South Jersey’s most celebrated beer festival is officially back on the calendar, as the Glassboro Craft Beer Festival returns to Glassboro Town Square on Saturday, September 26, 2026. Presented by Ciconte’s Restaurant Group, the event has built a genuinely impressive national reputation over the years, having been recognized by USA Today as one of the best beer festivals anywhere in the United States, a distinction that places this South Jersey gathering among elite company on a genuinely competitive national list.
This year’s festival keeps the winning formula largely intact, taking place entirely outdoors across Glassboro’s Town Square and bringing together craft beverage enthusiasts, local businesses, and live entertainment for a full afternoon of celebration. The drink lineup itself remains the festival’s central draw, featuring nearly 100 unique craft beers pulled from more than 50 different brands and breweries spanning New Jersey and the broader Tri State region. Beer isn’t the only pour available either, since the festival also showcases local New Jersey wineries and cideries, giving attendees a genuinely well rounded tasting experience regardless of their preferred beverage.
Entertainment runs throughout the day as well, headlined by Shot of Southern, a high energy Philadelphia based country and rock cover band taking over the festival’s live music stage. Surrounding that main stage, a full lineup of regional food trucks and local artisan craft vendors will line the square, giving attendees plenty to explore between drink samples. One important note for anyone planning to attend, the festival maintains a strict 21 and older policy, with no children, toddlers, or pets permitted inside the gates under any circumstances, making this a genuinely adults only event from start to finish.
The festival runs across two distinct sessions to accommodate different types of attendees. VIP ticket holders gain access starting at noon, running through the event’s 5 p.m. close, while standard general admission attendees can enter beginning at 1 p.m., also running through 5 p.m. Organizers have set a firm last entry time of 3:30 p.m. for anyone arriving later in the day, and pouring stops entirely at 4:45 p.m., giving attendees a clear window to plan around whether they’re aiming for the full VIP experience or a shorter general admission visit.
Tickets are available for purchase in advance through the festival’s official online ticket platform, with several distinct options depending on how attendees want to experience the day. VIP tickets, priced around $75, include early entry at noon, allowing ticket holders to beat the lines that typically build up ahead of the general admission start time, along with unlimited two ounce samples across a full five hour window, a commemorative lanyard, and a custom festival pilsner cup to take home. General admission tickets offer standard entry starting at 1 p.m., unlimited two ounce samples across a four hour tasting window, and a complimentary souvenir tasting glass. For anyone attending without plans to drink, whether serving as a designated driver or simply preferring to enjoy the festival’s other offerings, non drinking tickets priced at $20 provide complete access to the festival grounds, live music, food trucks, and craft vendors, though without a tasting glass or any alcohol sampling access included.
With its combination of a nationally recognized reputation, a genuinely deep lineup of nearly 100 craft beers alongside local wine and cider options, and a full day of live music and food trucks surrounding it all, the Glassboro Craft Beer Festival continues to stand out as one of South Jersey’s premier annual gatherings for craft beverage fans. Anyone hoping to attend this September should plan to secure tickets well ahead of time through the official Glassboro Craft Beer Festival ticket platform, particularly given the event’s track record of drawing enthusiastic crowds from across New Jersey and the broader Tri State region year after year.
