Heads up, beer lovers! 65 breweries to visit SLO County for Firestone beer fest
Firestone Walker’s Invitational Beer Festival is back — and this year, the annual event will congregate an “all-star cast” of 65 breweries from around the world in Paso Robles for a weekend’s worth of festivities.
The beer festival itself is scheduled for May 30, sandwiched between Firestone’s 30th Anniversary Block Party on May 29 and a “Brews and Brekky” brunch event on May 31, a Wednesday news release said.
Available breweries will include Hill Farmstead of Vermont, Verdant of the UK, Bofkont of Belgium and SirHopper of Argentina. The festival will also offer live music and food from more than 20 local chefs and restaurants, the release said.
Proceeds from the festival go to support Paso Robles Pioneer Day, in addition to other local nonprofits, the release said.
“The fest is about inviting some of our favorite breweries to come share great beer with those who care about it most,” Firestone Walker brewmaster Matt Brynildson said in the release. “It’s a chance to put down our sales pitches, showcase our rarest beers and celebrate craft culture together.”
Ahead of the festival, Firestone will release its limited-edition IPA “pFreal,” which will serve as the 2026 festival collaboration beer.
It was crafted in partnership with pFriem Family Brewers of Oregon, and will be served throughout the weekend’s festivities, the release said. It’ll be available for sale starting May 1.
“This collaboration is about two breweries speaking the same language, learning from each other, and pushing toward something special,” Brynildson said in the release.
The beer festival will be held at the Paso Robles Event Center. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Feb. 4, and can be purchased at Firestone Walker’s event website.
General admission tickets were priced at $175 and grant entrance from 12-5 p.m, the website showed. Early entry tickets are also available, priced at $350 and include a commemorative T-shirt and hat, and grant ticket-holders entry an hour early.
The 30th Anniversary Block Party and the “Hangover Brunch” are not ticketed events and are open to the public, according to the event website.