This event runs annually for several sessions on a weekend. Beware that the Saturday sessions usually sell out much faster than the Friday ones. Since it was my first Bacon and Beer Classic, I didn't know what to expect. I was a little overwhelmed when I saw the huge line outside Citifield, but the line moved quickly once the doors opened at 8.
My overall takeaway from this event is that you wait in line. A LOT. You're handed a shot glass sized cup and make sure not to lose is, as that's what the vendors fill every stop. The food lines were horrendous, and you get a TINY bite after you wait in line for 20-ish minutes. The beer lines are much faster, so I was so tipsy and hungry that I chose to buy regular food instead of braving out a lot of the lines. I'd probably go again, but mainly because I'm such a fan of beer.
I'd probably spring for the VIP tickets next time. Sure, there are only a handful of extra vendors and you don't have access to much on the field level. However, you get to go there an hour earlier, so hopefully there will be less waiting and more eating and drinking.
If you want to come here next year, make sure you come an hour before your time. I came here Friday Night April 22nd. Entrance was at 8pm and I got there around 7:22 and the line was already around the stadium.
They had different times, VIP early access 7PM, which included an hour of early access and access to exclusive bacon and beer tents inside the field here at CitiField which I believe it cost $175. Second option was the early access at 7:30PM, which only includes 30 minute early access and no access to the exclusive spots inside the field, this option cost $100. Then they had the general admission which you entered at 8pm.
I had the G.A. tickets and with us getting there 38 minutes before they opened the gates the line was still literally around the stadium. 15 minutes before 8pm they came around offering early access for just $25 which was already a rip-off. The general admission cost $77, early access was $100 and you making me pay $25 on top of my $77 for me to enter 15 minutes before 8pm, get the effff out of here. We waited of course no reason to pay extra for less time.
It was a mad house in there, it didn't matter what station you went to, if it was either a beer station or a bacon station the lines were insane. The minimum people I probably encounter in front of me were 25-30 people. The Bareburger line had probably 50 people in front of me and the ones with the hot dogs was twice as much. They had 2 locations for you to go to either the Main level or the 500 section which was 2 floors up. Even with 2 floors of space the vendors couldn't keep up with the amount of attendees. Some vendors ran out of food and they either left or restocked and when they had to restock they had to go back to their van and we had to wait 20+ minutes.
They had games that you can play but of course I was too busy waiting on the lines to miss out on all the fun they had, I even lost out on watching the Bacon Eating Contest. I probably didn't get to enjoy half of the vendors that were there which to me I would rather spend my $77 in a restaurant because I barely had the time to get the full experience.
I suggest that whomever organizes this event to please take to consideration of how many of us didn't get to enjoy it, either have more vendors for the attendees or limit the amount of people you sell these tickets too. Yes, CITIFIELD can fill a stadium with over 20,000 people that doesn't mean go crazy and give everyone access. You are ruining our experience with just wasting our time being on line.
I've gone to Meatopia and Food & Wine Festival and I've never experience that in those events. This was my first and last time at the Bacon and Beer Classic.
The Bacon and Beer Classic is SO MUCH FUN! Unlike a lot of other local beer festivals, food is included in your ticket price (huge advantage). There's a humongous selection of beer and bacon-themed food so you will definitely have to rush, if you want to try it all. Pro tip: start at the opposite end (or second level) first and the lines are much much shorter. My only criticism is that they do not have free water, which I personally think is stupid for an event serving alcohol. HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE! Between the beer and the salty bacon dishes, your body will desperately need it after three hours. Also, get there early since the lines to get in are long and you'll want as much time inside as possible. Don't miss this event – it's seriously a blast!
My favorite beer fest around. I've been to other fests around (NYC, Long Island, DC) and the Bacon and Beer Classic is by far the best. I've been twice (and yes, of course I'll be there again this year) and it's AWESOME. You arrive and there are long lines of people, but they move pretty quickly – yes, security is tight, but that's a good thing, not something bad. You're then given your complementary tasting cup (VERY fragile and you'll likely hear plenty break throughout the day). Next, you take the escalator up and ALAS, you've arrived. All around the stadium there are tasting stations with some of the best (both big and small) names in beer around. There is too much beer and too much food it's so good. If you can find a way to taste all of it, you're magical and have cracked the code. The food is delicious. There are so many variations of foods incorporating bacon you can't NOT find several things you'll like (that is, unless you don't eat meat, then well….yeah..). Who knew bacon could go into so many desserts?
My advice is to try as many types of beer as possible. You only have so much time and there will be lines. If you see an opening at a station, stop there instead of waiting for the long line to taste the recognizable brands everyone flocks to. It's a place to learn about new beers and explore! Take advantage of it and drink up! It's rare that you find someone who isn't having a good time. At first you might think it's a short time for the event, but afterwards you'll realize it's plenty – just long enough to get your drink on without seeing too many sloppy people falling all over.
Geez, just writing about it makes me thirsty! Cheers!
This is a yearly event that I guess keeps getting bigger and bigger but I think the organizers prepare for 1000 people when really there are like 4000 in attendance! I have been to many food shows, more than I can count and I have never had to deal with the lines that every vendor had which was insane! We got there almost an hour before only to see the line wrap around the stadium but my compliments to whoever was in charge of security because we got in fairly quickly.
What was most frustrating about the event was no matter vendor line you went to weather it was beer or bacon or a bag of chips there was a line 20-30 ppl deep! Couldn't blame the vendors they were pumping out their dish as quickly as possible just couldn't keep up with the demand. It was all so frustrating it took away from how good some of the food was and there.
I went to the 1-4PM session and it was great. I tried a ton of great beers and foods. It was a beautiful, sunny day, too.
If you get GA tickets, I would try to get there a little early. I was at least #1,000 in line and I got in the door by 1:15PM. Not bad. It moves fast, but if you can get there a little early, you'll get it at 1:00 PM!
My favorite part was just meeting people and walking around. My favorite food sample was the bahn mi sandwich? The brisket taco was also good and so was the cart with the plain bacon chunks.
For beer, I enjoyed the Sierra Nevada a lot as well as the chocolate egg cream stout.
Working at Bacon & Beer Classics is a different experience than attending.
Some notes:
1) Security is TIGHT.
There will be metal scanners, etc. There will be scalpers buying/selling tickets. They will check your tickets before you can get to the line. There will be SEPARATE entrances for each kind of ticket (i.e. VIP, General Admission, Press, Staff)
2) The Crowd will get ROWDY.
I didn't have to roam around to know that people would be loud and kind of crazy. Luckily, no fights broke out but people, mostly the drunk guys did try their best to instigate and/or provoke such behavior. Every time a souvenir ceramic Bacon & Beer Classic tasting glass was dropped/broken the crowd would go "OOOOOOOHOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhh" right in some embarrassed/drunk girl's or guy's face.
REAL Classy.
To top that off, they only give out 1 souvenir glass per person even if accidents like dropping glass happens because I think they reuse the same glass stock for the other 3 city locations for this beer fest.
3) Food SMELLED delicious. From what I saw from people bringing food up to my pouring station waiting on their beers, sausages, pizzas, and all other kinds of pork were to be had. Many raved about the food. I could only imagine.
4) The bathroom lines were ridiculous as usual. However, the men's were tolerable. The promenade area had 2 for each sex & gender.
Overall, it's a fun experience and I had a blast even while working the beer taps. I mean I'm a beer guy after all. How could it NOT be fun?
Well…if I had dropped the souvenir ceramic glass perhaps…
$100 gets you in 30 mins early . It includes all you can eat bacon dishes and all you can drink craft beer . Can't go wrong. Honestly , whether you do the GA or VIP it's worth it. Can't wait for next year !
This event runs annually for several sessions on a weekend. Beware that the Saturday sessions usually sell out much faster than the Friday ones. Since it was my first Bacon and Beer Classic, I didn't know what to expect. I was a little overwhelmed when I saw the huge line outside Citifield, but the line moved quickly once the doors opened at 8.
My overall takeaway from this event is that you wait in line. A LOT. You're handed a shot glass sized cup and make sure not to lose is, as that's what the vendors fill every stop. The food lines were horrendous, and you get a TINY bite after you wait in line for 20-ish minutes. The beer lines are much faster, so I was so tipsy and hungry that I chose to buy regular food instead of braving out a lot of the lines. I'd probably go again, but mainly because I'm such a fan of beer.
I'd probably spring for the VIP tickets next time. Sure, there are only a handful of extra vendors and you don't have access to much on the field level. However, you get to go there an hour earlier, so hopefully there will be less waiting and more eating and drinking.
If you want to come here next year, make sure you come an hour before your time. I came here Friday Night April 22nd. Entrance was at 8pm and I got there around 7:22 and the line was already around the stadium.
They had different times, VIP early access 7PM, which included an hour of early access and access to exclusive bacon and beer tents inside the field here at CitiField which I believe it cost $175. Second option was the early access at 7:30PM, which only includes 30 minute early access and no access to the exclusive spots inside the field, this option cost $100. Then they had the general admission which you entered at 8pm.
I had the G.A. tickets and with us getting there 38 minutes before they opened the gates the line was still literally around the stadium. 15 minutes before 8pm they came around offering early access for just $25 which was already a rip-off. The general admission cost $77, early access was $100 and you making me pay $25 on top of my $77 for me to enter 15 minutes before 8pm, get the effff out of here. We waited of course no reason to pay extra for less time.
It was a mad house in there, it didn't matter what station you went to, if it was either a beer station or a bacon station the lines were insane. The minimum people I probably encounter in front of me were 25-30 people. The Bareburger line had probably 50 people in front of me and the ones with the hot dogs was twice as much. They had 2 locations for you to go to either the Main level or the 500 section which was 2 floors up. Even with 2 floors of space the vendors couldn't keep up with the amount of attendees. Some vendors ran out of food and they either left or restocked and when they had to restock they had to go back to their van and we had to wait 20+ minutes.
They had games that you can play but of course I was too busy waiting on the lines to miss out on all the fun they had, I even lost out on watching the Bacon Eating Contest. I probably didn't get to enjoy half of the vendors that were there which to me I would rather spend my $77 in a restaurant because I barely had the time to get the full experience.
I suggest that whomever organizes this event to please take to consideration of how many of us didn't get to enjoy it, either have more vendors for the attendees or limit the amount of people you sell these tickets too. Yes, CITIFIELD can fill a stadium with over 20,000 people that doesn't mean go crazy and give everyone access. You are ruining our experience with just wasting our time being on line.
I've gone to Meatopia and Food & Wine Festival and I've never experience that in those events. This was my first and last time at the Bacon and Beer Classic.
The Bacon and Beer Classic is SO MUCH FUN! Unlike a lot of other local beer festivals, food is included in your ticket price (huge advantage). There's a humongous selection of beer and bacon-themed food so you will definitely have to rush, if you want to try it all. Pro tip: start at the opposite end (or second level) first and the lines are much much shorter. My only criticism is that they do not have free water, which I personally think is stupid for an event serving alcohol. HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE! Between the beer and the salty bacon dishes, your body will desperately need it after three hours. Also, get there early since the lines to get in are long and you'll want as much time inside as possible. Don't miss this event – it's seriously a blast!
My favorite beer fest around. I've been to other fests around (NYC, Long Island, DC) and the Bacon and Beer Classic is by far the best. I've been twice (and yes, of course I'll be there again this year) and it's AWESOME. You arrive and there are long lines of people, but they move pretty quickly – yes, security is tight, but that's a good thing, not something bad. You're then given your complementary tasting cup (VERY fragile and you'll likely hear plenty break throughout the day). Next, you take the escalator up and ALAS, you've arrived. All around the stadium there are tasting stations with some of the best (both big and small) names in beer around. There is too much beer and too much food it's so good. If you can find a way to taste all of it, you're magical and have cracked the code. The food is delicious. There are so many variations of foods incorporating bacon you can't NOT find several things you'll like (that is, unless you don't eat meat, then well….yeah..). Who knew bacon could go into so many desserts?
My advice is to try as many types of beer as possible. You only have so much time and there will be lines. If you see an opening at a station, stop there instead of waiting for the long line to taste the recognizable brands everyone flocks to. It's a place to learn about new beers and explore! Take advantage of it and drink up! It's rare that you find someone who isn't having a good time. At first you might think it's a short time for the event, but afterwards you'll realize it's plenty – just long enough to get your drink on without seeing too many sloppy people falling all over.
Geez, just writing about it makes me thirsty! Cheers!
This is a yearly event that I guess keeps getting bigger and bigger but I think the organizers prepare for 1000 people when really there are like 4000 in attendance! I have been to many food shows, more than I can count and I have never had to deal with the lines that every vendor had which was insane! We got there almost an hour before only to see the line wrap around the stadium but my compliments to whoever was in charge of security because we got in fairly quickly.
What was most frustrating about the event was no matter vendor line you went to weather it was beer or bacon or a bag of chips there was a line 20-30 ppl deep! Couldn't blame the vendors they were pumping out their dish as quickly as possible just couldn't keep up with the demand. It was all so frustrating it took away from how good some of the food was and there.
Will never go back to Bacon and Beer Classic
SO MUCH FUN – Go. I promise, you won't regret it.
I went to the 1-4PM session and it was great. I tried a ton of great beers and foods. It was a beautiful, sunny day, too.
If you get GA tickets, I would try to get there a little early. I was at least #1,000 in line and I got in the door by 1:15PM. Not bad. It moves fast, but if you can get there a little early, you'll get it at 1:00 PM!
My favorite part was just meeting people and walking around. My favorite food sample was the bahn mi sandwich? The brisket taco was also good and so was the cart with the plain bacon chunks.
For beer, I enjoyed the Sierra Nevada a lot as well as the chocolate egg cream stout.
I look forward to coming back again.
Working at Bacon & Beer Classics is a different experience than attending.
Some notes:
1) Security is TIGHT.
There will be metal scanners, etc. There will be scalpers buying/selling tickets. They will check your tickets before you can get to the line. There will be SEPARATE entrances for each kind of ticket (i.e. VIP, General Admission, Press, Staff)
2) The Crowd will get ROWDY.
I didn't have to roam around to know that people would be loud and kind of crazy. Luckily, no fights broke out but people, mostly the drunk guys did try their best to instigate and/or provoke such behavior. Every time a souvenir ceramic Bacon & Beer Classic tasting glass was dropped/broken the crowd would go "OOOOOOOHOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhh" right in some embarrassed/drunk girl's or guy's face.
REAL Classy.
To top that off, they only give out 1 souvenir glass per person even if accidents like dropping glass happens because I think they reuse the same glass stock for the other 3 city locations for this beer fest.
3) Food SMELLED delicious. From what I saw from people bringing food up to my pouring station waiting on their beers, sausages, pizzas, and all other kinds of pork were to be had. Many raved about the food. I could only imagine.
4) The bathroom lines were ridiculous as usual. However, the men's were tolerable. The promenade area had 2 for each sex & gender.
Overall, it's a fun experience and I had a blast even while working the beer taps. I mean I'm a beer guy after all. How could it NOT be fun?
Well…if I had dropped the souvenir ceramic glass perhaps…
FAN.
$100 gets you in 30 mins early . It includes all you can eat bacon dishes and all you can drink craft beer . Can't go wrong. Honestly , whether you do the GA or VIP it's worth it. Can't wait for next year !