The Suwanee Beer Fest in Georgia has been ranked the No. 1 beer festival in the country by USA Today readers in the 2026 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. This marks a repeat win for the event, which combines craft beer sampling with St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Other festivals from across the U.S. also earned spots in the top 10.
The 2026 USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards, determined by a panel of experts nominating candidates and public voting over four weeks, recognized outstanding beer festivals nationwide. Suwanee Beer Fest, held at Town Center Park in Suwanee, Georgia, claimed the top spot for the second consecutive year. Organizers describe it as Gwinnett County's largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration, featuring more than 400 craft beers from across the country and a Georgia Beer Garden with over 70 local breweries. The 15th annual event is set for Saturday, March 21, 2026, and also offers seltzers, wine, ready-to-drink cocktails, and select liquors, alongside live music, food trucks, local vendors, and festival-style games.
Admission is restricted to those 21 and older, with VIP entry from noon to 5 p.m. and general admission from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets for general admission start at $60, with prices rising closer to the date, and include unlimited samples during the event window.
The full top 10 list includes: 1. Suwanee Beer Fest (Suwanee, Georgia); 2. Brewgaloo (Raleigh, North Carolina); 3. Barrel & Flow Fest (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania); 4. Kill The Lights (Knoxville, Tennessee); 5. Tailspin Ale Fest (Louisville, Kentucky); 6. New York State Craft Brewers Festival (Buffalo, New York); 7. Glassboro Craft Beer Festival (Glassboro, New Jersey); 8. Michigan Winter Beer Festival (Comstock Park, Michigan); 9. Great Taste of the Midwest (Madison, Wisconsin); and 10. Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest (Paso Robles, California).
For instance, Kill The Lights by Xul Beer Company in Knoxville finished fourth, following a third-place ranking in 2025. The Michigan Winter Beer Festival, marking its 20th anniversary on February 28, 2026, at LMCU Ballpark in Comstock Park, ranked eighth and features hundreds of brews with firepits, live music, and ice carving. Tailspin Ale Fest in Louisville, set for March 7, 2026, at Bowman Field, placed fifth with over 50 breweries and 250 beers, plus a cigar lounge and silent disco.
