FOBAB | Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer

FOBAB IS COMING!

North America’s largest and most prestigious barrel-aged beer festival and competition is BACK! The 19th annual Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer returns to Chicago November 12th and 13th. And this year, we’re giving you a chance to experience FoBAB your way: in-person AND at home.

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FOBAB IN-PERSON

THE AWARDS ARE LIVE!

Awards take place Saturday November 13 at 2p CT. Stream here or on Facebook Live to see who will bring home the glory.

In-Person Festival

FoBAB returns with two tasting sessions, Friday November 12th and Saturday November 13th, at the Credit Union 1 Arena (NOT the UIC Forum). Limited attendance sessions and a higher capacity venue enable greater social distancing and a more intimate festival experience. (Did we mention better food options and more bathrooms!?) Brewers will be staged and pouring throughout the main floor, around the concourse and outdoors.

Proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test administered within 72 hours of the festival will be required upon entry for all staff, volunteers, and attendees. We encourage patrons to download their vaccination card on Vax Verify. A picture copy on a phone will also be accepted. For our out-of-town guests, please review Chicago’s current travel advisories for any applicable quarantine/testing requirements. Masks will be required in all indoor spaces, per local health guidelines.

CREDIT UNION 1 ARENA | 525 S. Racine Ave. | Chicago, IL 60607

Session 1 | Friday November 12th

6:00 – 10:00 p.m. (ImBIBE entry at 5:00 p.m.)

Session 2 | Saturday November 13th

1:00 – 5:00 p.m. (ImBIBE entry at 12:00 p.m.)

General admission tickets are $85 plus processing and are available now. Attendance is limited, so purchase tickets quickly to reserve your spot!

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FOBAB TO GO

We’re pleased to once again offer a FoBAB To Go option for attendees who want to bring the best of FoBAB’s award-winning beers home with them (or those who are more comfortable staying home right now).

Assorted six-packs of our exclusive FoBAB competition beers will be available for purchase on a limited basis. FoBAB To Go beer spans all 14 style categories and are constructed and sold at random, allowing fans to enjoy the tastes of FoBAB once the festival has wrapped.

FoBAB To Go six-packs are $60 plus processing and come in a FoBAB-branded tote bag. Six packs will be available for pick-up only at Credit Union 1 Arena, Gate 2, as follows:

Friday November 12th

10:00a – 2:00 p.m. // 10:00p.m.-11:00p.m. (Following Session I)

Saturday November 13th

9:00a.m. – 11:00 a.m. // 5:00p.m.-6:00p.m. (Following Session II)

Sunday November 14th

9:00a.m – 1:00 p.m.

General admission tickets go on sale Friday October 29 at 10:00 a.m. FoBAB six-packs are extremely limited, so purchase your tickets early.

Safe SPACE FOR ALL

The Illinois Craft Brewers Guild is committed to making the Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer a safe, respectful, and inclusive event for all. In support of this commitment, we’ve developed the FoBAB Code of Conduct to clarify expectations for all organizers, brewers, volunteers, staff, sponsors, and attendees. In short, we expect all interactions (verbal, physical, or otherwise) at FoBAB to be courteous, consensual, appropriate, and respectful. The ICBG has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment or misconduct of any kind. We are working with the app-based platform, #NotMe, to facilitate anonymous, on-site, and real-time reporting of any instances of misconduct by those who may experience it directly or those who may witness it. We hold a zero-tolerance policy for any violations of the Code of Conduct before, during, or after the festival. Thank you for your support in building a festival environment of which we can all be proud.

CODE OF CONDUCT

Illinois Craft Brewers Guild (ICBG) is dedicated to providing a friendly, safe, supportive, and harassment-free event for all attendees and participants regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, sexual identity, gender expression, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion or group identity.

The code of conduct outlines Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer expectations for all event attendees and participants, including all organizers, volunteers, brewers, sponsors, media representatives, and judges. Cooperation is expected from everyone, and organizers will actively enforce this code throughout this event.
We will not tolerate harassment in any form. Anyone violating these rules may be asked to leave the event at the sole discretion of ICBG. Thank you for helping make this a welcoming event for all.

If anyone makes you feel unsafe or unwelcome or if you observe someone else in a situation of discomfort, please report it as soon as possible using the #NotMe QR code available on signage throughout the venue as well as in the participant program.

COVID SAFETY at FoBAB

The health and safety of our brewers, volunteers and attendees continues to be a top priority, so we’ve put in place the following safety precautions to help build a healthy, fun FoBAB for all:

Vaccination + Testing

Proof of full vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test administered within 72 hours is required at entry. There are no exceptions. Additionally, masks will be required (and actively enforced) in all indoor spaces when attendees are not actively eating or drinking.

New Venue

Credit Union 1 Arena is FoBAB’s largest venue to-date, and the capacity for each tasting session is just one-quarter of the total capacity for the venue, allowing ample space for social distancing for volunteers, brewers and attendees. Brewers will be stationed on the main floor, throughout the mezzanine, and outdoors, with stadium seating open for attendees to sit and enjoy their beers.

Outdoor Space

An easy-to-access outdoor space off the mezzanine level will feature beer selections, fire pits, and a perfect view of the Chicago skyline. With substantial space outdoors, attendees can spend as much time as they’d like outdoors.

FOBAB COMPETITION

This year, more than 180 craft breweries from across the country will submit 330+ of their best wood and barrel-aged beer, cider, mead and perry for judging (and tasting!). A panel of expert judges and stewards will evaluate FoBAB entries, awarding gold, silver, and bronze medals as well as ‘Best in Show’ honors across 11 style categories.

The award ceremony will be hosted during Session 2 and live-streamed for folks at home. Follow along to see if the beers in your FoBAB To Go six-pack made the cut!