Toronto’s Festival of Beer, Toronto, ON

Toronto's Festival of Beer was happening this weekend at Exhibition Place and I went today.

The legendary summer sampling event is back at Bandshell Park, Exhibition Place. 416 brews to discover, an incredible food and chef line-up, Method Man & Redman (Friday), Sloan (Saturday), Alan Doyle & The Beautiful Gypsies (Sunday). 

We will also be celebrating Canada 150! 150 years calls for a beer!

I've been going for the last few years and it's always been a fun time.  In the past, I've gone on a Thursday (they don't have the Thursday sessions anymore), Friday, Saturday and Sunday and there's a different vibe on the different days.

To celebrate Canada's 150th birthday, there was a Canada 150 Pavillion with beer from across Canada.

Selfie!

Since it was Sunday, it was there was a more relaxed vibe.  It was hot and sunny ... a beer festival was a fun place to be!

The "General Store" where you could buy shirts

Lots of people were sporting Steam Whistle beer box hats

There were cooking classes

Here's what I had ...

I started in "the east coast" and a had Blueberry Ale
from Pumphouse Brewery in Moncton ...
I'd had it at their restaurant last spring

Smirnoff White Sangria

I had a Locker Room lager (it has only been out a
month or so) ... this was my favourite beer of the day

A Backpaddle Blonde Ale from Upper Thames Brewing Co.

An Absent Landlord Country Kolsch
from Cowbell Brewing Co.

A lager from Moosehead Breweries

A Cherry Blossom Lager from High Park Brewery

Revivale from Lost Craft Beer

A pilsner from Steam Whistle

A LagerShed Lighter lager from Shawn & Ed Brewing Co.

Classic Margarita by Waterloo Brewing

Food Truck Blonde Ale from Henderson's Best

Pale Pilsner from Old Credit Brewing Co.

A Blonde from Brock Street Brewing Company

Cannonball Helles from Left Field Brewery

Blonde Lager from Great Lakes Brewery

A Faxe Red from Faxe Brewery

Benediktiner Original Helles Lager

The entertainment was great.  There were live music and DJs.  This band was in the Budweiser section and played covers ranging from the Zac Brown Band to George Michael.  I don't know who they were but they were really good.

This guy played in the Moosehead party area and did covers.  I don't know who he was but he was really good too.

There were four bands on the mainstage during the afternoon and all were fabulous.  First up was Dani Strong at 3pm.

Eric Ethridge came on at 4pm.

David James came on at 5:15pm.

The headliner, Alan Doyle & the Beautiful Gypsies, came on at 6:30pm and the crowd loved them!  The first time I saw Alan Doyle was in this very bandshell back in the early 1990s when he was with Great Big Sea ... I'd never heard of them and they were an opening act.

It was a fun festival and I look forward to going again next year!