$31 per session.  $10 for designated drivers. Magic City Brewfest walkup ticket price the day of the sessions will be $38.

The music line-up and the time of day. And though there may some slight differences in some special beer tappings, the beer selection will be exceptional at both sessions. The quantity of beer will be the same at both sessions.

The normal parking fee at Sloss is $5. That pays for parking staff and security to keep your vehicle safe.

Absolutely, though we recommend the Saturday session as the most “family-friendly”.  Note that no one under the age of 21 will be admitted without a legal guardian.

Food will be sold by the plate.  Keep an eye on the Event Info page for more information as restaurants get added.

Yes, there will be plenty of complimentary sodas and water available.

Twenty 32nd Street North, Birmingham, AL 35222

Many beer enthusiasts line up well in advance for the festival, and there will most likely be a line at the entrance to the Magic City Brewfest. An ID check of all who enter the festival is required. The line will move quickly if you have your ID out to make the age verification process run smoothly.

You must be 21+ with a valid photo ID to enter the festival.

No, we do not accept personal checks.  We do accept cash or major credit cards. There will be an ATM on site if you need cash.

Note: Tickets for the 2009 and 2010 Magic City Brewfest sold out in advance. There were no on-site ticket sales. Please plan ahead!

State law and ABC regulations do not allow us to give “unlimited free samples.” The gate price gets you admission to the festival. Once inside, you will be charged $0.01 for each beer sample. We utilize the honor system. You can leave a quarter in one bucket and enjoy 25 samples.

The purpose of the Magic City Brewfest is for you to enjoy and sample a wide range of great beers.

It wasn’t an easy decision but the two FTH brewfests have been the only major beer festivals we know of that allowed designated drivers to get in for free. It’s no small expense and also contributes to overcrowding. This year we decided to charge a small admission fee for designated drivers. In return, we will provide tokens that they can use with our food vendors.

Unlike many similar events, we pay the local restaurants and caterers to participate in the Magic City Brewfest. Most of the money you pay for tokens goes to the vendors. However, we’re a single point of sale for sales tax purposes, and we also use tokens for other purchases not controlled by vendors such as soft drinks. Trust us, it just makes the accounting a lot easier at the end of the day on Saturday.

We love for the breweries to come out to our festival! However, they are not allowed to serve beer at our event – even to themselves! This has to do with our ABC license – only the Green Shirt volunteers are allowed to serve alcohol. The good news is that the brewery reps are then free to talk to you about what you’re drinking!

No. Not at all, actually. The truth is that the Magic City Brewfest is one of the best value beer festivals in the country. Similar festivals typically run $40 – $45. Ticket prices are set as low as possible while also being a successful fundraiser for Free the Hops.

We certainly want you to find beer you like that you will seek out after the festival! Unfortunately, it’s virtually impossible to compile a list of which bars and stores carry which beer. Even past the nightmare of compiling such a list, it’s almost certain to be out-of-date quickly as retailers change their inventory.

This really is a common complaint from our guests. All I can say is that it happens at major beer festivals all over the country. Part of the fun of being at a brewfest is meeting and talking to the brewers and talking about craft beer. At the popular and local breweries, there’s going to be a crowd. If there’s a line behind you, please step to the side to talk to the folks at the brewery so the Green Shirt volunteers can serve the people behind you.

The tents signage is handled by either the brewery or their distributor. One of the smaller beer distributors last year did not have signage for their tents. We will strongly suggest they do so this time, but it’s really not something that Free the Hops controls.

We will have dump buckets this year.