Firestone Walker announces 2026 Invitational Beer Festival lineup
Event features 65 breweries, live music, and local food
– Firestone Walker announced the brewery lineup and ticket release date for the 2026 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival, scheduled for Saturday, May 30, at the Paso Robles Event Center.
The main event will feature 65 breweries from around the world, along with live music and food from more than 20 local chefs and restaurants. The festival is part of Firestone Walker’s 30th anniversary year as a California craft brewery.
Organizers said the festival is part of a weekendlong celebration that also includes the Firestone Walker 30th Anniversary Brewery Block Party on Friday, May 29; a Brews and Brekky Brunch on Sunday, May 31; and the release of an official festival collaboration beer.
Tickets for the 2026 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival go on sale at 10 a.m. Pacific time on Feb. 4 through the brewery’s website.
“The fest is about inviting some of our favorite breweries to come share great beer with those who care about it most,” said Firestone Walker Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “It’s a chance to put down our sales pitches, showcase our rarest beers and celebrate craft culture together.”
To mark the 2026 festival, Firestone Walker will release pFreal, a limited-edition West Coast India pale ale and the official festival collaboration beer, brewed with pFriem Family Brewers of Hood River, Oregon.
“This collaboration is about two breweries speaking the same language, learning from each other, and pushing toward something special,” Brynildson said.
Beginning in May, pFreal will be available at select Firestone Walker accounts, at the brewery’s three California locations, and on tap throughout the festival weekend.
Participating breweries include Hill Farmstead of Vermont, Verdant of the United Kingdom, Bofkont of Belgium, SirHopper of Argentina, Fidens of New York, and Craftrock of Japan. Organizers said additional breweries will be announced in the coming weeks.
Since its inaugural event in 2012, the Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival has become widely recognized within the craft beer industry. Proceeds from the festival benefit Paso Robles Pioneer Day, as well as other local nonprofit organizations including the Central Coast Honor Flight, Estrella Warbird Museum, and local youth sports leagues.
The festival schedule begins Friday, May 1, with the official release of the pFreal West Coast India pale ale. Events continue Friday, May 29, with the Firestone Walker 30th Anniversary Brewery Block Party; Saturday, May 30, with the Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival at the Paso Robles Event Center; and conclude Sunday, May 31, with the Brews and Brekky Brunch at the Firestone Walker Taproom.
Additional details are available on the festival’s event page.
