Escaping the vortex of San Francisco on a gorgeous spring weekend can be difficult, but when there’s over 60 west coast craft brewers waiting for you in Mendocino, it’s a bit easier to slip out of town. This Saturday the 16th Annual Legendary Boonville Beer Festival will be held at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Boonville.
This beer fest is sometimes overlooked by locals since the fairgrounds are an inconvenient 115 miles north of San Francisco. However, even aside from the scenic location, there are other unique features that make the Boonville Beer Fest an especially compelling weekend destination:
• If you just want to spend the day at the fest, Brewery Adventures has a one-day package available. The price includes round-trip bus transportation from the Civic Center, festival ticket, a tour guide, water, entertainment and a bathroom on the bus, plus a handy souvenir. For more information, including alternate pick up locations, click here.
• Camping is available at the fairgrounds on Friday and Saturday for $12 per person. The sites can’t be booked in advance so get there Friday to check into a site, then explore the area for the rest of the day. Hendy Woods State Park is eight miles from the fairgrounds. Spend Friday picnicking on the banks of the Navarro River next to the Big Hendy Redwood Grove. And yes, you are too late; experienced festival goers have already booked the camping sites there.
• The taps at the fest run for five hours, an hour longer than many other festivals, which means there’s no need to wait in long lines for your favorite brews. Kick back and enjoy a few less sought after beers and by three or four o’clock you’ll be able to walk up to get just about anything you want with very little queue time.
The festival has its share of food fare; Slow Hand BBQ and assorted food trucks will be there, but feel free to bring your own food as well. Music plays till 6 pm and since people are camping at the site, the event tends to wind down rather than end with a surge to the gate to beat traffic.
Details: For tickets or more information click here or call 707-895-BEER ext.
40. Advance tickets are $40 or $50 at the gate (cash only). Toronado
and 21st Amendment also have some tickets for sale. Non-drinker tickets $5. This is a 21 & older event. No dogs allowed. Proceeds from the fest help support local non-profits.
Although their web site doesn’t currently have it posted, Anderson Valley Brewery Company provided a list of brewers that will attend:
21st Amendment
Ale Industries
Anchor Brewing Co.
Anderson Valley Brewery Company
Auburn Alehouse
Beach Chalet Brewery
Bear Republic
Berryessa Brewing Co
Bison Brewing
Black Diamond Brewing Co
Blue Frog Grog & Grill
Bootlegger’s Brewery
Brewbakers Brewing Co.
Crispin Ciders
Deschutes Brewery
Devil’s Canyon Brewing Co.
Drakes
Dunsmuir Brewery Works* pending
Eel River Brewing Co.
El Toro Brewing Co.
Firestone Walker
Grand Teton Brewing Co.
Great Basin Brewing Co.
Half Moon Bay Brewing Co.
High Sierra Brewing Co.
High Water Brewing
Hoppy Brewing Co.
Iron Springs Pub & Brewing
Knee Deep Brewing Co.
Lagunitas Brewing Co.
Mad River Brewing Co.
Magnolia Brewing Co.
Marin Brewing Co.
Mateveza Brewing Co.
Mendocino Brewing Co.
Moylan’s Brewing
New Belgium
Ninkasi Brewing Co.
North Coast Brewing
Oakland Brewing Co.
Pacific Brewing Laboratory
Pizza Port Brewing Co.
Pyramid Breweries
Redwood Curtain
River City Brewing Co.
Rubicon Brewing Co.
Russian River Brewing Co.
Ruth McGowan’s
Santa Cruz Aleworks
Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing
Seabright Brewing Co.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Sonoma Springs Brewing Co.
Southern Pacific Brewing Co.
Speakeasy Ales & Lagers
Stone Brewing
Stumptown Brewery
Sudwerk
Third Street Aleworks
Three Skulls Ales
Triple Rock Brewery and Alehouse
Triple Voodoo Brewing
Trumer Brauerei
Two Rivers Cider Co.
Uncommon Brewers
Widmer
