SeaWorld’s Craft Beer Festival returns

Craft Beer Festival is returning to SeaWorld San Diego with fun entertainment, local brews, delicious food options and a whole new look! The event will take place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from August 25 to September 10 and features an unbeatable mix of more than 100 domestic and local California crafts brews. Taking over the Arctic Plaza area of the park, guests will be able to enjoy a lively festival atmosphere with live music from an oompah band and upbeat costumed performers. For guests who prefer alternative options to beer, the festival has a range of hard kombucha and cider options available, plus wine and cocktail options are available throughout the park.

“We’re excited to bring a new look to Craft Beer Festival, while still providing the same local brews and delicious bites our guests have come to expect from the event,” said Jim Lake, Park President of SeaWorld San Diego. “As someone with a deep appreciation for beer and brewing, I look forward to this event every year and I hope our guests enjoy all of the hard work we put into making this year’s festival the best one yet.”

Cheers to Beers

Craft Beer Festival will feature the best craft brews from California breweries and beyond. Included in the line-up are two custom-made beers and a hard seltzer crafted by Mike Hess Brewing to compliment rides at the park which are exclusively sold at SeaWorld: Shipwreck Rapids Lager, Emperor Hazy IPA and Arctic Rescue Hard Seltzer. Guests will find brews they know and love, as well as delicious new beers to taste and try. Featured breweries including:

• Mike Hess Brewing
• Thorn Brewing
• Pizza Port Brewing
• Mother Earth Brew Co.
• Abnormal Beer Co.
• Ballast Point Brewing
• Hop Valley Brewing
• Harland Brewing
• Second Chance Beer Co.
• Stone Brewing
• Golden Road Brewing
• Karl Strauss Brewing

For guests looking for a gluten-free or non-alcoholic drink, the park will be serving a variety of options including:

• Babe Kombucha
• Bivouac Ciderworks
• Juneshine Kombucha
• Julian Hard Cider

Bites for the Brews

A craft beer festival wouldn’t be complete without delicious food inspired by and perfectly matched with drink selections. Guests will find two festival food huts serving a variety of unique and flavorful options that incorporate brews into delicious menu offerings including:

• Pork sliders served with a Stone IPA BBQ sauce and coleslaw
• Cheeseburger sliders topped with shredded lettuce, fried pickles and thousand island dressing
• Lamb sliders topped with cucumber, tzatziki and arugula
• Sloppy Joe sliders served with coleslaw, jackfruit and a chipotle emulsion
• Cheesesteak filled with steak, peppers, onions and beer cheese
• Walking taco dog topped with chili, beer cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream and jalapeño
• Tri-tip mac & cheese tossed with smoked tri-tip, toasted panko and parsley 
• Apple streusel topped with a crumble topping and vanilla ice cream
• Lemon tart parfait with lemon curd, vanilla cream and shortbread cookie

Attendees can enjoy boundless combinations of food and drink selections with a purchase of a Craft Beer Festival Sampler. Tasting options start with an 8-item Sampler for only $60 or attendees can take it up a notch with the best savings and a 12-item Sampler for $75. SeaWorld Annual Pass Members get to enjoy 3 free menu items when they purchase an exclusive 15-item Craft Beer Festival Sampler for the price of a 12-item Sampler. Samplers are a separate purchase from park admission and are only valid for use on Craft Beer Festival dates.

All-New Lively Entertainment

Arctic Plaza will transform into a festival of beer, food and culture during Craft Beer Festival. The area will be decorated with festive banners, ribbons and floral touches to bring the space to life in a whole new way.

Every event day, guests will enjoy live music from an oompah band playing traditional German music. The band will play two sets on Fridays, and five sets on Saturday and Sundays. The festival area will also include a dance floor for guests to dance the day away to the tunes of the band. Throughout the event area, performers in traditional Germen lederhosen will also be entertaining guests and celebrating the festival.

For more information, park hours and to purchase tickets, visit SeaWorld San Diego’s website. Events and times are subject to change.