Furry friends, unlimited beer: What to expect at the Cap City Beer Fest

Every year on the first Sunday in November, someone lets the dogs out in downtown Baton Rouge. Who? The Cap City Beer Fest, of course.

The fall festival has been around for a little over a decade supporting local animal shelter Companion Animal Alliance (CAA). Ticket sales usually raise around $80,000. That can cover food, bedding, medications, adoption fees and other necessities, says Heidi Wetherbee, CAA’s communications and events senior manager.

The open-air event lures hundreds of pet owners and beer lovers. Local breweries, home brewers and big-name distributors haul kegs and cans, and pop-up their tents along downtown’s North Fourth Street. Ticket holders can grab a pint glass before claiming samples of full-bodied stouts, pale ales, tangy sours and meads.

Attendees can also smash seltzers, coffee and non-alcoholic bevs. There’s a lineup of around eight to 10 local food trucks, too.

Drinkers have to be 21 or older, but all are welcome to come out and enjoy the day, says Gwen Palagi, volunteer co-chair of the festival’s planning committee. Wristbands must be purchased to sample, but they’re not required to enter the festival.

Non-drinking and younger attendees are welcome to walk-through, play giant lawn games, or find a shady spot to pet the pups.

Massive or teacup sized. Groomed or scruffy. All dogs are welcome to accompany their owners—on a leash. And though ales flow freely, cuddly pooches steal a good bit of the spotlight.

“The whole idea is to bring the community together so that we have an opportunity to share more information about the shelter, and connect people with the shelter in a different way,” Palagi says. “And just remind folks that there are so many adoptable pets available.”

Cap City Beer Fest

Nov. 3

North Fourth Street

Downtown Baton Rouge

caabr.org

---

This article was originally published in the September 2024 issue of 225 Magazine.