Buffalo Olde Brewery Announces Oktoberfest Weekend

Buffalo Olde Brewery will celebrate Oktoberfest in Lovejoy, Thursday, September 25 through Sunday, September 28. The weekend will feature traditional German food specials, including bratwurst and schnitzel, Oktoberfest apparel and beer giveaways, live music from Tsavo Highway (Thursday, September 25, 6 pm), Grosh (Friday, September 26, at 6 pm), Jon Fohl Band (Saturday, September 27, 6 pm) and more. The brewery will be showcasing their BOBFest all weekend long, a slightly sweet, malty and toasty Vienna lager brewed for the season. Oktoberfest weekend is free and open to the public.

Giveaways From Ellicottville Brewing, Resurgence, Consumer’s Beverages

If you’re looking for some great craft beer prizes, there is a pair of new giveaways to enter. Consumer’s Beverages and Resurgence Brewing are hosting a giveaway for brewery and sampling tour, two drinks and appetizers for 10 people. You can enter for free at Consumer’s Instagram page here. The contest runs through September 30. Additionally, Ellicottville Brewing is giving away four tickets to EBC Fall Fest (four wristbands and four souvenir beer steins). You can enter for free on their Instagram page. Winners will be announced on October 3.

Clarksburg Cider Drops Winter Cider, Spruced Up

While fall has officially just began in Western New York, Clarksburg Cider is getting a jump on winter with the release of their new seasonal cider, Spruced Up. Infused with spruce tips and a dusting of sugar, this cider features pine and citrus at first sip, rounded with apple and a semi-dry finish. Look for cans of Spruced Up wherever craft cider is sold around Western New York. It can also be ordered online for shipping at https://clarksburgcider.com.

Western New York Beer Week Starts September 25

The 2025 Western New York Beer Week, presented at the WNY Brewers Guild, will take place Sept. 25 – Oct. 5. The weeklong event celebrates our local craft beer scene and is headlined by the release of a new collaborative hazy IPA featuring all Guild member breweries. WNY Beer Week IPA, a hazy 7% New England IPA brewed with Mosaic, Nelson Cryo, Amarillo T45, Cascade and El Dorado hops, features notes of tropical fruit, citrus and stone fruit. The beer will be available on draft at all participating breweries throughout WNY Beer Week. You can find more information at wnybeerweek.com.

The Arc of Erie County Ale Trail Returns for 2025

The 5th annual Arc Erie County Ale Trail, a fundraising event benefitting The Arc Erie County New York, a local non-profit that serves children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, will take place on Sept. 25 (4:30 pm) at 30 Wilson Road in Williamsville. The Ale Trail will feature local beer, wine, cider and craft spirits on The Arc Erie County’s wooded walking trail in Williamsville from Community Beer Works, Smoldered Society, Belt Line, Big Ditch, Thin Man, Other Half, Eli Fish, Hamburg Brewing, Beer Kind Brewing, Bee Spit Meadery, Clarksburg Cider and more. There will also be food, live from XOXO Pop Band, a campfire, yard games, raffles and more. You can purchase tickets here for $40. Buffalo Beer Buzz readers can get 10% off tickets with our special code BBLEAGUE10 at checkout.

Buffalo Beer Goddesses 13th Anniversary Party

The Buffalo Beer Goddesses are turning lucky number 13 and are celebrating on Wednesday, October 1 (6-9 pm) in the Attic at Mr. Goodbar. The event will feature chicken wings, snacks, drink samples from local vendors and a free beer for the first 50 guests. Tickets are $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers (cash only). As always, this event is open to members and nonmembers of all genders.

Harvest Fest at Rusty Nickel Brewing

The 11th Annual Harvest Fest at Rusty Nickel Brewing is set to take place on Saturday, September 27 (1-11 pm). The event will feature live music all day long from Wacko Fest (1-2:30 pm), Jeff & Joe from Funktional Flow (3-4:30 pm), UnderCover (5-7 pm) and Nineties by Nature (7:30-10:30 pm), local vendors, fall-inspired food specials, seasonal beer releases such as Apple Fritter Amber Ale, stein hoisting competition, apple cider slushies, autumn-themed cocktails and more. Harvest Fest is free and open to the public.

The Cider Project Official Launch Party

There’s a new cidermaker on the block in Western New York as The Cider Project will officially launch on September 30 at Groundwork Market Garden (4-7 pm). Led by cidermaker and pommelier Katie Campos, who, if her name sound familiar, has collaborated with Clarksburg Cider in the past, The Cider Project makes “dry, funky and delicious cider made from local spitters (the apples you’d never want to eat), and fermented to dryness in oak wine barrels over 15 months.” There will be draft pours of The Cider Project’s Wild Apple cider from the Wild Tap Wagon, cider 4-packs and t-shirts for sale, wood-fired pizza and Hanzlians sausages, live music by Olmsted Dub System, cold beer from Ed’s No Name Beer and more.

Brian Campbell is co-founder and Brand Manager of the Buffalo Beer League, and writes the weekly Buffalo Beer Buzz column. If you have beer news that should be included in the Beer Buzz, Brian can be reached at brian@buffalobeerleague.com, on X (@buffbeerleague), Instagram, Threads and Untappd (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).