Rochester Real Beer Expo moving to Innovative Field

Region's best rare beer showcase/festival moving to the home of the Rochester Red Wings in 2023

Rochester’s best showcase for rare and weird beers has a new home in 2023.

After 10 editions on Gregory Street in the South Wedge neighborhood, the Rochester Real Beer Expo, both organized and benefiting the Business Association of the South Wedge, is moving to Innovative Field. (Note: The 2016 event was scheduled for Gregory Street but was moved to the War Memorial due to the threat of inclement weather.)

This year’s festival, the 11th edition, will take place on Saturday, June 10th at the home of the Rochester Red Wings baseball club at the stadium formerly known as Frontier Field, 1 Morrie Silver Way in the city of Rochester.

“We are thrilled to be able to host the Rochester Real Beer Expo at Innovative Field,” Red Wings President said Naomi Silver. “The festival is a great way to showcase the best of the Rochester beer scene, and to support the community at the same time. Those in attendance will be able to enjoy some of the best craft beers in the region, and do it locally right here at our beautiful facility in downtown Rochester. ”

I am taking over as beer curator this year after former Tap and Mallet co-owner Joe McBane picked the beer for the first 10 years. I am insanely excited to be taking over this responsibility for one of the region’s signature events. With uncertainty over the future of the Tap and Mallet property and a lack of big event space available in the Wedge, the decision was made to move the festival. Organizers felt it was important to keep it in the city, however.

And I’ll soon be launching the poll where the public can pick the local breweries in attendance at the festival. It’ll be shared via social media and through this newsletter. There will be an expanded local focus this year. As curator, I’ll work with distributors and other regional breweries to ensure the legacy of the Expo continues. It’s the type of event where you’ll get to experience rare and one-off beers you might never see again.

Ticket information will be shared shortly as soon as RochesterRealBeer.com is re-launched in the next few weeks. You’ll also be able to purchase tickets at the Red Wings box office. More information to come there.

This year’s edition will feature 65 breweries, cideries, kombucha producers, and other craft beverage makers. There will also be an increased focus on non-alcoholic offerings.

And like it always has, proceeds will benefit BASWA as it serves as the neighborhood organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year, responsible for funding other events and neighborhood beautification.

The festival will be held along the stadium’s third-base concourse, allowing for expanded brewery offerings and providing cover in case of inclement weather. The new location allows us to keep ticket prices steady and includes ample on-site parking and other amenities, including seating, a shuttle bus from the Wedge to the venue, and ballpark concessions.

Stay tuned for more info about tickets and breweries participating. For more information, you can contact chris@historichouseparts.com or clevelandprost@gmail.com.

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