Burp Fest at Iowa Craft Brew Festival 2026

The Iowa Craft Brew Festival traces its roots to the Iowa Brewers Guild, an organization that spent years as an informal gathering of passionate brewers meeting in bars and around picnic tables before formally organizing in 2007. The Guild's mission was clear: showcase Iowa beer, foster communication among the state's brewers, and lobby for laws that would let the industry grow. That advocacy paid off in 2010 when Governor Chet Culver signed S.F. 2088, lifting Iowa's outdated cap on beer strength to 12% ABW and restructuring distribution rules in favor of local breweries. The legislative victory uncorked a boom. By the time the first Iowa Craft Brew Festival launched in 2011, the state's craft brewing industry was entering a period of rapid expansion that would see it double in size over the next several years.

The festival itself has grown in step with Iowa's brewery count, which now tops 115 across 76 communities. Held each June at the Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park in Des Moines, the event has become the state's premier craft beverage showcase, featuring breweries, cideries, meaderies, distillers, and wineries — all from Iowa. The 2025 edition marked the 15th annual festival and featured more Iowa brands than any previous year. With an economic impact from Iowa craft breweries exceeding $1.25 billion annually, the festival serves as both a public celebration and a fundraising engine for the Guild's continued advocacy work. Its partnership with Travel Iowa's Craft Passport program extends the experience beyond the festival grounds, encouraging attendees to visit taprooms statewide long after the last pour.