Things You'll Need:
- A ticket
- Sunscreen
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Step 1
Buy your tickets in advance. The city has strict occupancy limits for the beer garden and tickets tend to sell out before the day of Beer Fest. Tickets can be purchased at Pinch Penny Liquors usually beginning in mid-August.
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Step 2
Arrive early. At the appointed hour, the beer garden gates will be thrown open and in exchange for a ticket, participants will receive a souvenir pilsner glass and a ticket for the prize drawing at the end of the fest. Also included will be a map of the beer vendors and a list of the types of beer on tap for sampling.
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Step 3
Skip to the middle. Since most people will start at one end or the other of the beer vendors, skip to the middle for the shortest lines. Make notes not only of the best-tasting beers and other malt beverages, including Lynchburg Lemonade and Mike's Hard Cider, but also which vendors are most generous with the samples. Most will fill the glass about half full, requiring you to get back in line for more, but others will fill the glass completely.
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Step 4
Try new drinks. Most of the distributors use Beer Fest as an opportunity to test market new drinks. Past test market products have included fruit-flavored beers and odd varieties of Schafly's and Samuel Adams beers.
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Step 5
Step inside and grab some cold air. The inside of the pub is almost as crowded as the beer garden, but you can step inside for barbecue, beans and potato salad as well as some air conditioning. Inside, the house beers made at the Copper Dragon Brewing Company are also available for free samples.
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Step 6
Collect the schwag. Vendors will have free stuff ranging from beads and light-up necklaces to bottle openers and key chains. Towards the end of Beer Fest, many will also give away their table decorations, including blow-up beer cans and more. Some vendors will even give away left over, unopened "samples" to friends or favorite customers.
