The annual Great Alaska Craftbeer and Home Brew Festival, held each Memorial Day weekend, is a rite of spring in Haines. The “Haines Beerfest,” as its known by locals, is very popular, and tickets sell out weeks in advance. It kicks off with a gourmet dinner, where each course includes beer as an ingredient. The following day, the crowd descends on the Southeast Alaska State Fairgrounds, where craft beer and homebrew samples abound. The town doesn’t have enough hotel rooms to house all the visitors, so people camp. The Fort Seward Parade Grounds, the beach in front of the cruise ship dock, and Tlingit Park are packed with tents.
- This event has passed.