Annual Hops & Harvest Festival celebrates NYS brewers

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - The Empire State Plaza’s Annual Hops & Harvest Festival takes place on Wednesday starting at 5 p.m. and going until 9 p.m. It was held for the first time by the New York State Office of General Services in 2018, and this year marks six years the event has gone on.

The state holds the festival to celebrate the best of what autumn has to offer in upstate New York.  The event includes beers crafted by several breweries in New York State, as well as vendors, food, musical performances, and a pie-eating contest.

Associate Commissioner for Special Events & Visitors Services, Kristen Hanifin, said the festival pays homage to fall and state brewers.

"So you have a sort of that nod to hops being the beer selections, but of course New York State has an incredible array of craft beverage producers," Hanifin said.

To share the tastes of New York, Hanifin said the state is putting on the festival to highlight the brewers across the state. A variety of New York State craft beers and ciders from the Ithaca Beer Company, Brown’s Brewing Company, Adirondack Brewery, Druthers Brewing Company, Wolf Hollow Brewing Company, Indian Ladder Farms Cidery and Brewery, and Brewery Ommegang are in attendance at the event.

“We are in the heart of New York State, and to be able to showcase and promote these great producers as well as celebrate a little bit of fall here today is really what we’re all about,” Hanifin said.

And the state’s breweries have been growing in the past couple of years, according to Hanifin. In fact, Governor Kathy Hochul signed new legislation last month allowing brewers from New York State to send beverages like craft ciders and spirits directly to consumers.  

“It’s so important to our tourism economy; they are a great economic catalyst for the state as a whole to drive economic development, and tourism for the area in the region, great agritourism, and it’s been growing year over year,” Hanifin said.

The festival will also have free performances by headliner The Travelin’ McCourys, and special guests Gangstagrass and The McKrells. In addition to the variety of food vendors including: Alaturco Mediterranean Gril, Alima's Cuisine, Given to Fry, Kona Ice, Margarita City, Menya Jiro Ramen, Reggae Boy Café, Robles Catering, Roy's Caribbean, The Plated Palette, The Skinny Pancake, and Umami Gallery.

The state encourages those at the event to take public transportation if drinking. The state also has police on the grounds of the event.

Sponsors of the event include DeCrescente Distributing Company, Times Union, Albany Renaissance Hotel, and EQX. Free parking is available in the East Garage, Madison Avenue, and Grand Street parking lots. Paid parking is available in the visitor lot underneath the Empire State Plaza.