Attention all beer enthusiasts! Cheers to Chicago’s booming craft beer scene at the city’s packed calendar of beer fests. Sample craft beers — from IPAs to hard ciders and beyond — made by local, national, and international breweries at Chicago beer festivals and events scheduled all year long.
Explore Chicago’s beer festival calendar and start planning your year of beer.
Spring and summer beer festivals in Chicago
Mayfest
Raise your glass under the big top tent! Known as the original Mayfest, this celebration kicks off Chicago’s summer festivals. The local-favorite fest takes place in the Lakeview neighborhood with live music, German food and drink, and an outdoor beer garden.
Illinois Craft Beer Week
Join the annual celebration of Illinois craft beer. Hundreds of venues participate, with tap takeovers, tastings of rare beers, food and beer pairings, and loads of other special events. The main event is Beer Under Glass, a tasting fest in the stunning Garfield Park Conservatory.
Maifest
The Lincoln Square neighborhood has been hosting this four-day festival for more than 20 years, with a hearty dose of German beer, food, live bands, a traditional maypole — and a lot of lederhosen.
Craft Brews at the Zoo
Savor more than 100 specialty brews from local and regional breweries at this one-of-a-kind event. Beer-tasting stations will be set up throughout the Lincoln Park Zoo‘s beautiful grounds during this after-hours experience just for adults. Plus, enjoy food for purchase, DJs spinning, lawn games, and unique after-dark zoo viewing.
Chicago Friday Night Flights
Chicago Friday Night Flights is back with a dynamic series of summer tastings, highlighting the city’s status as an epicenter of the craft beer movement (we’re home to 160 breweries and counting). Plus, enjoy live music and food from local vendors throughout the evening. Various locations
Craft Beer Festival at The Morton Arboretum
Drink craft beers among the trees at The Morton Arboretum’s outdoor festival, which pairs live music and serene surroundings with beer tastings from dozens of local producers. Located in nearby suburban Lisle, this 1,700-acre nature haven is a living plant museum. Bring a chair or blanket to kick back on the grass while enjoying local brews from your souvenir tasting glass.
Ravenswood on Tap
Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood is one of the hottest craft brewing communities in the country. There you’ll find big-name craft beer producers like Half Acre, smaller brewers like Begyle and Dovetail, and even craft distillery KOVAL. Sample the best of this beer-centric neighborhood during Ravenswood on Tap, a two-day tasting that includes food trucks, a killer lineup of live music, and handmade goods from local artisans.
Horner Brew Fest
Fill up on four hours of craft beer and live music on a warm summer night in Lincoln Square’s beautiful Horner Park. Local food trucks will line the park, and live music will play throughout the evening.
Square Roots Craft Brew & Music Festival
The Square Roots Festival is a craft beer and music experience in Chicago’s historic Lincoln Square neighborhood. More than 30,000 fans attend Square Roots each year to enjoy 50 local craft brews (including special batch and limited release taps), stellar local cuisine, and the diverse genres of entertainment that only the Old Town School of Folk Music can offer.
Oak Park Microbrew Review
Enjoy your beer while helping the plants. Neighboring Oak Park — the historic community 10 miles west of Chicago known for its Frank Lloyd Wright architecture — holds a sustainable microbrew festival each year. The annual event features over 80 craft brewers and 200 craft beers, plus food tastings from local organic farmers — all with zero waste.
Fall and winter beer festivals in Chicago
Chicago German-American Oktoberfest
Toast to German culture at this annual Oktoberfest. Try authentic German food and traditional drinks, dance to the music of German bands, and spend the evening with friends enjoying fall in Chicago.
Christmas and Winter Beer Tasting
The block party at Goose Island’s Fulton Street Brewery will be packed with more beer, food, and live music than ever before! Start with the brews, including fave Goose Island brews 312 Urban Wheat Ale, Green Line IPA, Grand Prestige, Brasserie Blanc, and specialty pours of Bourbon County Brand Stout. Then check out the local eats and live bands playing late into the night.
Revolution Oktoberfest
A two-day fest outside Revolution’s Logan Square tap room? Sign us up! Beer, brats, and brats combine to make this a can’t-miss event for fans of Revolution’s iconic brews.
Oktoberfest Chicago
St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church hosts its annual Oktoberfest celebration! The three-day family-friendly festival will be located inside and outside the church on the streets of the Lakeview neighborhood, with craft beer tastings, live music, local food vendors, and family-friendly activities each day.
Oktoberfestiversary
The two-day, annual Oktoberfestiversary is brought to you by two of Chicago’s most beloved microbrewers. Dovetail and Begyle, two neighboring breweries in Irving Park, join forces to celebrate the neighborhood, season, and beer. Entertainment, food trucks, and lots of beer are on the agenda.
Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers
Insiders know it as FoBAB — and they know this is the hottest ticket if you want to enjoy the most exclusive beers out there. This is the country’s largest celebration of wood and barrel-aged beers, featuring over 160 breweries pouring their rarest brews inside the massive Credit Union 1 Arena.
BrewLights at Lincoln Park Zoo
Support Chicago’s free zoo with a craft brew in hand, while more than 2.5 million lights illuminate the zoo grounds. Make your way through local craft, seasonal, and imported beers, located at stations throughout the zoo.
Christmas and Winter Beer Tasting
The 21st annual rendition of this annual festival claims to be the most comprehensive tasting of Christmas and winter beers held anywhere in North America. There will be over 100 beers to sample from all over the globe at this beloved Lincoln Park bar.
Chicago Ale Fest – Winter Edition
Celebrate American craft beer in the heart of Chicago. The massive ballroom at Navy Pier plays host to more than 150 brews (and ciders too), while a lineup of local food trucks serving everything from fried chicken to pierogis will keep the crowds fed.
Winter Brew
Stay warm while drinking a cold one. This event brings the street festival scene indoors for the winter. Local breweries and cideries set up shop inside the DANK Haus German American Cultural Center. Each will showcase up to two of their brews, including rare and specialty options.
The Chicago Beer Festival
Dinosaur bones and craft brews? Why not?! Domestic and international breweries will be sampling their spring seasonal beers in the sprawling main hall of the Field Museum for this year’s event. And after you have your sips, go exploring as select museum exhibits will be open to attendees. Don’t forget to say hi to SUE, the most complete T. rex ever discovered.
Looking for more? Explore beer tastings and festivals in Chicago this month.
