Tailspin Ale Fest and its parent, HB Productions, do such a good job of promoting the annual all-things-beer bacchanal that nowadays merely nodding in their general direction seems like plenty enough.

Tailspin is eleven years young in 2024, with the first fest coming in 2014, and this year’s edition falls on Saturday, March 2.

Tailspin has long since been recognized as one of the finest fests of its type. Craft beer aficionados make up a passionate community, and Tailspin embodies their community values. It has continued to deepen, evolve and provide reliable bang for its ticket prices. Louisvillians know Tisha Gainey and her crew, and they understand that Tailspin is a year-round outreach.

In short, localism matters. Here’s a fine and comprehensive overview penned by J.C. Phelps at Newsbreak.

Tailspin Ale Fest, Louisville’s Premier Beer Celebration, Returns

The excitement is brewing as Tailspin Ale Fest, a nationally recognized celebration of craft beer, returns for its 11th year on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at Historic Bowman Field in Louisville, Kentucky. This year promises an unforgettable experience, as the festival gets bigger, better, and more delicious each year!

And, our own Sara “The Bar Belle” Havens offers her preview, which includes an assessment of this year’s “VIP loo” innovation. The egalitarian in me cringes — shouldn’t we ALL be toilet kings for a day? — but no matter. If beer’s your thing, go to Tailspin and spend some time with several hundred of your best, like-minded friends.

This year there will also be VIP bathrooms courtesy of Tom Drexler, and you can actually purchase a special potty pass on the Tailspin website for $30. One of the only downsides of a big beer festival like this one here is encountering long lines at the Port-o-Pots, so this pass could be a great way to circumvent that bladder ache. The pass will allow you access to 17 indoor restrooms that are located in a private area.

Now, if you’re bougie and want your own private bathroom, that can happen as well for a fee of $200. And I will be your friend for the day, too!