Beerfest Recap: Feels Good To Be Back
/The Lancaster Craft Beerfest returned back and better than ever last Saturday, August 24 2024!
“We were so pleased seeing everyone having a great time at Lancaster Craft Beerfest again, it's really great to be back,” said Chris Trendler, Partner of Decades and one of the creators of the Lancaster Craft Beerfest. “Thank you to everyone that attended, our wonderful sponsors and volunteers, and all of our families and friends that helped make this event a success. See you next summer!”
The Lancaster Craft Beerfest is brought to you by Decades, a company formed by three childhood friends who grew up and reside in Lancaster, PA. Formerly Joycat Events, Decades is a local restaurant, bar, retro arcade, and bowling alley in the City of Lancaster.
"What an incredible turnout,” said Jonathan Yeager, Partner of Decades and one of the creators of the Lancaster Craft Beerfest. “After four years, we're so thankful for all the support we received from the Lancaster community, our sponsors, our partners, and attendees—and we cannot wait to bring it back next year! A special thanks and shout-out to our volunteers who are amazing, and we could not pull this event off without them."
The event featured over 30 breweries, delicious food vendors, and great live music—all on a beautiful summer Saturday in downtown Lancaster City.
We’re extremely thankful for all of the guests, volunteers, sponsors, and vendors that made this event happen. It’s because of you that we were able to return once again!
Check out our recap story below and explore some great photos of the event below!
1 - Good Brews, Great Vibes
"This was our first Lancaster Beerfest and we already can't wait for the next one,” said Nick Esposito, attendee of the recent beerfest. “It was so nice to be able to interact with some of our favorite brewers, find new favorites, and see the community doing the same."
Attendees could choose from two different sessions—Noon-3pm or 4pm-7pm, so it could be a party any time of the day. The weather was perfect—and it’s the first Lancaster Craft Beerfest that utilized the new Ewell Plaza along with Binn’s Park for a large festival experience great to celebrate the end-of-summer season.
“This was my first Lancaster Craft Beerfest, and I cannot stress enough how much fun it was,” said Cara Walker, attendee of the beerfest. “From the selection of breweries and vendors to the music to the organization and set-up, everything worked together to create an atmosphere that was filled with camaraderie and an appreciation for Lancaster. It was truly one of my favorite events of the summer!”
Of course the main draw of the event was the over 30 breweries that participated in the beerfest ranging from local favorites to regional staples, plus a few non-beer spots including Meduseld Meadery and KLYR Rum. The team wanted a great mix for everyone to explore while they sampled favorites and checking out new options. Check out the full list of breweries that participated here!
“The relaunch of the Lancaster Craft Beer Festival feels like a stellar success,” said Nicole Berkbile, from South County Brewing Company. “We were thrilled with the turn out, and the opportunity to chat with our fans and make some new ones! Looking forward to next year already. Thanks to all the hard working folks who busted a sweat with us on Saturday!”
2 - Delicious Food & Live Music
"As a vendor, Lancaster Craft Beerfest is always an event we look forward to for a few reasons,” said Michael Kambouroglos, owner of Souvlaki Boys. “First and foremost, it's a very well organized and well run event, which means you know what to expect and you know where you stand. Also, it's a fun event in the community that brings out people who are there for a good time, so the vibe is great. Finally, the organizers do a good job of selecting a few very good food vendors, which provide a fun mix of offerings and opportunity for each to be successful. We're looking forward to next year!"
Food vendors included Souvlaki Boys, Cabalar, Diyo Fusion, Gnawjaw Jerky (and bacon!), Lancaster Pickle Company, and Scoop’s. It was a fantastic lineup of local favorites for everyone to enjoy.
The beerfest featured two bands that elevated the atmosphere with chill jams. Andy Mowatt’s Steely Jam showcased their retro sound and modern funk for the first session while Band Of Llamas, PA’s roots-rock-funk-blues group, energized the second session. We’re thankful for both groups that provided great tunes that added to the energy of the day!
3 - Investing In Community: Thanks To Our Sponsors & Supporters
The many sponsors and supporters of the event truly helped make the return of the beerfest a success.
The Decades and beerfest team wants to extend a special thanks to the The Rotary Club of Lancaster Penn Square for being a Presenting Sponsor and benefactor of the event. Their mission helps elevate many aspects of our City and community, and having them as a presenting sponsor for the event was an honor!
We also want to thank our Event Sponsors Benchmark Construction Company, Inc. and The Restaurant Store. Both organizations choose to invest in our local community often—we are incredibly grateful to have them both be part of this celebration as they helped us bring it back!
Thank you to our Event Partners Stray Production Services for stage & audio coordination, RockHound Apparel for our sweet merch, BUiLDiNG CHARACTER for the delicious root beer & event maps, and Signarama Lancaster for our great banners and signs. All four organizations were dedicated in bringing varying important aspects of the beerfest to life.
We also had the incredible Brian Nguyen as our pro photographer capturing the many images of the event (including those in this article)!
Sponsors weren’t the only thing that helped make the event a success. The large team of volunteers was crucial to making the beerfest one of the best yet!
“It really took a whole team to make this happen,” said Tony Gorick, Decades Marketing & Sales Manager and coordinator of the beerfest volunteers. “Our volunteers are dedicated and incredible—I am so grateful for their help in making this whole celebration possible.”
From refilling ice to handing out tasting glasses, our volunteers helped every aspect of the beerfest to ensure it went well for all attendees!
We are grateful to all of those who attended one of the sessions, our great volunteers, all of the breweries, bands, and vendors, and all of our sponsors.
It felt good to be back to the City of Lancaser—and we can’t wait to toast again in 2025. Stay tuned.
Cheers!
