BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Attention beer lovers! For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the New York State Brewers Association is holding an event to celebrate all things beer, and it's happening in Buffalo.
The NYS Craft Brewers Festival will take place on September 25 at Canalside.
It will feature 45 breweries from across the state, including more than 20 from Western New York. Organizers say there will be a "Farm to Pint" tent, where you can learn more about the beer you're drinking.
"It's an experience where guests can walk through suppliers' tables and learn more about a relationship between a craft beer community and our local agriculture," says Katie Brown, the Marketing Officer for the WNY Brewers Guild.
Tickets for the festival are $55, you can buy them at ThinkNYDrinkNY.com.
Breweries are a big business in New York; statewide, there are more than 500, which is second in the country only to California. Just craft brewing provides 20 thousand jobs statewide. Pre-pandemic, the state was welcoming a new brewery every 8 days. The pandemic slowed that down, but still 26 breweries opening up in 2020 statewide.
Western New York plays a big role in the state's booming beer scene, contributing some $4.8 billion dollars to the brewing industry's economic impact. The Buffalo Niagara region has more than 40 craft breweries, 17 of which opened in Erie County in the last five years alone, according to the Brewers Association.
