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2012 Ohio beer festivals
Mark your calendars. Ohio is filled with beer festivals to attend. Some such as the International Beer Fest in Cleveland and the Cincy Winter Beerfest in Cincinnati will draw thousands. Others such as the Frozen Falls Beer Festival in Garrettsville and the Celebration of the Hop in North Olmsted will attract hundreds. I've tried to compile a rundown of all the beer festivals in the state this year. The list is lengthy -- and incomplete. Some organizers didn't get back to me. Or a date or location hadn't been selected yet. If you are aware of a festival or event not listed here, email me at rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com and I will add it. Also, this list will be permanently situated at a page at the top of this blog soon. Click on the festival name for more info and if there's no link, there's no dedicated website to link to:
•?Saturday: The Columbus Winter Beerfest at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The event will feature more than 50 breweries and 250 beers.
•?Jan. 28: The Montessori School of Dayton’s Brew Ha-Ha at the school in Kettering. The first-ever event will raise money for the school’s capital campaign.
•?Feb. 4: The seventh annual AleFest Columbus at the Aladdin Shrine Center Ballroom. The event features more than 70 breweries and more than 180 craft beers.
•?Feb. 4: Cincinnati Brew Ha-Ha! at the Cintas Center on the Xavier University campus. Comedian Greg Hahn headlines the winter version of this event, which combines comedy and 80 beers. Brew Ha-Ha! also is held in August at the Cincinnati riverfront.
•?Feb. 10-11: The fifth annual Cincy Winter Beerfest at the Duke Energy Convention Center. It will feature more than 300 craft beers.
•?Feb. 18: The third annual Winking Lizard Barleywine Festival at the Winking Lizard Party Center in Bedford Heights. The event focuses on barleywines.
•?Feb. 25: The Ohio Craft Brewer Association's Winter Warmer Festival at Windows on the River in the Powerhouse in Cleveland.
•?March 2-4: The 20th annual Bockfest in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. The event claims to be the oldest and largest bock festival in the United States.
•?March 2: The Glass City Beer Fest at the Erie Street Market in Toledo.
•?March 3: Frozen Falls Beer Festival at Main Street Grille & Brewing Co. in Garrettsville.
•?March 9: The fifth annual Art of Ale at the Akron Art Museum. The event is held in the glass-enclosed lobby and also features local food.
•?April 21: The Big Tap In at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown. It claims to be the largest beer festival between Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
•?April 28: Cask AleFest Dayton is April 28. It focuses on cask ales.
•?May 5: The 10th annual Mini Real Ale Festival at Barley’s Smokehouse & Brewpub in Columbus. The event featured 20 gravity-fed beers last year.
•?May 11-12: The second annual International Beer Fest at the IX Center in Cleveland. The event features about 800 beers from more than 200 breweries, and includes a beer competition.
•?June 8-9: The second annual Columbus Beerfest at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
•?June 15-16: The seventh annual Jungle Jim's Beer Fest at the Oscar Event Center in Fairfield. Last year, the event featured more than 70 breweries and 350 beers.
•?June 22-30: The seventh annual Ohio Brew Week in Athens. The festival is a celebration of Ohio-made beer and includes educational events and tastings.
•?July 21: The fourth annual Scene Magazine Alefestival at Lincoln Park in Cleveland.
•?July 21-22: The Great Lakes Burning River Fest along the waterfront in Cleveland. The event combines music, environmental advocacy and beer from Great Lakes Brewing Co.
•?July 28: Blues & Brews is July 28 at Lock 3 in downtown Akron. The event features about 75 breweries and more than 200 beers.
•?Aug 9-12: The second annual River, Trails and Ales Festival in Marietta. The event features cycling, paddling, music and beer at various locations.
•?Aug. 25: The 14th annual AleFest Dayton at Carillon Historical Park. It features about 300 beers from more than 100 breweries.
•?Aug. 31-Sept. 3: The Cleveland Labor Day Oktoberfest at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea. The event bills itself as “Northeast Ohio’s Largest Annual Outdoor Festival” and includes a microbrew competition.
•?Sept. 14-15: The Columbus Microbrew Festival at the North Market in Columbus. The event focuses on Columbus and Columbus-area breweries.
•?Sept. 14-16: The 14th annual Ohio Pawpaw Festival at Lake Snowden in Albany. The event celebrates the pawpaw fruit and brewers create special pawpaw beers.
•?Sept. 21-23: The 37th annual Oktoberfest-Zinzinnati USA in Cincinnati. The event celebrates the community’s German heritage and includes the world’s largest Chicken Dance. More than half a million people attend.
•?Oct. 13: Big Beers & Barley Wines at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Dayton. As the name implies, the event focuses on higher alcohol beers.
•?Oct. 27: Brewzilla at the Galleria at Erieview in Cleveland. The beer festival marks the end of Cleveland Beer Week.
