Raise a glass to the end of Summer with these Utah brew fests

Utah Beer Festival

The 14th annual Utah Beer Festival hits town this weekend – running August 17th and 18th, 1.00 – 8.00 p.m. daily. Held at The Gateway, the UBF reckons more than 200 beers and ciders will be poured this year, from both local, regional, and national breweries.

Advanced ticket prices for the event range from $30 for single-day General Admission, which includes entry and $20 of value for sample pours (10 samples) for attendees, to $90 for VIP tickets which are available for purchase online. Weekend passes are also available for both GA and VIP tickets.

Speaking of which, The VIP experience includes a private serving area, exclusive beers, appetizers, additional food, and a single-day ticket admission. Beer samplings include both low and high-point options, and all samples are available in 5-ounce pours with draft beer available in 12-ounce pours.

This year’s event will also better incorporate The Gateway’s surrounding business. The event presser explains, “The Depot will have shows on Friday, Saturday and Sunday that our attendees can enjoy; Flanker Kitchen and Sporting Club is hosting our VIP; Seabird is going to create beer and cocktail specials around the festival’s brewery partners; The Bruce Scottish Pub will have some food specials for attendees; and the Urban Arts Gallery will have an installation on the festival grounds.”

Oktoberfest

The granddaddy of them all and now back in action for 2024. This year marks the 52nd year for Utah’s biggest Bavarian bash – a marathon ten-week festival that unfurls every weekend at Snowbird, this year wrapping on October 13th. First held way back in 1972, Snowbird’s bash is modeled on the Munich original. The Utah feier runs every Saturday and Sunday, running noon through 6.00 p.m.

Once more, a stellar cast of Utah brewers will stack the festival’s biergarten, names such as Shades Brewing, Moab Brewery, Bohemian, Uinta, and Squatters. A reminder that you can also save a few of those precious beer bucks by reusing your previous 1-liter Snowbird Oktoberfest beer stein or mug. To soak the suds, plemty of bites will be available too, includeing bratwurst, weisswurst, sauerkraut, apple strudel, spaetzle, beef rouladen, pretzels, and Bavarian roasted almonds.

One last item, don’t forget Snowbird’s Free Ride Program – organizers write that the “program offers free rides on the hour, every hour, from 3 to 8 pm from the Oktoberfest Arch to the 2000 E 9400 S bus stop.”

Snow Wiesn

Another option for beer lovers is this relatively new Oktoberfest option, held at Snowbasin Resort. The Weber County-based bash features Bavarian food, craft beer and drinks, live music, a local market, and other fun activities. SnowWiesn takes place every Saturday and Sunday from August 17th through October 6th, from noon to 6.00 p.m. Single-day tickets are available for $10 per person.

Mountain Beer Festival

Saturday and Sunday, September 14th and 15th, are the dates for this year’s MBF – held at Deer Valley. Running noon through 5.00 p.m. daily, the beer festival includes chairlift access throughout the resort, outdoor dining, live music, and family-friendly activities. Indeed, the event itself is reached by a chairlift ride on Silver Lake Express (all parking and check-in will be at Snow Park Lodge).

Attendees will have the opportunity to sample numerous beer flavors and styles, including full-strength selections. Packages run $15 for non-drinkers through $135 per person for the Imperioal package which includes 8 beer tasting tokens, a scenic lift ride, a commemorative mug & t-shirt, as well as access to a VIP BBQ area. More than twenty local breweries will be pouring over the two days.

Zion Canyon Beer Fest

I couldn’t find much on this one just yet, but mark October 19th on the calendar for this Southern Utah-hosted festival. Zion Brewery will be the name powering this one.

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Stuart Melling

Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you!  I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC.  I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City  dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.

I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV.   Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune.    I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand.   What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.

Want to know more? This is why I am the way I am.