Kawartha Craft Beer Festival

The seventh annual Kawartha Craft Beer Festival kicks off on Friday, May 31 at 4p.m. with food vendors, live entertainment, merchandise, games, and of course, lots of beer to sample.

The Kawartha Craft Beer Festival presented by Bobcaygeon Brewing Company is back at Del Crary Park in Peterborough from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday May 31 and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday June 1 this summer.

Visitors can taste brews from across Ontario, with 16 beer vendors pouring samples. The festival has also brought in seven food vendors serving everything from tacos to ice cream, and six local merchandise vendors for guests to explore. With a diverse live music lineup, lawn games, and a new Kids’ Zone, festival organizer Kim Cranfield said she hopes to attract more families to the festival than ever.

“We’re expecting 4,000 people over the two-day festival this year,” Cranfield said. “We’re seeing a lot of interest in the event and we think people are really ready to enjoy events again. We find that the majority of our attendees are from Peterborough, but we have always had visitors coming from Ottawa to Toronto and beyond. Those visitors travelling into the city for the event continue to grow year after year.”

Cranfield added she is excited about the live musical talent that will take to the stage during the festival this year. Featured artists include Richard Henderson, Pop Machine, and Jordy Jackson on Friday, and Cheryl Cassleman, Wicklow, Buck Twenty, Blue Hazel, and Melissa Payne on Saturday. “We are bringing in a bigger stage than we’ve ever had and we can’t wait to see these bands perform,” she said.

The Kawartha Craft Beer Festival is independently owned and operated by two staff who organize it in their spare time, with help from loyal community partners and sponsors. “We wish we had a full staff, but our partners have been with us since day one, so we are a well-oiled machine after seven years,” Cranfield said. “We start planning the next year’s event during the current year’s event. We always have an ongoing list of things we notice during the event that we can improve on year over year. We’ve come a long way since our first year and we are so proud to be back in 2024.”

Tickets are available online at the Kawartha Craft Beer Festival website. A festival pass costs $25 plus tax and includes entry all weekend with a wristband, as well as two beer sample tokens. Also available for purchase are Kids’ Zone passes (only one pass needed for the whole family) for $11.30, and packs of four beer sample tokens for $10. Beer sample tokens can also be purchased in-person at the festival.