Sarasota Beer & Burger Festival Runs Through Sunday

SARASOTA, FL – The second annual Sarasota Beer & Burger Festival presented by T-Mobile returns to The Mall at University Town Center, located at 140 University Town Center Drive in Sarasota, with a full four-day carnival Thursday through Sunday and a two-day food and music festival Saturday and Sunday, according to a news release from event organizers.

The carnival will operate Thursday and Friday, 5 to 11 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 11 p.m. The festival runs Saturday and Sunday noon to 6 p.m.

Festival entry is $10 each on Saturday and Sunday. Children 12 and under can attend for free. Carnival ride pricing varies but entry into the carnival is free for all.

The weekend festival kicks off with live music, juicy burgers and desserts on Saturday. Guests will have access to dozens of burgers from award-winning chefs, and the public votes to decide which burger food truck win the coveted People’s Choice Best Burger award, event organizers said. Votes will be tallied, and winners will be announced on Sunday.

On Saturday, local breweries, including Naughty Monk Brewery, 3 Bridges Brewing and 3 Car Garage Brewery, will offer free samples of their latest craft brews from noon to 3 p.m. Guests will vote to decide who wins the Best Brew and Most Creative Craft awards. Winner will be announced on stage at 4pm Saturday.

While rocking out with six local bands, guests can enjoy the open-play Beer Pong Zone, outdoor Hookah Lounge and local vendors, event organizers said. Live music by local artists includes:

Saturday

• 12:30 p.m. - Beat Street Band
• 2:30 p.m. - Triggerfish
• 4:30 p.m. - Reverend Barry & The Funk

Sunday

• 12:30 p.m. - George Pennington III
• 2:30 p.m. - BRAKE FAIL
• 4:30 p.m. - 22N

Tickets to the festival can be purchased online here or at the gate on event day.

Social distancing will be observed with extra space in the concert field. Guests can bring their own lawn chairs to set up their own space and stay all day. Seating is limited. Hand sanitizing stations will be placed through the event and masks are encouraged at all times to remain safe.