Duluth MN.
During the summer of 2022 Heidi and I did our best to get out and immerse ourselves into the craft beer culture and part of that plan was to go to a large variety of beer festivals around the state. With so many different events during the summer it was hard to pick what events to go to, but the one we knew we had to experience was the All Pints North beer festival in Duluth, MN put on by the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild. The 2022 All Pints North was held on July 30th from 3:30 to 7:00 in Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth, MN. Heidi and I made sure that we were going to be there and here is what we experienced.
When I first started this blog and looking into different beer festivals I was drawn to one beer festival more than others. All Pints North was the one beer festival that I knew that we had to experience. The idea of one of the largest beer festivals in the state with over a 100 different breweries and being on the shores of Lake Superior in the middle of summer was enough for us to plan our excursion to Duluth. With this being the event's 9th year Heidi and I found out that the event was a bit bigger than we expected and that made planning a bit of a challenge. When we started looking for rooms in Duluth and the surrounding area we found out that most places were sold out and the places that were not sold out wanted a small fortune to stay the night. We decided it would be a day trip to Duluth and back for the festival. Heidi was kind enough to be the designated driver for the event. We purchased one general admission ticket at $65.00 and one designated driver ticket for $20.00 and our trip was planned.
The day of the event Heidi and I took off for Duluth and were excited for the day's adventures. We arrived in Duluth just before 3pm and found our way to Bayfront Festival Park. The event ran from 3:30 to 7:00pm for general admission ticket holders. For those who stepped up and bought the $85 dollar V.I.P. tickets they got an extra hour of beer sampling. The area was packed with people as we passed through the security check and food trucks outside the main entrance. At 3:30 we heard the cheer of the crowd as the ribbon was cut and the people were allowed into the event. Entering the event was overwhelming at first with all the people and so many different breweries to visit. We took a lap of the grounds to get the lay of the land and then I had to make a hard decision. Do I go to the shortest line or go to the places that had the beer I wanted to try. It ended up being a little of both. I would get in a shorter line and get a sample then move to a longer line and drink my sample as we waited. With over a 100 different breweries it wasn’t hard to find a beer that I was interested in. The hard part is figuring out a pace so you don't drink too much too quickly. I would sample a few beers and then take a break in the shade and listen to the music or watch others play some of the games that the breweries were putting on. Being that the event was on the big lake it offered great views of the harbor and the lift bridge as we relaxed in between sampling beers. As the afternoon passed by the crowds lifted a bit and that gave us the opportunity for us to introduce ourselves to the breweries and talk about the event and what beers they brought to the event. We headed out a bit before 7 and headed back home with a little bit of sunburn and lots of great memories.
The energy and atmosphere was a mix of summer beach party and a county fair. There was live music, games, decorated booths, and costumes. All Pints North is an experience like no other beer festival we had been to and it would take something pretty impressive or unique to outdo this event. The mix of the location, the atmosphere, and the size of the event come together to create an experience unlike any other. The majority of the event was very well put together. There were plenty of things to do including several food trucks, entertainment, and plenty of beer to choose from but there was one thing the event was missing. Heidi had chosen the Designated Driver ticket to help out with us getting home but she found out that there were not many options for a DD during this event. They had advertised non alcoholic beverages but they were very limited. She ended up purchasing beverages from the food trucks throughout the afternoon instead of having options available through the event. It would have been nice to have free beverages available for the designated drivers in the crowd. All in all the event was worth going to and the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild puts on one impressve event. If you are interested in craft beer and beer festivals, the All Pints North beer festival is one event that is worth experiencing. Heidi and I will definitely be back and will make a weekend out of it.
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