 4 hours, not 3 for GA. Also, the price went up to $40 per ticket this year. At what point will the price for a ticket stop increasing? read more

See all

We arrived shortly before 3pm, which means the line wasn't moving at all since the gates opened for general admission at 3. The line stretched from the doors to the corner of the building, down the side, into the parking lot behind the building, and beyond by the time the doors opened. I couldn't help but laugh at all the girls who had done their hair and make-up and then cleverly showed up without an umbrella OR a coat in an effort to look cute and cool. After standing in the cold rain for 30+ minutes the look can only be described as "dumb and cold." This year, the bracelets were NOT those terrible sticky ones that pull out your arm hairs. Huzzah! Uber had provided plastic snap bracelets advertising their brand. Speaking of which...$100+ Uber? We went with Lyft, which turned out to be free and fantastic! Pours were LARGE. Sounds awesome, right? Except that there were hundreds of beers to try, wait times were reasonable, and few (if any) pour buckets. Result? People pouring beer on the floor or getting super trashed way too soon. I'm proud to say I didn't pour any beer on the floor...which is why we left at 5:30. I went to Winterfest its very first year (also my first beer fest) and thought it was a little chaotic. It was a great event this year. Tons and tons of beers to try in all different styles. I only wish I could've made it until 7pm and tried all the ones I wanted to. The line for food moved really quickly and the pretzel sticks we had were tasty and fresh. I thought the price was fair considering the amount of beer available. If you're serious about tasting as many beers as you can and not just getting drunk, it's worth your while to buy the VIP tickets for an extra hour of tasting. That ticket will give you more time to talk to brewers and really enjoy the beer without battling crowds. Sometime between 4:30 and 5:00 is when it started to get difficult to move because the building was so crowded. Improvements: A convenient drop-off area INSIDE the fairgrounds (near building entrance) for cabs, Lyft, Uber, etc. Large pour receptacles (5-gallon buckets? Trash barrels?) throughout the floor to avoid the slippery mess we ended up with More rinse troughs...I only saw 2 at the end near the food A tent outside the front entrance with Tensa barriers so we could stay dry and not have to stand in areas where vehicles were trying to drive read more

Indiana Brewers Guild - Winterfest - This is what your penis will be like after this much beer. FYI - Festivals Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Writing an update from 2015! I believe I have the same thing to say as last year:the lines are so long! It would be amazing if they had huge maps of the vendors near every corner of the building so people didn't have to carry the huge maps around and find the brewery of their choice. I came this year as an attendee, not a vendor. And it was a lot of fun! Black Acre always kills it and I loved the Do317 photo booth and the Yelp scavenger hunt! So, lots of the non-beer vendors had great ideas! I wish the coffee vendors were giving free stuff away. C'mon, you pay that much money and we can't get a free coffee to hype us up a bit? A bit of a letdown. I had a great time, though. The lines were a bit long but looking back, it gives you enough time to slowly sip a beer while waiting in line and then be finished with your sample before you reach the next vendor you're in line for ! read more

See all

Don't hesitate to get Winterfest tickets. Hands down the best value to try great beers all in one place. The main day is busy, so keep that in mind! read more

If you love beer and you live in Indiana, this event will be like a pilgrimage to you. Featuring more beer than you can possibly hope to sample in an afternoon, Winterfest is a perfect way to try new breweries, sip on exclusive tappings, and support local favorites. The lines can get long, but you're never really bored or left wanting for more srink. And the crowd is...so so fun. Pro Tip: Wanting to try a lot of beer? Divide and conquer. Bring a big group and share. You'll get a larger variety of samples (cooties at your own risk). read more

See all

This was my first Winterfest, and I'm really glad I went! It was more crowded than other typical festivals or events I attend at the fairgrounds, but I expected that. It was a fun time though if you're getting your drink on and having fun with the crowd. (I imagine it's a little hard to deal with if you're a DD.) We took Uber there and back home, and I'm hopeful others did as well or had an extremely understanding friend to be a DD! The commemorative glasses were great, and 3 oz. is a decent pour size so it felt like you really got a taste for the different brews. I highly recommend a pretzel necklace - not just for show! I imagine it's a great palate cleanser between some of the dark and light beers. If you want to try as many as possible, just move from one line to the next. My husband and I preferred to take a break once in a while to enjoy our latest sample and to move away from the crowd. We definitely visited favorite breweries, but we also made sure to visit out of towners or breweries I had heard about prior. It was super crowded, and it was hard to figure out what line to be in on the outside before general admission opened at 3, but most of the attendees were helpful in directing us accordingly. I wish the ID/band line was run a little more efficiently. The line I was in had ID people randomly going down the line with bands. I feel like it would have gone faster if they were all at one table so the line moved quicker. Get there at opening! If you get there late, I've heard they can run out of sampling glasses, and I think you would really like one. Others complained about having glass instead plastic. There were people who dropped and broke theirs, but since the majority did not, I think glass is nicer. Otherwise, lower the price of admission. I know security and police were there, but I saw some people who were clearly drunk cutting in line, just basically daring people to start something. For the most part though, I didn't see anyone being unruly. All in all, I can't wait to go again next year! read more

See all

Let me start by saying I really do enjoy beer festivals. I like the happy atmosphere and chatting with friends while tasting beer after beer. This was my third time going to Winterfest and although I had a good time, part of it was because I was lucky enough to get early bird tickets. We arrived about 5mins before the start of the event and it took us about 25mins to get inside. Some of our friends who had general admission waited in line to get in for over an hour (keep in mind we all have tickets). I think if the check in process could be improved. I have worked large events where you have filter people in quickly and lots of staff and strong leadership (human herding skills) can go a long way. This event just has so many people that it makes the bathroom lines 20mins long and hard to talk to the brewers about what they put so much time into. I think it might be better if the event were split into sessions like the Great American Beer Fest. This event is unique in that there is such a great variety of beers (including cask) and breweries that I wouldn't want to see anyone not be able to participate, but maybe there is a way to improve the handling of large groups. read more

See all

I went to this in 2017 and it was a bit of a hot mess. Gave it another go this year and they have made several changes that made it run much more smoothly. 1) They have pre-banding available Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. So there's no excuse not to get you wristband ahead of time. 2) they had three entrances open. 3) they had the doors open before the event started with caution tape blocking off the vendors. My group got there about 10 minutes early and literally walked right in. The first time I went there were issues with certain beers/ciders running out pretty quickly and I don't think that was as much of an issue this year. I had a great time and will absolutely go again. read more

Beer! Beer! Beer! I knew this was going to be a great event from the beginning. It was as if all of the males in Indianapolis just sensed that a large building was filled with all kinds of beer. It was a madhouse. I was able to try a few new drinks myself, but the true entertainment came with observing the mass amounts of people go from "slightly buzzed" to "ridiculously hammered." There's something about a beer fest that really makes people, well, genuinely happy. As for driving, plan ahead. As stated above, no one was exactly sober by the end of the night. Plan. Ahead. Get a taxi, call a friend - whatever it may be. I was a bit worried leaving the State Fair just because of other drivers. We're talking about hundreds of people at this event - hundreds that have been drinking. Just be smart -- and have a blast. read more

Indiana Brewers Guild - Winterfest - Festivals Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all

Winterfest was about the only major Indy area beer fest left on my bucket list, so I quickly bought my ticket this year. After attendance, I'm not sure how I feel about it stacked up against other local festivals. First, the organizers offered a "pre game" party at several area bars which allowed you to get your wristband early. For those that went just to expedite entry to the fest and get your wristband, you wasted a lot of time. It took me, no joke, less than 30 seconds to show my ticket, show my license, get my wristband, and get my sampling glass. Granted, I did arrive a total of 9 minutes before general admission began. Plus, that guy in front of me didn't actually have tickets, so he cost me about 15 seconds. I'm guessing you see my point. Pre check wrist bands are not worth the trip to the bar before a beer fest. The space: I learned that I'm not a huge fan of an indoor festival. It seemed so spread out yet so crowded at the same time. Not as spread out as the micro brewfest in Broadripple opti park, but pretty hard to navigate. During my 9 minute wait to start sampling, I stood in the crowd, gazing at my map, for about 2 minutes before I located the cask tent exit door (my intended first stop). If it's hard to navigate sober, it's really hard after 3 hours of sampling. The beer: obviously this was a 5 star experience. 100 breweries and almost (if I'm recalling correctly) 70 Indiana breweries...so many tasty choices. I did set out in this event to only try new beers, which meant a lot of new breweries. As it was a winter festival, I expected a lot of dark stouts and winter warmers...those were available, but they had a nice selection of IPAs and lighter options. Among my favorite new beers that were not on cask (those were all awesome but impossible to find again) was zwanzigz's chocolate chocolate chocolate. I think the biggest let down may have been the food offerings. They had the concession stand open and nothing else. No local food trucks, no Pats Philly pretzels, nothing. With a festival from 3-7, I'd like to eat something enjoyable during it. Overall, it wasn't my favorite festival. And it always falls on the day before the superbowl. With so many festival options, I'm not sure I'll make it to this one again next year. read more

See all

The Brewers Guild of Indiana Winterfest was the first beerfest I have been to, and let me tell you, it was one for the books! Although I wasn't able to experience the beer tasting to its full extent (due to working the wonderful Yelp table!), I did engage in some wonderful people watching, drunk interactions, and a few excellent sips of beer! I was excited to see Turoni's Pizzery and Brewery, being an Evansville local and all. Their pumpkin ale was phenomenal! The subtle fresh pumpkin flavor was enhanced by traditional autumn spices. DELICIOUS. I would have to say my favorite though was Zwanzig Z's blueberry beer. There were real blueberries at the bottom of my glass! How great is that? It was fresh and fruity. Definitely the ultimate summer beer. I'm excited for my next adventure at a beerfest! I'll have to bring my beer fanatic dad next time:) read more

Super fun way to spend a Saturday in the winter! With the huge room and around 115 vendors present, it's hard to make it to each one. But you can still cover a pretty good area even when taking your time. Some pro-tips: -keep an eye out on the Beer Brigade's website for deals on Winterfest tickets. We grabbed a Black Friday 4-pack deal with $5 off each ticket. -make a pretzel necklace! Jerky necklace! Peach ring necklace! Or some other kinda snack that can cleanse your palate and be a nice break from all the beer. On that note, be sure to carb up beforehand otherwise you might be miserable with nothing in your stomach. -plan on ordering an Uber/Lyft to and from the event. Be safe. -while you don't have to a total beer connoisseur, you should probably have some kind of taste for beer. And not the PBR kind of taste (although if you did have that taste, this might be the perfect event to fix that). Why would you spend ~$40 if you don't like beer? read more

So much fun! I volunteered this year and the ticket scanning was a fiasco, but we pulled through :) Join me next year for my favorite beer fest in Indiana :) read more

See all

Bravo Brewers of Indiana Guild for getting it together this year and making this a fantastic event! After last years 2 hour wait outside in the cold, I was very skeptical of going again.. but of course, how could I turn down unlimited 3 oz pours from 100+ breweries? This year was a breeze to get in (THANK YOU JESUS!). There was no line and we're able to get in right away, even without getting prebanded. Since the group I was with got the 3oclock ticket, we had to wait to join the 2oclock group.. but no big deal! I'd rather wait inside for 20 mins rather than outside for 2 hours. Once 3 oclock hit, they released the caution tape that they had blocked off and we're off to taste some delicious brews! Everything was very organized and even with some breweries having long lines, they always moved pretty fast. They had more concession type foods that you could purchase which is always a plus because 4 hours of drinking will eventually result in getting the munchies. I do wish they had other food vendors like they do for the one in the summer but I can see how that is hard to do when the venue it's in doesn't have the capacity to do this. Overall, everyone I was with had a great time and were able to taste a nice variety of beers. Now the wait is on for the summerfest! read more

Indiana Brewers Guild - Winterfest - Festivals Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Okay, I hate to rate this event so low but I have no other options. The event It self was over all good! The set up was easy to follow, breweries down the middle and lines form going toward the walls... simple and easy. Large selection of breweries and variety of tastings. The negatives; there was a low selection of food and direction of traffic after the event. There was basically only concession stand food at the event and that's disappointing when it's a sold out event. Bring in other food vendors and allow them to sell sandwiches and more food than pretzels and popcorn. People are drinking heavily and probably need more than finger food. The traffics after the event is where this event completely fails. I understand this is an issue for the state fair grounds to deal with but this event could help with signage or direction. When you are trying to leave you basically have to find your way to the exit on Fall Street without any help. Anyone who has been to the fair ground knows that there is parking everywhere and without any help It can be complicated trying to figure out which street to exit on. Some simple signage around the parking area would really help this issue. Cheers! read more

2018 was my first year going to Winterfest and I had a great experience. Took an Uber and was able to be dropped off right in front of the door. I had early bird tickets which was really nice. Was there right when it started and had short to no lines. By the time doors opened to everyone I was to the point I should start pacing myself more so the longer lines weren't a bother. The regular bathroom line was long but outside there were plenty of port-a-potties that were clean for a port-a-potty. If you used those you never had to wait. It was busy but still room to mingle and talk and find people you knew. And most importantly the beer was good! It was great to learn of local breweries I didn't know about before and taste a variety of unique beers! read more

See all

The key to Winterfest is snagging one of the coveted volunteer spots, especially an early shift. Once you've completed your set-up duties, you have time to wander the convention hall and visit all the most coveted breweries with no lines, before the onslaught of pretzel-clad drinkers arrive. I accomplished most of my sampling before the doors even opened, especially enjoying the black pepper black ale from Goshen Brewery and aged mezcal-barrel selection from Taxman. Plus, you get to meet a bunch of awesome, down-to-earth people, both volunteers and brewery staff alike. If Winterfest before-the-doors-open is a 5 star experience, fully-opened Winterfest is a less-then-satisfactory to average experience. The lines are longer than I've experienced at prior beer fests, especially for coveted brews from places like 3 Floyds. My shift ended around 3 PM and I only found myself staying about 45 minutes to an hour afterwards. Too many people, too cramped, too much for introverts like me. I gave up on the more popular lines and just started bee-lining towards the shortest ones...which should have been a warning indicator in some cases (i.e. pineapple cider=vomit). The people-watching component was pretty stellar, especially witnessing the various pretzel necklace variations. Overall, the perks of being a volunteer equate to 5 stars and my experience as a "norm" wavered between 2-3 stars. I think if I attended as a normal human being in the future, I'd pony up for the VIP ticket and try to better physically & psychologically prep myself beforehand, including the creation of a necessary pretzel necklace crutch. read more

If I hadn't been given a ticket from a friend it probably wouldn't have been worth it to me. It was good in theory. That being said the beer was extraordinary and there was a huge selection so many that I would never be able to try them all and be able to legally able to drive or function but it was a good time and worth the experience. read more

Indiana Brewers Guild - Winterfest - Festivals Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all

Winterfest is the greatest holiday known to man. Breweries, micro breweries, nano breweries, and home brewers...all under one roof, all serving awesome beer... how can you go wrong. Tips: bring a snack, you will need it. Pretzel necklaces are the norm. Pace yourself...you will need to. Winterfest is a great place to try a ton of beer and get drunk, but you MUST pace yourself or you wont get to enjoy it all. read more

Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. -Benjamin Franklin- At Winterfest this quote couldn't be more true. You're gonna find the hap, hap, happiest bunch of people here all under one roof. I am no stranger to beer festivals however, this was my first time at Winterfest. My husband and I had Early Bird tickets. We took advantage of the Express Check-In services the Brewers Guild set up at Great Fermentations on the North Side (several other locations were available: Hop Cat, Tomlison Tap Room, Oaken Barrel). This is an excellent feature. Between 11-1 you could get your ID checked and get your wrist band in advance before the event. This meant super quick easy entry. So fast, we actually got to the event right at 2:00 (Early Bird entry time), showed our bracelets, and we were in without any wait at all. Thank you Guild, great job in all areas with this feature! NOTE: I am sure this feature also helped those that didn't take advantage of this service. More people in the express entry line equals less people in the non-express entry line. All festivals in Indy should take note of this service. Other great features of Winterfest: *Unlimited Beer Samples *Separate Cask Only area (nice selection) *Great selection of 102 breweries with hundreds of beers to taste *Coat check *Lots of open space, I didn't feel like I was packed in there like sardines. *Great information on the Guild website & lots of social media keeping you informed. *Extremely well organized. The beer selection was great! I am a equal opportunity beer drinker and love trying new, odd, interesting, unique beers. I felt the brewers brought a great line up of options. Lots of unique offerings that I hadn't tried before. I especially loved the Sour selections from Outliers & Brugge. I had a sweet sport for the Hopes & Dreams Sour Reserve. I would love to see even more Sour options at Indy beer festivals. Bare Hands alone brought 31 selections, everything from a Cream Ale to a Mango Habanero DIPA to a PB&J Stout to a Black Thai.p.a. I was very impressed with the PB&J. Sweet & salty and deliciously malty. Why not 5 stars you ask? *Lines for beers were long. Limiting the number of attendees would help. *Not a lot of food options and what was available wasn't that great. *Cask area was outside in a tent, it was butt-numbing cold, and packed. Could that area be brought indoors? *I would have loved a handy list of available beers prior to the event to pre-plan. Searching through twitter for offerings was a bit challenging with so many people tweeting about the event. Great time! Looking forward to the next coming Guild event at the Bloomington Craft Beer Festival. This one is personally my favorite in Indy. Cheers! read more

Indiana Brewers Guild - Winterfest - Nice cask selection! - Festivals Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all

I really lucked out this year by scoring discounted VIP tickets. Since I was VIP I was able to literally just walk straight into the event with no line (which I know was not the case for most people). With 101 breweries you really can't beat the diversity and options. Don't forget your pretzels necklace and make sure you check out this event next year, it's the biggest beer event around! read more

Indiana Brewers Guild - Winterfest - Festivals Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

I have been to quite a few brew fests in Indy and this has by far been my favorite. The staff and volunteers make this event! They were so helpful and set the tone! Love how the event was laid out... It was perfect for everyone the attended. I did the pre-wristband and it was worth it! I understand that some people had issues, however I feel that people bashed this event for no cause. It was a busy event and the staff did the best that they could. Looking forward to going to both the summer and winter versions. This was GREAT! read more

See all

This years Winterfest was Awesome! We had to wait in early bird line a little longer than we wanted but it was well worth it. 1st stop Zwanzigz, there Beers were excellent. S'more Stout! What more could you ask for. My buddy Doug from Planetary, his Beers were very good. Sun King Brewery in there Making it Happen! Not a bad beer in the house! read more

See all

I first attended Winterfest 2 yrs ago and this time around, I had the opportunity to volunteer! Two years ago, people stood outside for a VERY LONG TIME in the cold, rainy weather and once you got indoors, the Blue Ribbon Pavilion was crowded, loud, and hot. Iris and the Brewers Guild of Indiana have worked very hard to improve the experience by expanding the event to two buildings and getting more volunteers to help with the ID checks and banding ... helping to move people through the entrances faster. I volunteered from 12-5pm on Saturday and got to have an interesting perspective on the event. I think that the first couple of hours went very well. The VIP hour was busy but not overcrowded and when the General Admission folks were let in, things continued to flow smoothly. I saw / heard the glasses dropped a few times throughout the day, but overall the glassware didn't become an issue! I immediately contacted the Brewers Guild asking to put me on the list for every event and I look forward to doing it again! read more

Winterfest is always a great time. Lines can be long, the space can be crowded and the hipsters seem to flock to their natural habitat. BUT. BUT! If you can muster through all of this, there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow- BEER. Not just a little beer. All you can drink beer! Delicious local brews with enthusiastic people manning the taps ready to tell you about their latest and greatest brew. I honestly had an amazing time here. Were bathroom lines long? Sure. Did I feel like I was always walking in the middle of people's conversations? Yes. Did I care? Not. one. bit. Pro tip: Make your own pretzel necklace so you can have something to munch on while you're sampling all the beers. Also, partake of the taxis waiting outside if you've had too much to drink or don't have a DD. read more

First time coming to this Beerfest. I'll be the first to say that it was crazy packed and unfortunately a lot of people had to stay outside for a LONG time to wait to come in. Scanning the tickets took way longer than they had expected. With that being said, we were fortunate enough to get in the door around 3:30 for the 3:00 start. We were able to taste a decent amount of beer that we had never heard of or tasted before. I know they are working to fix the problem so this doesn't happen in the future. read more