Written by Laura Curry
Come one, come all—beer connoisseurs, alternative rock music junkies and marathon runners alike, to the Atlantic City Beer and Music Festival! The event will be held in three “sessions” from April 8 – 9 at the AC Convention Center.
Recently voted as one of the Best Beer Festivals in the country by USA Today’s online readers, this year’s “Celebration of the Suds,” held by Good Time Tricycle Productions, brings you over 1,000 different beers from nearly 150 breweries around the country.
While enjoying your brews, listen to the headliners Dashboard Confessional, Manchester Orchestra and Reel Big Fish, along with Hidden in Plain View, The Elwins, Superheaven, The Superweaks, Backyard Superheroes and Solace. You can decide which of the three sessions of the festival you would like to attend based on the session lineups, which you can browse on the website at http://www.acbeerfest.com/sounds.aspx.
The festival features a new beer-themed 5-kilometer run, cleverly called the Hops Trot, which takes participants on a route past all of AC’s finest taverns such as Margaritaville and Harry’s Oyster Bar. The 5K ends back at the Convention Center, where runners will be able to enter Session 2 of the festival early. Feel free to sip and jog along the way—and don’t forget to wear a costume!
Other features of the event include educational seminars and culinary demonstrations from famous chefs such as Sammy D, Kevin Cronin from Iron Room, and Manda Palomino, a contestant from Hell’s Kitchen. For more outlandish activities, there are toilet bowl races, a hot wing eating contest, a giant Twister board and even field goal kicks.
The overall goal of the event is to educate attendees on craft beers and give the creators a platform to speak about their brews. Festival-goers are encouraged to step out of their comfort zones and taste new beers, which will include some exclusive releases.
Tickets are on sale now, and festival-goers can choose from three sessions:
Session 1 – Friday, April 8 – 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Session 2 – Saturday, April 9 – 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Session 3 – Saturday, April 9 – 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Tickets are $55 in advance online at http://www.acbeerfest.com/tickets.aspx or $60 at the door. The Hops Trot is $75 and includes early entry to Session 2 of the festival.
All attendees are encouraged to drink their brewskies responsibly.
