Sip, Savor, and Celebrate: Your Guide to Pennsylvania's Upcoming Beer and Wine Festivals

Photo courtesy of Destination Gettysburg

By Kalena Thomhave

August 10, 2023

We’ve highlighted some of our favorite festivals in the state and included a list of many more for you to keep in mind as you make your late summer and fall plans.

By attending one of Pennsylvania’s many beer and wine festivals, you’ll be supporting local breweries, wineries, cideries, meaderies, and distilleries.

We’ve highlighted some of our favorite festivals in the state and included a list of many more for you to keep in mind as you make your late summer and fall plans.

Barrel & Flow Fest – Pittsburgh

Date: Aug. 12

Cost: General admission $60

Pittsburgh’s Barrel & Flow was the first Black craft beer and arts festival in the country, and was recently recognized as the third best beer festival in the country according to USA Today. The tradition continues this year with dozens of local and national breweries participating, the majority of which are Black-owned. The festival will also include live music, live art, and a market of vendors, community organizations, and food.

Upper Bucks Brewfest – Quakertown

Date: Aug. 19

Cost: General admission $50

Located in, you guessed it, Bucks County, the Upper Bucks Brewfest promises to offer more than 70 craft beers and wines at the 2023 incarnation of the annual festival, which will also host food vendors, live music, and a raffle. Proceeds benefit the revitalization of downtown Quakertown.

Seven Springs Wine Festival – Seven Springs

Date: Aug. 25-27

Cost: Friday general admission from $34, Saturday general admission from $42, Sunday general admission from $30

Seven Springs Mountain Resort will play host to about two dozen Pennsylvania wineries at this year’s Seven Springs Wine Festival. Described as an “end of summer garden party,” the Somerset County festival will also feature live music and wine seminars.

Fonthill Castle Beer Fest – Doylestown

Date: Aug. 26

Cost: General admission $75

The Fonthill Castle Beer Fest is an annual fundraiser for Doylestown’s Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle, cultural institutions that are the legacy of archeologist and collector Henry Mercer. You’ll sample beers from more than a dozen local and regional breweries on the stunning grounds of an actual castle in Bucks County.

Allentown Beer Fest – Allentown

Date: Sept. 9

Cost: General admission $45 in advance, $50 at door

This September, the sixth incarnation of the annual Allentown Beer Fest takes place in the streets of downtown Allentown. More than 60 breweries will pour beers against a backdrop of live music, while food trucks and nearby restaurants join the revelry in the road to hawk their food.

Gettysburg Wine & Music Festival – Gettysburg

Date: Sept. 9-10

Cost: General admission $30 in advance, $50 for both days

One of Central Pennsylvania’s best wine festivals takes place in Adams County. The 19th Annual Gettysburg Wine & Music Festival is two days of samples from dozens of local wineries and distilleries. Live music provides the soundtrack while you imbibe and/or browse the many arts, crafts, and food vendors.

Philadelphia Black Wine Festival – Philadelphia

Date: Sept. 9

Cost: Early bird admission $60, General admission $70

This wine festival, taking place at Philadelphia’s Cherry Street Pier, aims to highlight Black wine brands. Besides unlimited wine tasting, Philadelphia Black Wine Festival guests will also have access to curated cocktails, food pairings, and live music.

Dauphin County Jazz & Wine Festival – Harrisburg

Date: Sept. 10

Cost: General admission $50 in advance, $60 at the door

Take a trip to Harrisburg this September to take part in the 16th Annual Dauphin County Jazz & Wine Festival. This family-friendly event (children under 12 are free) will be held at the lovely Fort Hunter Park on the Susquehanna River. Along with wineries and breweries, there will be arts and crafts vendors as well as food stands. Even though food will be sold at the festival, families can also bring their own snacks and picnic baskets.

Snack Town Brewfest – Hanover

Date: Sept. 16

Cost: General admission $35 in advance, price increases day of

York County’s Snack Town Brewfest combines Hanover’s reputation for making salty snacks with a beer and wine festival. The festival serves beer and cider from dozens of breweries, and wineries are also invited. Live music, games, and other entertainment will also be available at the festival’s site at Moul Field.

Rocktoberfest – Pittsburgh

Date: Sept. 16

Cost: General admission $15 in advance, $20 day of; beer purchased separately

Rocktoberfest, a one-day party at Pittsburgh’s South Side Works, is a condensed, one-day version of Oktoberfest with live music, food, and at least seven local breweries pouring Oktoberfest-style beers.

North East WineFest – North East

Date: Sept. 22-24

Cost: Full weekend general admission $55, Friday or Sunday admission: $20, Saturday admission: $40

This wine festival, an annual tradition for more than 40 years, celebrates the wines of Lake Erie Wine Country. North East WineFest attracts wine lovers from across the region who are excited to sample wines from the wineries that make the Lake Erie area home. The 10 wineries participating in WineFest this year will be accompanied by an arts and craft fair, live music, and food offerings.

Honesdale Beer & Wine Fest – Honesdale

Date: Sept. 23

Cost: General admission $25

Up in NEPA, the Honesdale Beer & Wine Fest brings local breweries and wineries to Wayne County. Like any great festival, you’ll be treated to live music, arts and crafts vendors, and an array of area food trucks.

Kutztown Oktoberfest – Kutztown

Date: Sept. 23

Cost: General admission $35 in advance, day of $45

Kutztown Oktoberfest, a “nontraditional Oktoberfest” according to event sponsors, is a tasting event featuring Pennsylvania breweries, wineries, meaderies, cideries, and distilleries. The Berks County festival will also feature live music as well as a DJ spinning German tunes.

The All-Star Craft Beer, Wine, and Cocktail Festival – Philadelphia

Date: Sept. 30

Cost: General admission $50

Photo courtesy of Kate Kelly via Visit Philadelphia

The All-Star Craft Beer, Wine, and Cocktail Festival takes place all across the country, as this festival brings the party—and hundreds of libations—to popular baseball parks. This fall, the festival takes place at Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Phillies. Not only will festival goers be able to experience the ballpark outside of a game—including a visit to the Phillies dugout and a walk on the outfield’s warning track—but they’ll also enjoy cocktails, beer, and wine from the region and around the world, as well as live music and games.