Third annual Hattiesburg Craft Beer Festival announced

Craft beer enthusiasts have a special reason to look forward to the two-week long celebration that is FestivalSouth.

During a small gathering Tuesday at the Keg and Barrel, downtown and festival officials announced the third annual Hattiesburg Craft Beer Festival will be from 1-4 p.m. June 13 at the Historic Train Depot.

The event, which is designed to support and expand the craft beer culture in Mississippi, will showcase more than 100 beers from 30 breweries. Beer offerings will come from Mississippi companies such as Southern Prohibition Brewing, Slowboat Brewing Company and Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company, as well as from breweries around the country including Abita Brewery (Abita Springs, Louisiana), Schlafly Beer (St. Louis, Missouri) and Traveler Beer Company (Burlington, Vermont.)

"This event offers you a chance to meet with like-minded people if you're a craft beer enthusiast," Southern Prohibition sales manager Emily Curry said. "And if you're not a craft beer enthusiast, still come, and I challenge you to not find at least one beer you're going to love.

"It's about the beer, but it's also about exposing people to this wonderful culture that is growing around the craft beer industry and the people that dedicate their lives (to it)."

Tickets, which can be purchased at www.hattiesburgcraftbeerfest.com, are $35 for general admission and $70 for VIP passes. Both tickets include unlimited sampling and a 4-ounce sampling mug.

VIP passes include noon admission, a festival T-shirt and admittance to the VIP area, where complimentary food, soft drinks and water will be available, along with beers for sample that will not be available to those with general admission tickets.

Shuttle rides also will be offered for attendees.

"Beer lovers and beer novices alike will enjoy this festival," festival coordinator Jennifer Clark said. "It is a fun, relaxed, environment where you can meet the people behind the beer, hear their stories, experience new tastes, and enjoy some old favorites all in one place."

The Hattiesburg Craft Beer Festival began as part of FestivalSouth in 2013, with about 300 patrons attending the inaugural event. By last year, that number had grown to more than 800.

"The craft beer industry as a whole has really been such a strong creative-economy booster across the nation," said Andrea Saffle, executive director of Historic Hattiesburg Downtown Association. "We've seen it in the kinds of things that it brings — unique bars, restaurants and just the culture.

"So we're very excited to present this event for the third year. Having Southern Prohibition in downtown, it's such a unique little gem that we've got, and they help to promote all the little things that make downtown unique."

At a glance

Hattiesburg Craft Beer Festival

•The third annual Hattiesburg Craft Beer Festival will be from 1-4 p.m. June 13 at the Historic Train Depot, 308 Newman St. in Hattiesburg.

•Participants will be able to sample more than 100 craft beers from 30 breweries around the country.

•General admission tickets are $35, and VIP tickets are $70. Tickets can be purchased at www.hattiesburgcraftbeerfest.com.

•For more information, visit www.hattiesburgcraftbeerfest.com, or contact festival coordinator Jennifer Clark at 270-2756 or jennifer@emergeevents.com.