Farming Man Fest Returns to Indian Ladder Farms Cidery & Brewery July 19
Statewide Producers Gather for Networking & Highlighting Craft Beverages
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Editorial Dept.
Indian Ladder Farms Cidery & Brewery (ILFCB) is proud to announce the return of Farming Man Fest, a one-of-a-kind craft beverage and music festival that celebrates farming, fermentation, and community collaboration. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, July 19 from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the scenic Pizza Garden at Indian Ladder Farms, with views of the beautiful Helderberg Escarpment. Admission is free, with tasting passes, camping spots, and twilight hike tickets available online.
Farming Man Fest began in 2014 as a private “Bottle Share” networking event for brewers, maltsters, and hop growers. Just 10 breweries and a few dozen attendees gathered to swap ideas and bottles. Since then, the event has grown steadily. It opened to the public in 2018, doubled in size by 2019, and after a brief pandemic pause, came roaring back in 2022 with nearly 400 patrons. Now in 2025, it promises to be the biggest celebration yet.
This year’s Farming Man Fest features dozens of regional craft beverage producers, bringing their most beloved brews and ciders to share with guests. The event also includes live music all day, food from DeFazio’s in the Pizza Garden, and a curated collection of local vendors, including Friends of Five Rivers, Rick’s Hot Sauce Experience & Grammy’s Pickles, Sunstruck Farm, Sweet Treat Cotton Candy, and The Ornate Fox.
“Farming Man is rooted in our own harvest tradition, inspired by the Hop Devil and the age-old rituals that celebrate the growing season,” said Dieter Gehring, co-owner of Indian Ladder Farms Cidery & Brewery. “It’s our way of honoring the land, the craft, and the people behind it all. When growers and brewers come together in a space like this, ideas ferment just as beautifully as the beverages.”
Set against the backdrop of the orchard and the escarpment, the Pizza Garden at Indian Ladder Farms will be alive with music, community, and craft. Whether you’re a cider lover, craft beer enthusiast, or just someone who appreciates good food, great music, and even better company, Farming Man Fest offers something for everyone.
The lineup of music includes:
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. – The College Farm
4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Flavour
6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – Creem Circus
8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. – Bloodshot Bill
DJ Ritz Carlton will play in between sets.
Families are invited to attend as well. There will be areas for water play in “Water World” and plenty of space for lawn games and picnicking.
Overnight camping will again be available on Saturday night only. There are 20 camping passes offered on a first come, first serve basis, with a limit of 4 people per car. Passes are $35 each, and available at https://www.ilfcbshop.com/farming-man-fest.
Indian Ladder Farms will also host their aptly named Farming Twilight Hike (usually referred to as their Full Moon Hike). Check in for the hike will begin at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday in the Pizza Garden. The hike will begin at 8:00 p.m. The hike will return to the Pizza Garden at 9:00 p.m., just in time for the large Hop Devil bonfire. Tickets for the hike are available at https://www.ilfcbshop.com/.
More details, including the full beverage producer list, music lineup, and ticketing info for tastings and hikes, will be announced soon at https://www.farmingmanfest.com/.
For more information about Indian Ladder Farms Cidery and Brewery, visit https://www.indianladderfarms.com/cidery-brewery/.
About Indian Ladder Farms Cidery & Brewery.
Located just outside of Albany, Indian Ladder Farms Cidery & Brewery is a New York State Farm Brewery and Cidery owned by Dietrich Gehring and Stuart Morris. The Tasting Room and Biergarten offer a true farm-to-glass experience, with beers crafted from 13 varieties of hops grown at Indian Ladder combined with grains grown and malted in New York, and hard ciders produced from Indian Ladder’s 100+ acres of apple orchards and berry patches. Beers and hard ciders are available on draught, as well as in cans and bottles. Farm-inspired dining is provided by DeFazio’s.
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