Craft beers come to Stockton Saturday to kick-off Beer Week

Craft beer lovers can enjoy local fare alongside brews from across the West coast starting this weekend as Stockton kicks off its annual Beer Week.

The 10-day event begins Saturday with Stockton Brew Fest at Weber Point Events Center, which will feature more than 40 craft beers, as well as local food trucks, live music and art exhibits.

Brewers from as far as Seattle and as close to home as Lodi and Modesto will bring kegs of their best beers, and attendees will be able to sample and meet the brains behind the brews, Wes Rhea, CEO of Visit Stockton, said.

"For us it's always about just celebrating craft beer in our restaurants and driving traffic to our restaurants," he said.

Beer Week aims to promote local businesses, bars and restaurants -- a crucial task now, given that many local restaurants are still suffering due to the pandemic, Rhea said. Many establishments will offer special events and discounts as part of the festival.

Events happening throughout the week include a food and beer pairing event hosted by The Black Rabbit Society restaurant and the Misfits Burger Cult burger pop-up, from Sept. 10-17. Brew & Shoes, a fun run and walk through Lincoln Village that ends with beer and games, will take place on Sept. 14.

Local breweries to be featured during the week include High Water Brewing and Five Window Beer Company, both based in Lodi, Rhea said. Tickets for Saturday's Brew Fest are available through the Visit Stockton website.

"For us, the success is always that the breweries are happy ... because I know the attendees will be happy," Rhea said.

Record reporter Aaron Leathley covers business, housing, and land use. She can be reached at aleathley@recordnet.com or on Twitter @LeathleyAaron. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at recordnet.com/subscribenow.