2026 Vermont Brewers Festival in Burlington: Sips, Sunshine, and Gorgeous Views
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The Vermont Brewers Festival returns to the Burlington waterfront July 17 and 18, 2026, with three tasting sessions, a VIP option, and more than 40 breweries pouring some of our favorite brews.
Let’s drink a toast to summer on the Waterfront!
What You Need to Know: The Basics
Session 1, Friday, July 17, 5:30 to 9:30 pm. Doors open at 5, taps flow at 5:30.
Session 2, Saturday, July 18, noon to 4:00 p.m. Doors open at 11:30.
Session 3, Saturday, July 18, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Doors open at 5, taps flow at 5:30.
Each session is $60 in advance and includes festival glassware to keep, 15 tasting tabs (3 oz each) good across more than 40 breweries, access to 7 food vendors and 11 retail vendors, live music, lawn games, and waterfront views.
Vermont accepts Canadian ticket purchases at par, so bring proof of residency at pickup, or you will be routed to the box office and charged the difference.
VIP, Friday, July 17, 4:30 to 9:30 pm, $115. Limited capacity. Includes an hour of early entry starting at 4:30, access to a VIP lounge, exclusive beer pours, light food, and 5 extra tasting tickets on top of the standard 15. Full festival access begins at 5.
Designated Driver ticket for all sessions: $22. Includes unlimited non-alcoholic beer, a separate entrance line, festival glassware, and access to all food, music, and games. New this year: a map at DD check-in shows where to find the non-alcoholic offerings, and the ticket can now be purchased in advance instead of on-site only.
Fermentation Tent add-on, $15. A 30-minute panel each session featuring a brewer, two other fermentation producers, and a local chef, moderated by Seven Days food writer Jordan Barry. Includes five extra beer tickets.
Extra beer tickets: $10 for 5 additional 3 oz tastings, sold at the VBA merch tent.
Who’s Pouring
The lineup includes more than 40 breweries this year, a mix of Vermont regulars and out-of-state guests. Hill Farmstead, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Foam Brewers, Switchback, and Queen City Brewery will be pouring across all three sessions, alongside newer names like Lost Marble Brewing and Kraemer & Kin.
A few breweries, including Two Heroes and River Roost, pour only during one session, so check which sessions your favorites are at before you buy. Check out the full line-up of breweries for this year’s festival.
Parking and Getting There
Parking near Waterfront Park is limited.
There are metered spots on Lake Street, plus the Downtown Garage on College Street and the Marketplace Garage on Cherry and Bank, both within walking distance.
Burlington has good rideshare coverage, and walking or biking in is often easier than hunting for a spot downtown.
Opinions, Opinions: My Take on the Vermont Brewers Festival
For someone who has been to the festival before and knows the layout, the early entry hour for the VIP ticket is a big draw. Twenty tasting tickets are more than most people (me) can finish anyway, so the extra pours matter less than getting into the good lines before the general crowd arrives.
As wonderful as it is to beat the crowds, if this is your first time, I would put that $115 toward the Fermentation Tent instead. It is a smaller, quieter part of the festival, and it tends to get overlooked in favor of the main attraction (the beer).
And, the Designated Driver ticket is the one I think deserves more attention. If you are coming with a group, having one person on a DD ticket instead of a full-price ticket saves money and still gets you the whole festival experience, food, music, and views included.
I love Vermont Beer, but I also love the inclusivity of the NA offerings. You can still support Vermont brewers without imbibing!
As for sessions, Session 1 pulls a smaller Friday night crowd and better evening light off the lake. Session 3 seems to sell out first every year, and it is the one with the most energy if you want the full scene.
Whichever you choose, plan your parking before you plan your pours. You don’t want to be stuck in traffic or driving around aimlessly looking for parking as the event is starting. I suggest going a few hours early and wandering around Burlington before walking down to the waterfront.
If you’re making a weekend of it, July is one of the best months to be in Burlington. I’ve got a full rundown of what to do for the rest of your visit in Burlington. If you want to visit a few breweries before or after the festival, check out some of our favorites in Burlington.
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