The fourth annual Blue Harbor Craft Beer Festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 23 at the Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center, 725 Blue Harbor Dr. in Sheboygan.
Attendees at the festival can indulge in beer samples from more than 30 breweries while enjoying an early autumn view of Lake Michigan.
Participating breweries include Toppling Goliath (Decorah, Iowa), Half Acre (Chicago, Ill.), Karben4 Brewing (Madison, Wis.) and local brewers 3 Sheeps Brewing Company (Sheboygan, Wis.), 8th Street Ale Haus (Sheboygan, Wis.), Plymouth Brewing (Plymouth, Wis.) and new to the local line-up Switch Gear Brewing (Elkhart Lake, Wis.). Among newcomers to the festival are City Lights Brewing Co. (Milwaukee, Wis.), Bell’s Brewery (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Stone Arch Handcrafted Beers (Appleton, Wis.) and Capital Brewing (Middleton, Wis.).
Among the offerings, guests will find traditional favorites along with barrel aged beers and seasonal and special offerings including Oktoberfest, chocolate porter, pumpkin ale, blueberry vanilla porter as well as a variety of ciders.
According to James Owen, co-founder of local brewery 3 Sheeps Brewing Company and Blue Harbor Craft Beer Festival co-sponsor, the event has a very impressive list of top craft breweries and beers in one location and in one event.
"A major reason for establishing this festival was to showcase Sheboygan as a major destination for craft beer," notes James Owen, festival co-sponsor and co-founder of 3 Sheeps Brewing Company. "We're excited that attendees of all palates will be able to sample great beers that they otherwise perhaps wouldn't be able to try," said Owen.
Festival features
Friday, Sept. 22 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Beer BBQ featuring food and beer pairings with Johnsonville Sausage
The event will take place at the 3 Sheeps Brewing Co. tap room where four food selections will be expertly paired with 3 Sheeps brews, including new release Paid Time Off. Tickets are $25 and benefit Safe Harbor of Sheboygan Co.
Saturday, Sept. 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
VIP Event Experience
Guests can chat with area brewers while enjoying exclusive limited-edition beers with culinary pairings and small plates designed by the culinary teams at Blue Harbor Resort. Included in the VIP experience is early entry into the Craft Beer Tasting and a special VIP room. Tickets are $75 and include include early entry into the Craft Beer Tasting and a special VIP room as well as admission to the Grand Tasting.
Saturday, Sept. 23 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Grand Craft Beer Tasting
Attendees can sample more than 100 beers and ciders from over 30 breweries while enjoying live music by the Honey Goats. Concessions and retail items will also be available for purchase.
Tickets to the Blue Harbor Craft Beer Festival events can be purchased at www.Xorbia.com.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
