Craft Beer LB Fest 2025 is upon us, hop lovers. Come Saturday, Sept. 13, the festival will invade Rancho Los Cerritos with over 15 local breweries, multiple eateries, live music, and Long Beach vibes.
From its modest beginnings in 2017, Craft Beer LB Fest was born out of the vision of Dennis Trilles—along with his wife, Sarah—a passionate advocate for the local beer scene who wanted to stitch together a community, not a competition.
At the time, much of Long Beach had only just begun welcoming on‑site breweries, and Dennis saw an opportunity—he wanted craft beer lovers to discover not only what Long Beach offered but to feel it in a communal, far more connective way. So he launched Craft Beer LB Fest. Approachable. Family‑friendly. And, most celebrated amongst attendees, an unlimited‑pour celebration of neighborhood breweries held at the historic Rancho Los Cerritos.
Dennis’s ethos shines through every pour: Craft Beer LB Fest is about community, discovery, and elevating the local craft‑beer craft. Long Beach brewers help each other. Homebrewers are invited in (and it has resulted in a festival of its own, also ran by Dennis). It has led to multiple spin-off events, from sake festivals to a Halloween-centric celebration. And all the while, the fest continues to raise funds for Rancho Los Cerritos, keeping the historic site alive as Long Beach’s living backdrop.
What’s the story behind Craft Beer LB Fest?
That inaugural festival featured around ten to a dozen local and neighboring breweries, including Long Beach names like Long Beach Beer Lab and Beachwood (now a firmly cemented Huntington Beach brand), alongside Long Beach’s oldest names like Belmont Brewing Co. and Beachwood. Local food vendors and bands rounded out the early vibe, while a portion of proceeds supported the historic Rancho site—a hallmark from the very start.
Year after year, the event grew. By 2018, attendance swelled as more breweries—from Ambitious Ales to Ten Mile and Trademark—jumped aboard, and the fest became a true showcase of Long Beach’s expanding beer culture. It was obvious the city’s craft‑beer scene was not just growing—it was thriving.
By 2023, the seventh annual edition featured over a dozen breweries pouring their best. Attendance topped roughly 1,000, and festival‑goers marveled (as usual) at Dennis’s uncanny ability to conjure beautiful fall Long Beach weather—even when the days before had been overcast and rainy.
In short, Craft Beer LB Fest is Dennis’s love letter to Long Beach beer—a festival that started as a grassroots passion project and evolved into the node that connects breweries, homebrewers, sake aficionados, local chefs, music acts, and a community thirsty for craftsmanship. Every September at Rancho Los Cerritos, the fest revives Dennis’s vision: Long Beach as a craft‑beer brotherhood, one sip at a time.
What breweries are participating in Craft Beer LB Fest 2025?
As usual and sticking to its history as the largest celebration of Long Beach beer, here is the masterful array of breweries participating:
- Altar Society (which has a new brewer—more on that in a few days)
- Ambitious Ales
- Beachwood Brewing
- Belmont Brewing Co.
- Dutch’s Brewhouse
- Everywhere Beer
- ISM Brewing
- La Jara Brewing
- Long Beach Beer Lab
- Smog City
- Steady Brewing
- Syncopated Brewing
- Ten Mile Brewing
- Trademark Brewing
- TrustedGut
- Long Beach Homebrewers
- Steinfillers
Yes, of course there’s food at Craft Beer LB Fest.
How do tickets work?
Tickets have four tiers:
VIP
- Price: $70
- Perks:
- Early entry at 12:00 PM (1 hour before general admission)
- Souvenir taster glass included
- Access to VIP-only beer or beverage tastings
General Admission
- Price: $50
- Perks:
- Entry at 1:00 PM
- Includes a souvenir taster glass
16 & Over / Designated Driver
- Price: $23
- Perks:
- Access to the event (non-alcoholic beverages only)
- Enjoy food vendors, music, and the vibe while safely doing the real work—driving friends home later
Children 15 & Under
- Price: Free
- Details:
- Complimentary ticket for kids under 16
- Helps the organizers with headcount planning
Craft Beer LB Fest is taking place on Saturday, Sept. 13, at Rancho Los Cerritos, located at 4600 Virginia Rd. For tickets, click here.
