BENNINGTON, Vt. (NEWS10) — The 13th Homebrew Festival and Competition is set to return to Bennington on Sunday, April 29. The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce and Hopridge Farms will be hosting the event at the Bennington Sports Center in downtown Bennington.

The Northeast’s top home brewers can bring their best home brewed beer, cider, mead, braggot, and wine for a chance to be crowned the “Best Home Brewery.” This year, home chefs can also participate in a cook off to be crowned “Best Home Chef.”

“I think one of the main traits of this chamber and our various partners is to develop festivals and see how they work over time,” said Matt Harrington, executive director of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce. “Over the past 12 festivals we have gotten better and better at not only the festival process, but the brews have really gotten better too.”

In the past, the Chamber has offered winter and summer homebrew festivals, but this year they’ll be focusing on spring and fall festivals. “We think spring and fall will be ideal times to have some fun and gather as a community,” said Harrington.

Homebrewers will have their brew critiqued both by popular vote, as well as by professional judges. Over the past seven years, the festival has encouraged some amateur brewers to enter into the professional industry.

2023 homebrew competitors

  • Invisible Mountain Brewing
  • SPARGE Homebrew Club
  • The Jolly Fool Brews
  • River Valley Brewing
  • Level 3 Brewing
  • Catseyesoup Brewery
  • Breadwater Brewing
  • 7 Balls Brewing
  • Side-Gig Brewery
  • Intolerance Brewing
  • Wicked Ways
  • Whole Nother Level
  • Albany Brew Crafters
  • Flying Fox Brewing
  • Marshall Mash Brew Lab
  • Beerfort Brewing
  • Groff Garage Brewery
  • Smooth Liquidation
  • Three Teachers Brewing
  • Sax Brewing Co.
  • TYRANNICAL RUFFIANS
  • Over the River Brewing Co.
  • Vintage Tree Cider
  • Three Girls Brewing
  • Wilderness Brewing

For the Home Chef Challenge, ten local cooks will be making their best meals for the festival crowd. You can apply to compete on the Vermont Homebrew Festivals website.

Vendors will also be at the festival selling items including maple products, nuts & fudge, chocolates, hot sauces, and more. This year’s vendors include Outdoor Secrets Unwrapped Hot Sauce, Highland Ledge Farm, I Want Pig Candy, The Jupe Box, Uzume’s Pots, Hangry Hogg, and Willow Creek Adk.

You can buy either VIP or general admission tickets on the Vermont Homebrew Festivals website. Each ticket holder receives unlimited sampling of the brews and food, and can vote for the winners of each.