Canada’s original beer festival is back

August 25, 2022

Summer is nearly over and it’s time to put away that tent and suitcase and look ahead to the fall festival scene, where Victoria really shines. One of Victoria’s longest running festivals is back from a two year hiatus, the Great Canadian Beer Festival. It’s the 28th edition of Canada’s original beer festival, and they are coming back strong on Friday, Sept. 9 and Saturday, Sept. 10 at Royal Athletic Park. 

This premium tasting event is known not only for having over 245 different beers available to try from nearly 100 breweries from coast to coast, but they are also served by the brewers themselves. It’s a rare opportunity to talk to these folks about what makes their beer unique, and try some new and classic brews from their lineup.

In addition to exploring the best craft beer Canada has to offer, there is plenty of fun entertainment planned for the weekend event. Try out a 100ft long inflatable obstacle course to test your physical agility with the side benefit of providing entertainment for the onlookers!  The Vancouver Island Blacksmith Association will be on-site forging custom bottle openers and beer accessories. On Saturday afternoon in the shaded beer tent there will be a live Oktoberfest band playing to set the perfect atmosphere, plus The Zone’s DJ Boitano will also be on-site pumping out the tunes. Delicious eats will be available, with 8 of the city’s best food trucks on site. 

This year’s festival is also significant because 2022 marks the 40th anniversary of craft beer in this province, so what better way to celebrate this historic milestone, than at Canada’s best beer festival!