For Mother’s Day weekend, we decided to attend the 3rd Annual Chattanooga Craft Beer Festival hosted by Terminal Brewing Company. It was held on 9 May, 2015 at the First Tennessee Pavilion from 12:00 PM-5:00 PM and was a 21 and over event. There were food trucks available to buy food and a band playing country music. The temps were in the high 80’s, so the pavilion was an ideal location for the event because it is covered and has fans. The general admission tickets were $50 which entitled attendees to a beer tasting glass, beer to taste and water. 
We decided to buy VIP tickets that entitled us to access to seating, snacks and inside bathrooms. The total price for 3 VIP tickets was $259.17 or $86.39pp. This option is ideal for visitors who prefer not to bring their own seating because the VIP section provided a few table and chair sets and a leather couch seating area. In addition, there was beer available for tasting along with various snack options. Among the snack options provided were chicken tacos, salads, shrimp, prosciutto wrapped asparagus, hummus and chips and cookies.
There were about 50 breweries represented at the festival. Sam Adams and Sweetwater were the two most well known breweries in attendance. The majority of the breweries at the festival were from TN. Other states represented were AL, NC and MI. Most stands had representatives from their company to talk to the customers, but a few had volunteers filling in. I have to give a shout out to The Black Abbey Brewing Company located in Nashville, TN. My mom informed their representative that she only liked dark beer and was disappointed they only had light beers available to sample since their name had Black in it. The guy ended up giving her his secret stash of dark beer! 
We ended the day by having dinner at Terminal Brewing Company. It was crowded, but totally worth the 40 minute wait. The beer and food were excellent! If you are visiting Chattanooga, this place is a must. They take pride on the quality of their hops and food. I ordered a hamburger, not expecting much, and came away thinking it was the best hamburger I’ve ever had in a restaurant. Have you ever been to Terminal Brewing Company? What is your favorite beer fest you have attended?
