Sun BrewFest Brings 200+ Pours, Food, Live Music and Festival Games to Mohegan Sun

Sun BrewFest returns to Mohegan Sun Saturday, October 3, with unlimited samples of more than 200 beers, hard seltzers and canned cocktails, chef-inspired food samples, live music from The Rakes, stein-hoisting contests, line dancing and a cornhole tournament offering $1,000 in cash prizes.

This year’s festival also has a new home.

Instead of the Earth Expo & Convention Center used for last year’s event, the 2026 BrewFest moves into the Uncas Ballroom, with general admission running from 3 to 6 p.m.

And Mohegan Sun has now released a substantial vendor lineup for the festival, ranging from familiar national beer companies to Connecticut and Rhode Island craft breweries, cideries, distilleries, food vendors and specialty exhibitors.

This Is More Than a Beer Festival Now

Sun BrewFest began in 2012 with beer at the center of the experience, and beer remains a major part of it.

But the modern version has expanded considerably.

Mohegan Sun says there will be more than 200 varieties of beer, seltzer and canned cocktails available for unlimited sampling during the three-hour general admission session.

That means visitors aren’t limited to traditional breweries.

Cider, spirits, ready-to-drink cocktails and newer alcoholic beverages are represented alongside IPAs, lagers, ales and other beer styles.

Food has become a bigger component as well. Local culinary vendors will provide complimentary samples, while larger portions will be available to purchase.

And those vendors aren’t simply feeding the crowd.

They’re competing.

You Get to Pick the Best Food

The People’s Choice Food Competition puts participating culinary vendors head-to-head, with BrewFest guests serving as the judges.

Visitors can sample the competing dishes and cast a vote for their favorite.

Voting closes at 5:45 p.m., with the winner scheduled to be announced at 6 p.m.

Mohegan Sun has not yet published the complete 2026 culinary lineup. The event page currently tells visitors to check back for participating food vendors, so additional names should be expected as October approaches.

One food vendor already included in the broader published vendor list is PHYGIT Pretzels.

The current event page also features NoRA Cupcake Company imagery, although NoRA is not presently included in Mohegan Sun’s published 2026 vendor list. Until Mohegan Sun adds it to that list, it shouldn’t be treated as a confirmed 2026 participant.

Last year’s event featured food from Hungry Lion, Keifer’s Kettle Korn, Knot of this World Pretzels, NoRA Cupcake Company, Philly’s, Rubino’s Full Scoop, Spuds Your Way and Whey Station, but those were 2025 vendors and should not be assumed to be returning this year.

The Complete 2026 Vendor List So Far

Mohegan Sun’s current list includes beverage producers, distributors, food and specialty vendors, automotive businesses and other exhibitors. Some distributors represent multiple beverage labels, which helps explain how the festival reaches more than 200 individual beverages without listing 200 breweries.

1013 Rustic Designs creates handcrafted rustic and decorative products.

1911 Established Hard Cider comes from New York’s Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards and produces a broad family of hard ciders and flavored cider beverages.

78 Brewing Co. joins the craft-beer side of the festival.

Boston Beer Company brings one of the country’s largest craft-beverage portfolios. The company is behind Samuel Adams and also has brands including Truly Hard Seltzer, Twisted Tea and Angry Orchard within its larger family.

Boozy Candles adds a non-drinking option to the vendor floor with alcohol and cocktail-inspired candles and gifts.

Brescome Barton Inc. is one of Connecticut’s major beverage distributors. Its presence means additional brands can appear at BrewFest under the distributor rather than being individually named in the vendor list.

Bully Boy Distillers is a Boston distillery producing whiskey, rum, gin, vodka and ready-to-drink beverages.

Campari America represents a large spirits portfolio that includes Campari, Aperol and other internationally known labels.

Charles Toyota is among the local automotive businesses participating in the event.

Cigar Nowhere joins the specialty-vendor side of BrewFest.

Connecticut Cigar Company adds another cigar-related exhibitor.

Constellation Brands / Beer Division represents one of the largest beer portfolios in the country, including major imported brands.

Equilibrium Brewing comes from Middletown, New York, and has built a substantial following among craft-beer drinkers, particularly for its IPAs and other modern craft styles.

Funny Water produces flavored alcoholic still water, a lighter alternative to carbonated hard seltzer.

Girard Ford is another southeastern Connecticut automotive participant.

Good Boy Vodka produces vodka and canned ready-to-drink cocktails.

Greenhouse Agency works with beverage brands on marketing, promotion and consumer events and will be represented on the festival floor.

Grey Sail Brewing of Rhode Island and Outer Light Brewing Company appear together on Mohegan Sun’s vendor list, giving BrewFest two familiar breweries from The CT Beacon’s immediate coverage area. Grey Sail brews in Westerly, while Outer Light operates in Groton.

Heineken USA brings another major international beer portfolio to the tasting floor.

I Got A Guy CT is among the non-beverage exhibitors scheduled for the festival.

Jack Daniel’s Canned Cocktails brings the Tennessee whiskey brand into the ready-to-drink side of BrewFest with its line of canned mixed drinks.

Litchfield Distillery represents Connecticut-made spirits, producing bourbon, whiskey, gin and vodka in Litchfield.

Martignetti and Martignetti Companies of Connecticut are both included on Mohegan Sun’s published list. The major New England beverage distributor represents an extensive portfolio of wine, spirits and other alcoholic beverages.

Nissan of Norwich joins Charles Toyota and Girard Ford among the local automotive businesses represented.

Ocean State Charity Events is also scheduled to participate.

Owl’s Brew makes tea-based alcoholic beverages and ready-to-drink cocktails using ingredients including tea and botanicals.

PHYGIT Pretzels brings food into the vendor mix with handmade pretzels.

Reed’s Inc. is best known for ginger beer and ginger beverages and also operates the Virgil’s craft soda brand.

Spiked Ade joins the growing ready-to-drink portion of the festival.

Suntory Global Spirits has one of the largest spirits portfolios represented at BrewFest. The company formerly known as Beam Suntory owns brands across whiskey, tequila, gin and other categories.

Tapped Apple Cidery & Winery provides another particularly local connection. The Westerly producer makes hard cider and wine using apples and other fruit.

These Guys Brewing Company comes from Norwich, where the downtown brewery and restaurant has been part of the local craft-beer scene for years.

Two Roads Brewing Company represents Stratford and one of Connecticut’s most widely distributed craft breweries.

Waypoint Spirits brings locally produced spirits from Bloomfield, Connecticut.

Whalers Brewing Company comes from Wakefield, Rhode Island, and is particularly well known for its Rise American pale ale.

Wormtown Brewery brings Massachusetts craft beer to the floor from its Worcester roots.

That list is current as of September 12, and Mohegan Sun can still add participants before October 3.

There Are Some Strong Local Breweries in the Mix

For southeastern Connecticut and southwestern Rhode Island drinkers, several names stand out.

Outer Light is practically down the road in Groton.

Grey Sail has been brewing in Westerly since 2011 and has become one of Rhode Island’s better-known craft breweries, particularly through beers including Captain’s Daughter.

Tapped Apple also comes from Westerly but approaches fermentation through fruit rather than grain, producing cider and wine.

These Guys gives Norwich a representative.

Whalers comes from South Kingstown.

And Two Roads gives the lineup one of Connecticut’s largest independent craft-beer names.

The larger distributors then dramatically expand the selection beyond the breweries named individually.

That’s how this becomes a tasting of 200-plus beverages rather than simply the three dozen businesses listed on the event page.

The Rakes Supply the Soundtrack

Connecticut band The Rakes will provide live music during the festival.

The Rakes are a five-piece band built around rock and pop covers, with a repertoire spanning decades rather than concentrating on a single artist or genre.

They’re familiar throughout Connecticut’s live-music circuit and have played festivals, clubs, private events and larger community celebrations around the state.

For BrewFest, the band isn’t a separate ticketed performance.

Live entertainment is included with admission.

Then Someone Hands You a Full Stein

Sun BrewFest’s Stein Hoisting Competition returns with six sessions beginning every half hour from 3 through 5:30 p.m.

Each round is limited to 10 contestants.

The concept is simple and increasingly painful: contestants hold a full stein straight out in front of themselves for as long as possible without dropping their arm or violating the competition rules.

The 2026 sessions begin at:

3 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Mohegan Sun’s August announcement describes alternating men’s and women’s sessions, beginning with the men’s competition at 3 p.m.

Participation is free for BrewFest attendees, with registration taking place at the Stein Hoisting Stage on a first-come, first-filled basis.

Each winner receives a swag bag donated by festival sponsors.

Cornhole Gets Much More Serious

The cornhole tournament begins before general admission.

Real Wicked Events runs the tournament from 2 to 6 p.m., with advance registration required.

Tournament participants receive access to BrewFest’s otherwise unavailable VIP hour, entering before the 3 p.m. general admission crowd.

There’s real money involved, too.

First place receives $500 cash, a future complimentary Mohegan Sun hotel stay and two tickets to a Mohegan Sun Arena performance, subject to availability.

Second place gets $300.

Third gets $200.

That’s $1,000 in cash prizes before counting the hotel room and show tickets.

Anyone interested in playing needs to register for the tournament separately in advance. This isn’t something to decide after the fourth IPA.

Line Dancing and Games Fill Out the Afternoon

The festival also includes line dancing sessions and other games throughout the afternoon.

That makes the event structurally different from a tasting where guests simply move from brewery table to brewery table for three hours.

There’s always something else happening.

Listen to The Rakes.

Vote for food.

Enter a stein-hoisting round.

Try line dancing.

Watch the cornhole tournament.

Then return to the serious business of determining whether you really needed to sample another beer.

Mohegan Sun Online Casino Has Its Own Competition

Mohegan Sun Online Casino presents Spin to Win during BrewFest.

Participants must download the Mohegan Sun Online Casino app, register an account and place a $25 wager on any game to unlock a spin.

Prizes can include cash, hotel stays, in-app bonus credits and other rewards.

Participation is restricted to guests 21 and older, and self-excluded individuals are not eligible.

It’s separate from the tastings and other included BrewFest activities because participating requires the qualifying wager.

Who Are the Sponsors?

There’s an important distinction between the published vendor list and a formal sponsor list.

As of September 12, Mohegan Sun has published the full current list of participating vendors but has not published a separate comprehensive 2026 sponsor roster on the event page.

The sponsors and event partners that are explicitly identifiable from the current material include Mohegan Sun Online Casino, which presents Spin to Win, and Real Wicked Events, which partners with BrewFest on the cornhole tournament.

Mohegan Sun also states that stein-hoisting prizes are donated by “our sponsors,” indicating additional beverage or event sponsors are involved, but the current page doesn’t identify every one of those businesses by sponsor status.

Rather than label all 36 listed vendors as sponsors when Mohegan Sun itself doesn’t do that, the safest distinction is: all of the businesses in the vendor list above are confirmed participants; Mohegan Sun Online Casino and Real Wicked Events are explicitly identified event partners/presenters.

If Mohegan Sun publishes a separate sponsor roster before October 3, we’ll update the list.

Unlimited Really Does Mean Unlimited Samples

One of the biggest changes from many beer festivals is that Sun BrewFest doesn’t operate with a fixed tasting-ticket system.

Mohegan Sun’s current FAQ specifically describes the alcohol tastings as unlimited.

Admission includes samples of beer, cider, hard seltzer and canned cocktails, along with complimentary samples from participating culinary vendors.

Full-size food portions will also be available for purchase.

Of course, unlimited availability doesn’t eliminate the usual practical consideration.

There are more than 200 beverages and only three hours.

Nobody needs to complete the collection.

This Year’s BrewFest Is 21+ Only

Unlike some food-and-beverage festivals that offer designated-driver admission or allow younger guests, Mohegan Sun’s published rules for the 2026 Sun BrewFest require everyone attending to be at least 21 years old.

A valid photo ID and ticket or event wristband are required for entry.

That’s worth emphasizing because previous editions have offered designated-driver ticket options. The current 2026 event information does not advertise one.

The venue change also matters for returning guests.

Don’t head automatically toward the Earth Expo Center because that’s where you remember BrewFest being held.

This year, go to the Uncas Ballroom.

Details

Event: Sun BrewFest
Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026
General Admission: 3–6 p.m.
Venue: Uncas Ballroom at Mohegan Sun
Address: 1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard, Uncasville, CT 06382
Age: 21+ only; valid photo ID required
Beverages: More than 200 varieties of beer, cider, hard seltzer and canned cocktails
Tastings: Unlimited beverage samples included with admission
Food: Complimentary samples from participating culinary vendors; full-size portions available for purchase
People’s Choice Food Competition: Voting closes at 5:45 p.m.; winner announced at 6 p.m.
Live Music: The Rakes
Stein Hoisting: Six sessions from 3–6 p.m.; 10 contestants per session; free with admission and first come, first filled
Cornhole Tournament: 2–6 p.m.; advance registration required through Real Wicked Events/Eventbrite
Cornhole VIP Access: Tournament participants receive access to the pre-general-admission VIP hour
Cornhole Prizes: $500 plus hotel stay and two Arena tickets for first; $300 second; $200 third
Other Activities: Line dancing, games and Spin to Win
Parking: Free; Mohegan Sun has more than 13,000 on-site parking spaces
Current Confirmed Vendors: 1013 Rustic Designs; 1911 Established Hard Cider; 78 Brewing Co.; Boston Beer Company; Boozy Candles; Brescome Barton Inc.; Bully Boy Distillers; Campari America; Charles Toyota; Cigar Nowhere; Connecticut Cigar Company; Constellation Brands/Beer Division; Equilibrium Brewing; Funny Water; Girard Ford; Good Boy Vodka; Greenhouse Agency; Grey Sail & Outer Light; Heineken USA; I Got A Guy CT; Jack Daniel’s Canned Cocktails; Litchfield Distillery; Martignetti; Martignetti Companies of CT; Nissan of Norwich; Ocean State Charity Events; Owl’s Brew; PHYGIT Pretzels; Reed’s Inc.; Spiked Ade; Suntory Global Spirits; Tapped Apple Cidery & Winery; These Guys; Two Roads Brewing Company; Waypoint Spirits; Whalers Brewing Company; Wormtown
Explicitly Identified Event Partners/Presenters: Real Wicked Events and Mohegan Sun Online Casino
Additional Food Vendors: Mohegan Sun says the participating culinary list is still to come

More information is available at the Event Website link below.

To purchase tickets, click the Event Ticketing link below.

 

 

Featured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people, location, or activities shown.