Top 10 Reasons to Attend the Washington Brewers Festival

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The state’s biggest and most important beer fest of the year returns to Seattle Center

This Friday and Saturday (June 20 and 21) at Seattle Center, breweries from across the state will come together to pour loads of delicious beers at the 2025 Washington Brewers Festival. The 21+ event is the largest and most important annual beer festival in the state. It will feature hundreds of beers from over 75 breweries, not to mention a selection of other adult beverages from local artisan producers. If that is not enough reason for you to attend, allow me to provide a few more.

The beer. Duh. The Washington Brewers Festival never disappoints and the breweries always bring some interesting, unexpected stuff, not just the flagship beers to which you are accustomed. You can see the complete lineup of breweries here. You’ll notice some unfamiliar names. Breweries you’ve yet to meet from distant lands like Kennewick, Bellingham, and Vancouver.
Togetherness. There’s too much not-togetherness in the world these days. The Washington Brewers Festival is a vehicle bringing people together to celebrate something about which we all agree: beer is good, and good beer is better. Set all that other crap aside for a while. Refill and revitalize your spirit with some goodness.
The Guild. If you like craft beer, you can feel good about supporting the Guild. This festival is organized by, and is a fundraiser for, the Washington Brewers Guild, a non-profit trade organization that works to promote the state’s craft breweries and supports them with legislative advocacy. It also works to promote a spirit of camaraderie among the state’s breweries. More togetherness.
It’s different, but the same. For many years, the Washington Brewers Festival was a function of the Washington Beer Commission. The Guild is a non-profit, grassroots trade organization. The Commission operated as part of the Washington State Department of Agriculture. It may sound like a minor difference, but it is not. This event is now “by the brewers, for the brewers.”
Music. I’ve always been a live-band kind of guy, because I’m old, but I’ve come to understand and appreciate the popularity and value of a good DJ. The best independent listener-powered radio station on earth, KEXP, is right next door to the festival grounds. One of KEXP’s DJs will fuel the crowd with music, taking cues from the festival’s energy level, matching and enhancing it on the fly as only a good DJ can.
Pro wrestling. Yep, it sounds crazy, I know, but it should be a hoot. It’s kind of like the old days, when the Washington Brewers Festival included the Brewers Keg Toss competition, but this time real pros will be throwing each other around the ring. No kegs will be harmed during this performance.
No tokens. No fumbling through your pockets looking for that last precious beer token. The new format means there’s no tokens involved. There’s also no irresponsible overconsumption allowed, but we can police ourselves. Those who cannot will be managed.
Location, location, location. While some folks are sad the event is no longer at Marymoor Park, that location simply was no longer available. Seattle Center is the perfect place for a festival like this. Bumbershoot, Folklife Festival, Bite of Seattle, and now the Washington Brewers Festival. There’s a reason they call it Seattle CENTER.
The future of craft beer. When Seattle Center was built to host the 1962 World’s Fair, the theme was the 21st Century. Well here we are in the 21st Century and it is time for craft beer to embrace its future. Last year, the first year it was at Seattle Center, this event felt different. The crowd was younger and more diverse. It felt like the place craft beer needs to go, not the place craft beer used to be. I’m an oldster, but I’m wise enough to recognize that. If you didn’t go last year, go this year and you’ll see what I mean.
Go because I can’t. I will not bore you with the unforeseen and inescapable reasons why, but I will miss the Washington Brewers Festival this year. It is, perhaps, the first time in the festival’s long history that I will not be there. I’m talking about the Marymoor Park years, the St. Edward State Park years, and even the prehistoric years when it happened at the old Herb Farm in Fall City. Don’t feel sorry for me, just go to the festival and have a beer for me.

Washington Brewers Festival 2025
Friday, June 20 & Saturday, June 21
Seattle Center, Fisher Pavilion & South Fountain Lawn
Tickets and other information here.

Visit our events page and calendar to learn about all sorts of other upcoming beer events.

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