The 2026 Maryland Craft Beer Festival was held May 9, 2026. 2027 dates haven't been announced yet. !
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The Maryland Craft Beer Festival is a beloved annual celebration of Maryland's thriving craft beer scene, held each spring along the scenic Carroll Creek Linear Park in historic downtown Frederick. Organized by the Brewers Association of Maryland (BAM) and presented by Visit Frederick, the festival has been bringing together craft beer enthusiasts for approximately 25 years, making it one of the longest-running beer festivals in the state. The event features over 50 local Maryland breweries pouring more than 200 different craft beer samples.
Beyond the beer, the festival offers a full day of entertainment including live music across multiple stages, a curated lineup of food trucks, and local craft vendors. The park setting along Carroll Creek provides an attractive backdrop that distinguishes this festival from typical fairground events. Tickets are available in multiple tiers: a standard Tasting Pass with entry at 1:30 PM, a Beer Geek Pass with early noon entry and an exclusive glass, and a BAM Bus option that includes round-trip transportation from Baltimore along with Beer Geek Pass benefits.
The Maryland Craft Beer Festival is a key event for the state's craft beer community and serves as a showcase for the diversity and quality of Maryland-brewed beers. With an estimated attendance of around 5,000 people, it offers an approachable size that allows for genuine interaction with brewers while still delivering a wide selection of styles and flavors. Tickets are sold in advance only and are non-refundable, and early bird pricing is typically available.
The Maryland Craft Beer Festival is one of the longest-running craft beer festivals on the East Coast, organized by the Brewers Association of Maryland (BAM), which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2025. BAM was founded in the late 1990s as a nonprofit trade association to grow, promote, and protect the state's craft beer industry -- an industry with remarkably deep roots. Maryland's brewing history stretches back to the colonial era, when the colony's first brewing company opened in Annapolis in 1703. The modern craft movement traces to 1989, when Heavy Seas founder Hugh Sisson opened Sisson's, Maryland's first brewpub, after personally lobbying to legalize brewpubs in the state two years earlier. BAM emerged from that pioneering spirit, giving the state's growing community of small brewers a collective voice in Annapolis and a platform to reach consumers.
The festival has been held along the Carroll Creek Linear Park in downtown Frederick for much of its history, and the venue is a major part of its identity. Carroll Creek is not a fairground or a parking lot; it is a beautifully landscaped urban park that winds through Frederick's historic district, giving the event the feel of a neighborhood block party rather than a massive industry expo. With an attendance of around 5,000, the festival is large enough to showcase 50-plus Maryland breweries pouring more than 200 beers, yet small enough that attendees can actually talk to the people who made what they are drinking.
BAM produces two large-scale festivals each year -- the spring Maryland Craft Beer Festival in Frederick and the autumn Baltimore Craft Beer Festival in the city -- but the Frederick edition holds a special place as the organization's signature event. Proceeds go directly to BAM's legislative and promotional work on behalf of its member breweries. Multiple ticket tiers, including the Beer Geek Pass with early entry and the BAM Bus option with round-trip transportation from Baltimore, reflect a thoughtful approach to accessibility. For Frederick, a city that has quietly built one of Maryland's most vibrant downtown food-and-drink scenes, the festival is both an economic driver and an annual point of civic pride.
Founded
2001
Organizer
Brewers Association of Maryland (BAM)
Breweries
50+
Beers
200+
Attendance
5,000
Tier
Major
2027 dates not yet announced
The last edition was held May 9, 2026. when 2027 dates are announced.
1 day
Carroll Creek Linear Park
44 South Market Street, Frederick, MD 21701
📍
Frederick, Maryland
50+ breweries
200+ beers to try
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Maryland Craft Beer Festival 2027 dates have not been announced yet. Check back for updates!
Maryland Craft Beer Festival is held at Carroll Creek Linear Park, 44 South Market Street, Frederick, MD 21701.
Ticket pricing for Maryland Craft Beer Festival 2027 has not been announced yet. Check the official website for updates.
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Burp Fest is the world's premier competitive burping organization. We bring our burping contests to beer festivals across America, giving attendees the chance to compete for glory, trophies, and social media fame.
Sign up on our website and we'll let you know as soon as a Burp Fest contest is confirmed at Maryland Craft Beer Festival.
Previous editions of Maryland Craft Beer Festival.
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