Midwest Sour + Wild + Funk Fest

Upland's Midwest Sour-Wild-Funk fest is my favorite local beer event. Sour and wild craft brews are my favored style, so I always get super excited when April rolls around. A lot of folks stereotype sour beers as mouth-puckering and vinegary-tasting, but the fest's offerings are much more complex flavor-wise (especially the wild and barrel-aged ales). Highlights include:-the beautiful event space at Mavris Event Center, a historic space with brick & wood finishes.-the attendee make-up; less obnoxious bro & norm-core gals looking just to get drunk, and more knowledgeable beer aficionados seeking out rare styles. Lots of beards and plaid, if you're that sort of aficionado too. -hourly unique releases from Upland Brewery, such as paw-paw, persimmon, and other cool flavorings.-neat outdoor spaces on the 2nd & 3rd floors, where you can get some fresh air and gaze out over the downtown Indy vistas. -cool breweries from across the country, that are not typically present at other local beer fests (Mikeller, Bruery Terreux, Troegs, Paradox, The Rare Barrel, and much more).-Free nearby parking.-The event is not oversold and you rarely have to wait long to sample a brew.There are not a lot of food offerings, unless you partake in the VIP experience, so ensure to bring a pretzel necklace or similar if needed. Give sour beers a chance & visit next year's Sour-Wild-Funk Fest.

This was my first time attending the sour beer festival, and I had a great time; minus the weather!Sour beers are slowly growing on me (keyword: slowly). I'm glad I had the option to try so many different kinds of sours to see which ones were just way too tangy, or tart, or sour, and which ones set well with my palate. Would I say I found a beer that I absolutely have to have again? No, not at all. But that's okay! I got to experience several new sour beers and try out this trendy option. As far as the event, it was a lot of fun. It's in a perfect location as the city market is right next door so there's food and other beverage options for people to purchase - great idea. The glasses were great and the booklet was an awesome idea. Four stars instead of five because the sour beer just wasn't my jam. If you like them, this is a beer fest you can't miss!

This is how beer fests should be. A smaller affair with a more (beer) educated crowd. There was not a 'bro' in sight (lots of beards, though). The lines were either non-existent or you had to wait for at most 2 minutes to sample the beers and chat with the brewery representatives.The one snafu was getting in. There were 2 lines to get in so we just got in the closest one. After we had been waiting 5 minutes and the lines started moving (at 3 PM when the doors opened for general admission), someone from the festival came out and said that the line we were in was only for people who had printed out their tickets (the other line was for people who had their tickets on the Eventbrite app). More than half of the people in our line (including us) had e-tickets so we had to go to the back of the other line.

This is one of the best beer fests that Indy has to offer. It is run smoothly, the tickets are not oversold, and the lines are reasonable. The weather has been terrible the last couple of years, but that doesn't hold me back - I still enjoy plenty of beer. Upland is generous pouring their sours, and there were a lot of other solid offerings from other brewers as well.I love this beer fest because it located right next to City Market which makes grabbing some grub easy, and it's nice to have an option for some shelter/real bathrooms.My only suggestion is that the beer fest really should provide water stations.

We had a Wonderful time at this fest! So many Brewers and sooooo much beer, it was crazy. Will be back next year!

I thought the Funk Fest was great. I have been to my share of beer festivals, so I have an idea of the good, the bad, and the ugly. This particular festival was overall well run and a great time. We arrived a little after the gates opened and were in within two or three minutes. They have multiple people checking IDs, confirming tickets, and dispensing wrist bracelets and sample glasses. Sometimes lines to enter beer festivals can get long and cumbersome -- this was not the case at the Funk Fest.The event was held outdoors, but everything was under tents. This was good, because it wasn't a great day for an outdoor beer fest that wasn't under cover. The heavy rain mostly held off until the end and pretty much everyone was able to crowd under the tents and continue sampling when the skies did open up. I didn't experience any of the breweries running out of beer, which is great, and some even let you know about special or more rare offerings that would be tapped later on during the event. I found the crowd to be a perfect size, though I wonder if it would have been more crowded on a nicer day (but then people would have been more willing to mill about around the tents than try to stay under them). As someone who really enjoys sour beers, this festival was really a treat. I was a little wary of what would actually be available when I saw the list of breweries, but everyone seemed to stick to the theme and bring only wild, funky, and sour ales. I was pleasantly surprised. Finally, bathrooms are key to a good beer festival. This festival offered only port-a-potties, but they had a sufficient number for the event. Some lines did form, but things moved with sufficient speed. They also had sinks outside for hand washing as well as hand sanitizer in the individual stalls.I don't have anything negative to say about the Midwest Sour + Wild + Funk Fest. If you're into these types of beer, the festival provides a great opportunity to try offerings from local breweries as well as those that are more nationally recognized. Good times!

Really enjoyable festival. One of the top beer events in town and a can't miss if you're sour beer fan. The hold back to this event is spacing. The event was very difficult to navigate at the beginning of the event due to how it was laid. Also was disappointed food in VIP ran out two hours before event ended before I even got any. VIP tasting was top notch.

This annual beer festival hosted by Upland focuses on all that is sour, wild, and funky and includes breweries not only from Indiana but across the United States. It's the only event of it's kind in the Midwest so if you're a sour fan like me this is a must! Historically this festival is always held at City Market indoors. This year they shut down Market Street and held the festivities outside. This was my first time at this event so I can't compare the two setups but overall it worked well regardless if the heavens parted and poured down on us like a flood - the sour wild funky warriors pushed on in the rain, soaked, yet eager to try the bounty of sour ales, while the not so brave took cover inside City Market. The good funk:*The beers....those hard to find, rare, high dollar, special occasion Lambics, Sours, Belgians, Barrel Aged goodness can be found here. I tried so many different varieties of funky beers, everything from a Pickled Barrel from Flat 12 (Cucumber Kolsh aged in Four Roses Bourbon Barrels), to a Cocoa Mole from New Belgium (Cocoa, cinnamon, and chilies), to an Old Sour Cherry Porter from Rivertown, to a Malefactor from Upland (8 month bourbon barrel aged version of a Flanders-Style Red Ale), to a Red Angel from Wicked Weed (Barrel Aged Sour with Raspberries). So many good selections! *Unlimited samples, cheers to that!*There are only 25-30 breweries (which I like) I was able to take it slow and try something from almost every brewery. *If I lived downtown I would take advantage of biking to this event. A bike valet area is available for bikers. *The line into the event was long but moved quickly*Lines for beers (if there was a line) also moved quickly*Lots of excellet food options offered within City MarketThe bad funk:*Breweries started running out of beer by 4:30 which was disappointing. *Very few port-o-johns*Parking Tips:*Don't miss trying selections from Wicked Weed & Upland*If you want to purchase an event shirt get it early...smalls run out fast *This event is very focused on sour funky ales someone who doesn't like these styles may not enjoy this event. *Purchase a crocheted beer glass holder in advance from Don't Worry Be Hoppy. They come in a variety of fun, funky, wild colors to perfectly compliment this event and future beer events. Click here for more details: https://www.etsy.com/shop/DontWorryBeHoppy

This festival was a lot of fun, but there were a few pitfalls. First the positive things: there is plenty of really good beer to try. Big names you know plus small ones I hadn't heard of. The amount of different stuff to try was high quality and vast. Also, they give you a book with a map of vendors that really comes in handy. There's room for tasting notes, and each vendor has a number that corresponds to a map so it's easy to find whoever you are looking for. There's also a list of what each brewery brought to the party so you can go back and look at your favorites very easily later. Good variety, good quality, good door gift. Now the downside: unfortunately it poured down rain. This venue is outside and they were not really in a rain friendly location. Everyone had to squish together to try and get under the narrow ring around the vendors or get soaked. Bathrooms were few and not close by. Either wait in line for a port a john, or go inside a nearby building and wait. The beer is served very cold, which inhibits the nuances and flavors of sour beers. Maybe extend the hours so we can wait for samples to warm up a little and enjoy them more? Finally, the price is at the higher end of others I have been to, but sour beers are usually more expensive, so I guess this is just up to each person to decide what they're comfortable with. All in all, this is a nice festival with good beer, just some opportunities to tweak it and make it better.