The 29th Annual BBQ, Brews & Blues Festival (also known as the Great Eldorado BBQ and Blues) returns to Virginia Street with FREE admission, 50+ microbreweries pouring 100+ beers, live blues and rock on two stages, and BBQ vendors from across the region. Beer tasting packages start at $45. Same weekend as the Reno Rodeo — plan for both.
Tasting packages are 21+ only. Prices increase closer to the event.
Dates
Jun 19-20
Fri 3-9PM, Sat 11AM-8PM
Breweries
50+
100+ beers
Music
2 Stages
Blues, rock, and more
Admission
FREE
Tasting from $45
50+ microbreweries pour 100+ beers. Local favorites like Great Basin Brewing, Lead Dog, Pigeon Head, and Depot Craft Brewery are typically represented alongside regional craft breweries. Unlimited tastings with your wristband. Plus a $12,000 Beer Judging Competition where each brewery enters their best beer.
Night Ranger headlines Friday night — 'Sister Christian,' 'Don't Tell Me You Love Me,' full arena-rock energy on Virginia Street. Saturday headliner TBA. Free outdoor concerts run all weekend. Past headliners include Don Felder, The Commodores, Everclear, and Smash Mouth.
Gregg's BBQ Pit serves St. Louis-style ribs, smoked brisket, and pulled pork with all the fixings. Geno's Smoked New York Steak Flatbread is back. Plus chili cheese dogs, Nashville hot chicken, smokey chicken wings, street tacos, funnel cakes, and shaved ice. No tasting package needed to buy food.
Lawn games, beer pong tournaments, photo ops, and vendor booths. The VIP Tap Tent adds all-you-can-eat BBQ and shaded seating if you want the full experience.
Each year, breweries enter their best beer in a $12,000 judging competition. Here's who won last year — look for them pouring again in 2026.
Best Light Lager
Kona Brewing Company
Kona, HI
Best IPA
Dust Bowl Brewing Company
Turlock, CA
Best Hazy IPA
Maui Brewing Company
Maui, HI
Best Fruit Beer
Athletic Brewing Company
Milford, CT
Best Dark Ale
Schussboom Brewing Company
Reno, NV
Best Red Ale
Alaskan Brewing Company
Juneau, AK
Shoutout to Reno's own Schussboom Brewing for taking Best Dark Ale.
These Reno-area breweries typically pour at the festival. Hit them up before or after for a proper taproom experience.
Reno's OG craft brewery. Icky IPA is the local standard.
Midtown taproom. Hazys and sours.
Sparks. Small batch, loyal following.
Downtown in the old train depot. Great outdoor patio.
In-house at The Row. They're literally the hosts.
Midtown Reno. Rotating taps and food.
2025 Best Dark Ale winner. Reno local.
BBQ Brews & Blues falls during the Reno Rodeo (June 18-27). This is Reno's biggest back-to-back weekend — rodeo events during the day, BBQ and beer downtown at night. If you're planning a trip, this is the weekend.
We dug through Yelp reviews and forum posts from past years. Here's what people actually experienced — not the marketing version.
On the tasting package:
"The tasting kit was $46.40 online, $54.50 at the door. Good from 3pm-7pm. Plenty of beer vendors for tasting. However, I discovered Siri's Casino nearby has about 16 beers on tap for $5 each — got a couple Guinness Draughts and it was plenty for me."
— Past attendee
On the food (manage your expectations):
"There is not much BBQ (or other food) at all. There was one chicken wing vendor, one smash burger vendor, and only 2 BBQ vendors selling plates from $21 to $25."
— Past attendee
On the VIP Tent:
"The VIP Experience is a waste of money. We could have brought our own chairs and sampled much more food from the other vendors and spent a lot less money. Although the food was good, there was not much selection — only one kind of ribs and one kind of chicken. It was obviously oversold."
— Yelp review (2024)
On the music:
"Band had the crowd's attention for sure. Food was decent — I did like the jalapeño corn muffins and the BBQ chicken. Glad my youngest was here to enjoy."
— Yelp review (2024)
Our take: This is a beer festival with live music that happens to have some BBQ. If you go in expecting a massive BBQ competition, you'll be disappointed. If you go for the beer, the music, and the downtown street party vibe, you'll have a great time. Skip the VIP tent — general admission with a tasting wristband is the move.
Make the most of the weekend.
Buy the tasting pass online in advance — it's about $8 cheaper than at the door. In 2025 it was $46 online vs $55 at the gate.
The tasting window is roughly 3-7 PM. If you show up at 6:30, you're getting 30 minutes of tasting for full price. Arrive by 4 to get your money's worth.
Don't count on the food vendors for dinner. Past attendees report limited BBQ options (2-3 vendors, $21-25 per plate). Eat before you go or plan dinner at a nearby restaurant after.
Local hack: Siri's Casino is right there and has 16+ beers on tap for $5 each. If you don't want the unlimited tasting package, you can still drink well for cheap.
Skip the VIP Tent. Multiple reviews say it's oversold and the food selection is limited. General admission with a tasting wristband is the better value.
Friday evening is the move — Night Ranger headlines, it's less crowded than Saturday, and the weather cools off nicely after 5 PM.
The Reno Rodeo is happening the same weekend. If you're in town for both, stay at The Row — you're already on-site for BBQ Brews & Blues and a short ride to the Livestock Center.
If you want a sit-down meal before or after the festival, these are all walking distance.
Upscale American in Midtown. 15-minute walk south. Great date night option.
Right on the Riverwalk. Steaks and cocktails with patio seating.
Classic retro diner. Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives. Huge portions.
In the old train depot downtown. Good food and their own craft beer on tap.
See our full Reno Restaurant Guide for more.
Keep exploring what Reno has to offer