By Scott Cronick
101 breweries.
303 beers.
12 bands.
50+ vendors and food trucks.
Now that’s a festival!
With festival being the key word, the 19th Atlantic City Beer and Music Festival has evolved into so much than just a beer fest that even its creator never envisioned the direction it has taken.
“It’s always about the beer, but we want the experience to be so much more than that,” said Jon Henderson, owner of Good Time Tricycle, which produces the festival, which takes place during two sessions — noon to 4 p.m. and 7 to 11 p.m. — on Saturday, March 29, at the Atlantic City Convention Center. “We know tickets aren’t cheap, so the juice has to be worth the squeeze. And that’s where all the other fun stuff comes in.”
The Beer
Does the word craft mean anything in the beer world anymore?
Not really.
When brands like Goose Island and Elysian are stamped “craft,” they are brewed by Anheuser Busch, the world’s largest brewery.
And while beer connoisseurs can debate what justifies a craft brewery, a microbrewery or a nano brewery or whatever you want to call it, good beer is good beer. And there will be plenty of it in Atlantic City this weekend.
“Beer caught up with wine in that regard where you ask what’s crafty and boutique and what isn’t,” Henderson said, “Everyone is ‘crafty’ at this point. There are a lot of beverages out there that distracted people over the last couple of years, so our focus is to bring people back to beer and the humans who created it and what goes into it. We lean into smaller breweries because they are made with love and human talent and not robots.”
To help that “crafty” conundrum, even though there will be beers from around the world, Henderson has wisely stacked the deck with New Jersey breweries. In fact, more than half of the breweries at this year’s fest will be from New Jersey. And there is no doubt they all deserve the “craft” stamp of legitimacy.
“It has always been our goal to keep as much revenue from the festival in the state,” Henderson said. “Economic impact is important, and supporting the craft beer movement in New Jersey is important. So, for us to have all of these great New Jersey breweries represented is a no brainer.”
Henderson points to three New Jersey breweries that are new to the Atlantic City festival this year that attendees should check out and take notice of:
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Autodidact Beer, of Morris Plains, brews the hazy pale ale Daylily and the New England-style IPA Usurper. “They make super clean beers with a lot of thought put into it,” Henderson said,
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Ghost Hawk Brewing Company, of Clifton, have received attention for Apex Predator, a hazy IPA; Dark Lantern, a Czech-style dark lager; and Ghost Hawk Lager, a kellerbier. “I love their unique, varied approach to a lot of different styles,” Henderson said.
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Obscura Brewing Company, of Cape May Court House, used to be Bucket Brigade but recently changed its name. They are known for the Fractured Light New England-style IPA, the Zest Appeal wheat beer and red ale known by Irish Goodbye. “They may have changed their name, but the quality of the beer remains top notch,” Henderson said. “It’s the first festival for them under Obscura, so that’s exciting.”
Of course, there are some amazing beers at the festival that are from outside the state, but the Northeast is highly present thanks to the quality of beers made in this region.
Check out:
Mighty Squirrel Brewing Company, of Massachusetts, known for their Cloud Candy New England IPA, Cosmic Distortion Double IPA and the Sour Face Berliner Weiss, will make its Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival debut, “We have been reaching out to them for years to be part of this, and since this is the first year that they actually are being distributed in New Jersey, we finally got them,” Henderson said. “Beer folks know them well, and I am sure will be excited to see them here.”
Tired Hands Brewing Company, of Pennsylvania, aren’t really known for signature beers because they are known for experimenting and limited-release beers. “I have been to the brewery on one of our beer adventures, and they just simply make amazing beer. This is one of the spots where you will see the informed beer drinker checking out this weekend. They were a massive hit last year.”
One thing you will definitely see this weekend is the industry’s lean toward more pilsners and lagers.
“It’s what people want right now,” Henderson said. “It goes in phases. For a while, everyone would only drink IPAs. Now, people don’t really want heavy beers that much. They want sessionable, lighter beers. So, the breweries have responded, and you will see a lot of fun plays on those styles.”
Henderson said to particularly look out for Birdsmouth Beer, an Oceanport brewery that only brews lagers.
“They always stand out for their crisp, light, refreshing and delicious brews,
Henderson said.
At the festival, make sure you pick up a Brewery Passport. For a $10 donation to the charity Punk Rock Saves Lives, which helps those affected by cancer, you can go on many beer adventures after the festival around the state. Get a stamp at every stop in the passport, turn it into Good Time Tricycle, and Henderson will buy your ticket to next year’s beer festival.
“We get about 30 to 40 a year returned to us,” Henderson said, “A lot that we get back are super detailed with photos and beer notes. It’s pretty awesome to see that kind of passion.”
The Music
About a dozen years ago, Henderson and his team decided to add “& Music” to its title, a decision that has made the festival better and integral to its existence.
“Soundtracks to life are important,” Henderson said. “We have playlists for when we are riding our motorcycles or mowing the lawn, and our playlist for the Beer & Music Festival aims to increase the energy in the room, and it does in a big way. This year, we are pretty lucky to get these bands to turn the festival into a massive party.”
There are six bands that perform at each session, along with the opportunity to sing your lungs out with some karaoke. But here are the headliners:
Senses Fail with Hidden in Plain View, Session One
It will be a homecoming for these Ridgewood-based rockers, who are regulars on the Warped Tour, including them returning this summer. In existence for more than 20 years, Senses Fail was founded by vocalist Buddy Nielsen — the only original member left — and were part of the emo explosion that turned the genre mainstream during the early 2000s. Popular songs include “Can’t Be Saved,” “Buried a Lie,” “Calling All Cars” and “Rum is for Drinking, Not For Burning.” Their last release was 2021’s “Rush Limbaugh,” coinciding with the death of the conservative radio talk show host, and a second single, “Death by Water.” The punk band Hidden in Plain View also joined the Warped Tour this summer.
Me First & the Gimme Gimmes with Catbite
Expect some major sing-along vibes from Me First & the Gimme Gimmes, a punk rock supergroup formed in San Francisco 30 years ago featuring Spike Slawson, C.J. Ramone, Joey Cape, Pinch and John Reis. They only play covers, offering rapid-fire interpretations of songs from all over the map. Never taking themselves too seriously, they have covered music by everyone from REO Speedwagon and Styx to The Beatles and Neil Diamond and even John Denver. Opening for them is Catfight, a Philly ska band that Henderson said is “f—ing awesome.”
The Rest of the Festival
Then there’s the other stuff that really rounds out the sessions and makes the Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival a true festival.
There are six different food vendors that cover the gamut, from Brotherly Love Cheesesteaks, to Mexican burrito bowls from Wholly Bowls, from Mad Dog Morgan’s American pub food including great burgers to seafood from Jay’s Crab Shack and Cape Harbor Shellfish. There’s even some gourmet ice cream sandwiches from Taylor Made Treats, plus dozens of snack food options, including Jaker’s Pickles, Hempzels and I Want Pig Candy.
You can also shop while you drink as the festival offers dozens of vendors including Black Sheep Dog Treats, Hank Sauce, Hell’s Kitchen Hot Sauce, Moon Guitars, Parlor Trick Prints, Keltex Apparel, Jersey Plate Art, Jetty Life, Beyond Rustic Woodworks and more.
Don’t Sleep on Mystery Beer Fest. Created in partnership with Kuva Labs, download the app on the Beer Fest website and then explore. There will be 26 different beers from 26 different breweries participating in each session. They will have one tap handle or can covered in black. When you ask for the mystery beer, you will be poured the sample, and then you open that app and answer questions about the beer from mouth feel to flavor. Once you answer, you will be presented two beers to choose from, and then you have to decide which is the Mystery Beer that you had. With your knowledge tested, you will be ranked by a scoreboard at the festival, as well as updates on the app itself.
“That’s included in the price of the festival, as is almost everything that we offer,” Henderson said. “Other than some charity-type angles, we try to make as much inclusive of your ticket as possible. It’s important for the festival to have other things than just beer and music, and this is just another thing that people will hopefully appreciate.”
Other inclusive “fun” things to check out include the popular Beatbox, a silent disco where people dance with headphones on to two DJs; the Brew Cup Derby, where attendees race on inflatable bouncing horses; Wing Wars, a wing-eating competition sponsored by Wingcraft Kitchen & Beer Bar; The Wonder Bar’s Wonder Balls, an inflatable adult playground; a Drunk Tank, where Bare Exposure dancers get dunked; and more.
Henderson is particularly excited about Chugger Knight, a fun knock-off of Rockin’ Sockin’ Robots where two knights battle each other as opponents try to puncture the other’s beer. Once your beer is punctured during the joust, you have to chug the rest of it. Bring back those college chugging memories!
Don’t forget you can also upgrade your ticket to VIP status or buy a VIP ticket outright. The $150 ticket includes admission a half hour early, designated VIP section with a great view of the main stage, a food voucher for the food trucks, glassware, a festival T-shirt and tons of swag. But the most important VIP feature: a private bathroom!!
If all of that didn’t convince you to check out this year’s Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival, you better check your pulse.
“If you would have asked me in 2005, when I was developing this thing, that we would be here 19 years later … it wasn’t even a thought,” Henderson said. “It has been an amazing journey learning about beer and people and watching this festival evolve.”
So, how will the Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival celebrate its iconic 20 years in 2026?
“You have to be innovative and challenge people every year, year after year, and when it comes to the 20th anniversary, all I can say is, ‘Stay tuned,’ because we have some big changes ahead that will hopefully make people want to come back for another 20 years.”
(The Atlantic City Beer Festival takes place over two sessions — noon to 4 p.m. and 7 to 11 p.m. — on Saturday, March 29, in the Atlantic City Convention Center. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance at ACBeerFest.com.)
