Every Fall, This Beer-Loving City In Washington Holds The Best Fresh Hop Ale Festival In America
By Jessica Wick|Published September 30, 2022
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Jessica Wick
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Jessica Wick is a writer and travel enthusiast who loves exploring new places, meeting new people and, of course, beautiful Big Sky Country and every part of Washington State.
Fall is such a fantastic time to visit the Yakima Valley. When the scorching summer heat turns to crisp, still-sunny days and the leaves begin to turn, Central Washington goes from beautiful to all-out stunning. And if you’re a beer drinker, you already know that mid-September marks the beginning of the most wonderful time of the (beer lovers’) year: fresh hop season.
Every October, Yakima holds the annual Fresh Hop Ale Festival, an entire weekend dedicated to raising money for charity, community fun, games, live music, and amazing beer. If you have yet to experience it, make this the year you go.
The Fresh Hop Ale Festival is a non-profit organization with the not-so-simple goal of producing one of the top fresh ale festivals in the country while simultaneously celebrating the Yakima Valley's hops and supporting local arts and science organizations.
Each team will receive 18 holes of golf, a cart rental, a pasta lunch buffet, a commemorative glass, golf balls, and of course, plenty of fresh hop beer.
Guests can enjoy food, games, and fantastic live music, including performances by Santa Poco (pictured here) and Caleb Hawley.
But of course, most people see this as an opportunity to gather with their friends and family and drink some of the best beer on the planet. And that's how it should be.
But even if you're not a fan of beer, you can sip deliciousness from several local wineries and cideries, like Treveri Cellars, Gilbert Cellars, and Tieton Cider Works. And designated drivers will have some seriously scrumptious food trucks to sample from.
