Dogfish Head Punkin Ale Fest 2023

All The GOURD-ness!

Friday, September 15, 2023

Punkin Ale season is officially here, and we’re celebrating by throwing a FREE festival at our Milton brewery! On Saturday, October 14, 2023 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., swing by the Tasting Room & Kitchen for Punkin Ale Festival, a family friendly event featuring some amazing local vendors and food trucks, exclusive ales & spirits, live music and much more! We’ll have our draft trailer flowing in the parking lot, along with a canned cocktail bar, and live music including Live Band Karaoke from 2 – 4 p.m. Check out all of the vendors, music lineup & more here.

Did we mention the dogs?? Punkin Ale Fest is going to be a bark-centric event, so bring your pups along! A portion of the proceeds from this year’s Punkin Ale Fest will benefit the Brandywine Valley SPCA as part of Dogfish Head’s Beer & Benevolence program. The nonprofit will be on-site at Punkin Ale Fest with some adoptable canine friends. Those looking to support the non-profit can also bring their dogs and/or family over to the donation-based fall-inspired photo booth benefiting the organization from 1 – 2 p.m.

You know it’s not a Dogfish Head party without some exclusives! We teamed up with two local organizations to concoct this year’s exclusive ale & spirit. We came together with our pals at Burnish Beer Co. to celebrate Delmarva farmers and their unique local harvests with Nashi Ragā (5% ABV), a festive rice lager brewed with ginger, cinnamon and Asian pears from Vessey Orchards in Westover, Maryland. The perfect pint to enjoy at Punkin Ale Fest, this crisp beer delicately balances complex, sweet fruit with the warmth of cinnamon and ginger spice.

And if you’re interested in a more spirited beverage, we’re bottling our own twist on the classic Mint Julep cocktail, the staple drink of the Kentucky Derby. This Delaware-centric version, Delatucky Julep (25% ABV), blends whiskey, mint and agave syrup with the subtle sweetness of Delaware-grown peaches and peach juice concentrate from Fifer Orchards. A ready-to-pour bottled cocktail, it is best served over ice and garnished with fresh mint.

For folks that can’t wait until the festival, or just want MORE festival, we’ve got a weekend full of happenings & access to our exclusive releases early. 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13

11 a.m.: Exclusive releases hitting the shelves (& the taps)

Both Nashi Raga and Delatucky Julep will be available starting Friday, October 13, at Dogfish Head’s Milton and Rehoboth locations. While supplies last, Nashi Raga will be available on draft and in 4pk/16oz cans, and Delatucky Julep will hit shelves in 750ml bottles.

4 – 7 p.m.: Sea Tales & Superstitions Fireside Chat with Lewes Historical Society

We’re bringing you an exclusive Friday the 13th fireside chat at the Dogfish Inn with tales of legends by storyteller and Director of Education at the Lewes Historical Society, Marcos Salaverria, to kick off the weekend. It’ll be a hauntingly good time. We’ll also have some Dogfish Head goodness available for purchase during the event. 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14

11 a.m. – 4 p.m.: Punkin Ale Fest

The main event – Punkin Ale Fest! See you at the Milton brewery for all things punkin, doggies, goodness & more! 

6 – 8:30 p.m.: Punk Rock Punkin Ale Fest After Party

Want more punkin?? Ain’t no party like a Punk Rock (after) Party. Stick around after the Punkin Ale Festival for the official after party at our Tasting Room & Kitchen. We’ll be sippin’ on Tom B. Zombie, a new tiki kegged cocktail that features three Dogfish Head Distilling Co. rums. DJ Droid will be spinning a punk rock set and you can join in on the fun by bringing your own vinyl. The only rule…vinyl records only that "loosely" fit into the PUNK rock genre.

We’ll also be dropping a brand new limited release Punkin Ale glass that changes colors when filled with the beer of the season, Punkin Ale. We know you’ll love the glass, for $15 you can get your pint of Ale AND bring the glass home with you.

9 – 11 p.m.: Live music at our Rehoboth locations 

Keep the party jamming over in Rehoboth! Both Brewings & Eats and Chesapeake & Maine will have live music on Saturday night. PLUS, Saturdays at the Off-Centered EmPOURium are case days! Snag 15% off of mix and match cases of Dogfish Head beers and cocktails. 

SUN., OCT. 15

Stick around and enjoy some off-season specials at any of our locations!

Chesapeake & Maine – Lobster Sunday! Sundays at Chesapeake & Maine mean $15 1.25 lb whole lobsters all day long! Sides à la carte. 

Brewings & Eats – Wing Day! Sundays and wings just make sense. Snag 10 wings for $12 all day. 

Milton Brewery – Top off your weekend with 25% off buckets of select canned cocktails and beers. 

Discounts and pricing offered on select days through May 18th, 2023 and are subject to change and block-out dates. Discounts and pricing cannot be combined with other promotions or offers and are not valid towards tax or service. Void where prohibited.