OctFest Owns the Weekend with Beer, Music, and More
Just when you thought festival season was over, October magazine teamed up with Pitchfork to bring together three of America’s greatest loves – beer, music, and food – in one epic end-of-summer festival on Governor’s Island.
Having been to quite a few music festivals myself over the years, it’s safe to say that OctFest was one of the most original, unique, and downright fun festivals I’ve had the pleasure of attending. This is quite possibly due in part to the 15 daily FREE 3 oz. samples of beer with which each festival-goer’s wristband was pre-loaded. Getting to try 30 different beers from over 20 different countries over the course of two days seems like a feasible task…but when over 90 amazing breweries from around the world are represented, that task becomes a little more daunting.
It doesn’t mean that we weren’t up for the challenge, however; we gladly put forth our best efforts.
Some of our personal favorites were Barfuss’s Texas Ranger, Newlands Spring Brewing Company’s Jacob’s Pale Ale, and Bronx Brewer’s No Resolutions IPA. If those names aren’t enough to turn your head, then maybe the fact that out of the only 16 Master Cicerone Certified beer connoisseurs that exist in the world (that’s right – only SIXTEEN people in the entire world know enough about beer to be called Master Cicerones), two of them were at OctFest. Let that sink in for a sec while you sip on your stout…
Of course OctFest isn’t just about the beer; the music played an equally important part role in the festival, and the 20 acts on display brought the heat to a decidedly chilly day. Particularly notable acts were indie rapper Saba and British singer-songwriter NAO. Both were able to draw in a crowd and put on passionate performances despite the rain that loomed overhead.
In fact, no one seemed to mind the rain at all. Couples teamed up against other couples to play corn hole and toss frisbees, and those who were single and ready to mingle popped by the OKCupid booth to download the app, sign up for free massages or hair braiding, and pickup some awesome free swag.
With its chilled out vibes, amazing array of breweries, top-notch musical acts like The Flaming Lips and Vince Staples, and delicious dining options such as Mission Chinese Food, Roberta’s Pizza, and Oddfellows Ice Cream, OctFest is definitely a festival to remember, and a festival we are looking forward to returning to next year.