Per Matt
Downtown Nashville is about to get brewing as the 18th Annual Music City Brewer’s Festival arrives at Walk of Fame Park on Saturday, July 27, 2019.

From 5 pm to 9 pm, more than 5,000 attendees will be sampling a variety of beverages from more than 50 breweries, while enjoying a variety of activities. There will be about 15 breweries representing the Volunteer state, along with some cideries and distilleries. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Nashville Humane Society. If taking rideshare to the beer festival, the best drop-off/pick-up address would be at the Hilton, at 121 4th Ave. S.

General admission tickets will include a souvenir tasting cup and free beverages throughout the event. VIP tickets will include everything from GA tickets, plus entry one hour earlier, plus specialty brews, VIP port-o-let access, one free dodgeball game during the first VIP hour and a VIP shaded seating area. Food will be available to purchase and there will be live music, as well as dodgeball games taking place throughout the day. This is a rain-or-shine event. For more details, please visit the Music City Brewer’s Festival webpage.

Regional Event Director Candace Price gave me the inside scoop on this year’s festival. For information on how to skip waiting in the entry ticketing line, keep reading:

What’s new this year for the Music City Brewer’s Festival?

  • “One of the most interesting things that is new this year is the launch of Pura Still, the first spiked still water. They have three refreshing flavors to try. Also, we have included $15 in free rides from Uber or Lyft if you use the Freebird Ride app. $5 to the event, $5 from the event and an extra $5 to use later. You don’t have to worry about parking or driving! It’s perfect. Just use the MCBF promo code.”

What kind of craft beers do you expect to be featured this year?

  • “A little bit of everything — too many to list — there will be something for everyone.”

With the expected attendance hovering around 5,000 people, why only one session this year?

  • “At our peak, we had close to 7,500 people and didn’t have enough room in the one session. We went back to one session last year and it works pretty good and it’s not as hard of a day for all of the workers.”

For a new attendee, how would you compare the difference between general admission vs. VIP tickets?

  • “A VIP gets an extra hour in the beginning with lots of elbow room, a super fancy VIP lanyard to show how cool you are ;-), plus access throughout the day to a special shaded seating area, VIP potty and a specialty brew or two that the GA doesn’t have access to during the day.”

What kind of festival tips can you give for people to have the best type of experience?

  • “Wear comfortable clothes and shoes, hydrate throughout the day (with water), bring some money and plan to eat a little something there — we have great festival food this year!”

What kind of entertainment surprises await this year?

  • “We have a new band that is a collection of some of Nashville’s best musicians, with a unique combination of soul, rock, funk, country and folk: Lady Couch. And a new DJ this year that is sure to get the whole place dancing, as we have the last several years.”

What are the details for playing dodgeball?

  • “Dodgeball2You is a mobile dodgeball arena that can go anywhere and create different size arenas — indoor or outdoor. People have had a ton of fun with it. We had brewers vs. distributors in there last year. It’s a blast!”

Do you have a rideshare coupon for the festival?

  • “YES! Download the Freebird Ride app and get $15 toward Uber or Lyft rides with MCBF.”

A portion of the ticket sales will go toward the Nashville Humane Society. What kind of setup will they bring?

  • “The plan is to have adoptable pets there, but as I understand, there was a little cold going around and they were still deciding if they were going to bring the pets out. You can skip the line if you bring an item from the wish list for Nashville Humane Association. Find the list on Facebook, Instagram or the event website.”

For more details about the Music City Brewer’s Festival, please visit the event webpage.