Burp Fest at Minnesota Craft Beer Festival 2026

The Minnesota Craft Beer Festival arrived in 2016 as an import from Colorado, brought to the Twin Cities by Unfiltered Media Group, the publishers of Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine. The concept was straightforward: replicate the taproom-style festival experience the magazine had successfully staged in other cities, leveraging Minneapolis's enthusiastic craft beer community and the ample floor space of the Minneapolis Convention Center. With 80-plus breweries pouring more than 300 beers from the very first edition, the festival quickly established itself as a spring staple, routinely selling out and earning a reputation for showcasing both local favorites and out-of-state breweries that Minnesotans might not otherwise encounter.

Over its run the festival built a loyal following by pairing quantity with curation. Early Entry Tasting tickets gave devoted fans first crack at limited and exclusive releases, while general admission kept the event accessible to casual drinkers. The organizers also directed a portion of gross revenue to local charitable causes, including Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity's "House That Beer Built" initiative, which gave the event a philanthropic dimension beyond the pours.

Despite that momentum, 2026 will be the first year the festival goes dark. The organizers announced the cancellation and encouraged fans to check back for a possible 2027 return, though no specifics have been shared. The hiatus leaves a noticeable gap in the Twin Cities spring calendar. Whether the Minnesota Craft Beer Festival returns or not, it demonstrated that a nationally produced beer festival could thrive in a market already rich with Guild-run events -- a testament to just how deep the demand for craft beer runs in Minneapolis.