Charleston Beer Fest 2026 was held Saturday, Oct. 24, at Riverfront Park, raising money for Palmetto Community Care. What it offered, ticket prices and where the money goes.

Charleston Beer Fest comes to Riverfront Park on Saturday, Oct. 24. The festival runs from 2 to 7 p.m., and VIP ticket holders get in at 1 p.m. The organizers list more than 75 craft breweries, more than 20 food trucks and more than 30 craft vendors. The details are on the festival’s own site.

Updated Oct. 25: The festival was scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24, and that date has passed. The details below are kept for reference. Watch the festival’s site for the 2027 date.

The park is at 1061 Everglades Ave., on the old Navy base along the Cooper River. Money raised goes to Palmetto Community Care, a nonprofit that supports people living with HIV and AIDS. The festival is its main fundraiser.

Tickets

Every ticket is for adults only: guests must be 21 or older with a valid ID, and no children are admitted. Tickets are nonrefundable. The festival’s ticket page lists these prices:

Ticket Price What it includes
General admission $85 regular ($75 early bird, $65 subscriber presale) Entry, live music, beer games and a festival mug for tastings
VIP $145 regular ($135 early bird, $125 subscriber presale) Entry at 1 p.m., a shaded VIP area with seating and air-conditioned restrooms, VIP-only beers, an all-inclusive bar and catered hors d’oeuvres
Designated driver, general $35 Entry, music, games and the vendor village; no mug or beer
Designated driver, VIP $45 VIP entry without the mug or beer

The ticket page shows all three price levels and does not say which one is on sale now. Check before you buy.

Tastings are poured into the festival mug. The FAQ says samples are about 3 ounces. Full pours cost $8 per beer ticket, and those tickets are also nonrefundable. Beer ticket sales stop an hour before closing, and pouring stops 30 minutes before closing.

Who is playing

The music lineup has four acts:

  • The Stone Foxes, a California rock duo, headlining
  • Magoo, a progressive bluegrass band from Denver
  • OMIWIMO, a Charleston jam band
  • The F.I.S.T.E.R.S., an instrumental surf band from Folly Island

Parking, bags and the rules

The FAQ says free parking is first come, first served, in lots on:

  • Noisette Boulevard
  • Avenue B
  • Turnbull Avenue
  • North Hobson Avenue

ADA-accessible lots are on Everglades Avenue and Avenue B. Paid lots are also available.

What you can and cannot bring, according to the ticket page and the FAQ:

  • Chairs, blankets and small handled bags to carry blankets are allowed. All bags are searched.
  • Coolers, large bags, backpacks and outside food or drink are not allowed.
  • No pets, except service animals.
  • No re-entry. If you leave, you cannot come back in.

The festival is rain or shine.

Where the money goes

Palmetto Community Care says it has worked with people living with HIV and AIDS for nearly 34 years. On the festival site, the nonprofit says its case managers had more than 21,000 contacts with clients last year. It says it helped 594 people find stable housing and 527 with emergency financial help and food bank meals. It also says it paid more than $5.6 million for medications and $1 million for clients’ health insurance.

What it means for you

  • If you are going, buy tickets on the festival site and bring a valid ID.
  • If you are driving home, the designated driver ticket costs $35. The ticket page also says, “Plan for a safe ride!”
  • If you use Riverfront Park, expect the festival to fill it all weekend. The city’s venue calendar books the park for the festival from 8 a.m. Friday, Oct. 23, to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25.
  • Questions go to the organizers at beerfest@palmettocare.org.

More happening this month is on our things to do in North Charleston page.