Chicago's biggest barrel-aged beer bash is back for its 24th year, bringing two tasting sessions and an awards ceremony to the Near West Side on November 13 and 14. The Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer, known to regulars as FoBAB, takes over Credit Union 1 Arena with a lineup built around rare and experimental pours that showcase brewing craftsmanship and innovation, according to a WGN-TV report.
The event is hosted by the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, which calls FoBAB its largest annual fundraiser, according to FoBAB. The festival runs for two days at the arena, located at 525 S. Racine Ave. on Chicago's west side, per the organization's own FAQ page. Doors open Friday, November 13, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. for the first session, with the second session set for Saturday, November 14, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., according to Credit Union 1 Arena.
What's Actually in the Glass
FoBAB describes each of its two tasting sessions as featuring more than 250 expertly crafted beers, ciders, meads and perries spread across 13 style categories, per the same festival description. The FAQ page offers a different scale, however, stating that hundreds of breweries from coast to coast pour more than 300 barrel-aged beers, ciders, meads and perries at the event. A preview from The Crafty Brewers podcast lands somewhere in between, describing the 2026 edition as featuring 250-plus drinks from more than 130 breweries across those same 13 categories.
Whatever the final tally, the drinks on tap don't just show up unranked. Ahead of the festival, a panel of expert judges and industry stewards evaluates every FoBAB entry, awarding gold, silver and bronze medals along with Best in Show honors across the 13 style categories, the festival's site notes. Those results get revealed live during the Saturday session, with the 2026 awards ceremony scheduled for 2 p.m. CT on November 14, per FoBAB.
Tickets, Parking and a Look Back at Last Year
General-admission tickets for the festival run $85 plus fees, with VIP tickets priced at $250 plus fees, according to a preview from WGN-TV. Credit Union 1 Arena warns that any tickets purchased through third-party resellers are entirely at the buyer's own risk, and the venue says it does not offer prepaid parking, since lot access is first-come, first-served.
This isn't FoBAB's first run at the Near West Side venue. The 23rd annual festival landed at Credit Union 1 Arena on November 7-8, 2025, also hosted by the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, according to Craft Brewing Business. That edition expected more than 150 breweries pouring over 300 rare and experimental beers across the same Friday-evening and Saturday-afternoon session format, with tickets also priced at $85 plus fees, the trade publication reported.
Where to Learn More
Festival details, including the full brewery and drink lineup, are posted at fobab.com. One participating brewery, Vibes Beer Project, has additional information available at vibesbeerproject.com. The WGN-TV segment on the festival aired as part of Spotlight Chicago, which airs weekdays on WGN from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
