Buffalo Beer Buzz: Wayland Spring Fest, Sad Boys Closes, Perry’s/Southern Tier Giveaway, NYS Craft Brewers Fest, NYS Pint Days, Fair Homebrew & Cider Comp

Wayland Brewing’s Spring Beer & Food Fest Returns

Wayland Brewing will hold its second annual Spring Beer & Food Festival on May 17 in Wayland Hall. In addition to Wayland, the festival will play host to tastings from numerous other breweries, including Beer Kind Brewing, Briarbrothers Brewing, Brickyard Brewing, Frequentem, Mortalis, New York Beer Project, Other Half, Fidens, Angry Chair, Threes Brewing, Swiftwater, Talea, Strangebird, Prison City and more. There will also be food available from Buffalo Burger Bros and more. Tickets, which include tastings, food and a commemorative glass, are $60 and are available to purchase now online. Designated driver tickets are also available.

Sad Boys Brewing Announces Closure

Another Buffalo brewery is closing its doors as Sad Boys Brewing has announced that they are ceasing all operations immediately, citing ‘unforeseen circumstances.‘ They announced via social media. “It’s with a heavy heart we announce our closing. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have ceased operations effectively immediately. We would like to thank all our loyal patrons for the past 2 amazing years. It’s not goodbye its ‘I’ll see you later‘.” Sad Boys, the brainchild of four homebrewers, John O’Neill, Tyler Randle, Collin Edbauer and Andrew Anderson, opened in 2023.

Tickets On Sale For New York State Craft Brewers Fest

The New York State Craft Brewers Festival: Buffalo returns to Canalside on June 21 and tickets are on sale. The annual event is produced by the NYS Brewers Association and Western New York Brewers Guild. This year will feature craft beer from over 50 breweries, live music, food trucks, artisan vendors, and more. Participating breweries have been announced and you can find that list here. GA tickets are $45 (souvenir tasting glass, all samplings), GA+ is $65 (1-hour early entry, access to exclusive VIP beers, souvenir tasting glass, all sampling, $5 NYSBA merch coupon) and new this year is a special VIP upgrade ($100) that includes a beer and chicken wing pairing at Southern Tier Brewing. You can purchase tickets and find more information here.

Fifth Annual NYS Pint Days Returns In May

The 5th annual New York State Pint Days, a statewide event where $1 per pint glass sold at participating breweries directly supports the New York State Brewers Association, returns May 8-11. Each year the NYS Pint Days Glass features a unique design that celebrates NYS craft beer. This year’s commemorative glass will be designed by Em Sauter, an award-winning cartoonist and founder of Pints and Panels, a site dedicated to visual beer education. You can purchase a glass this year at Big Inlet Brewing, Hamburg Brewing, Resurgence Brewing and Steel Leaf Brewing. You can find more information here.

Erie County Fair Homebrew & Cider Competition Deadline Extended

The 2025 Erie County Fair Homebrew and Cider Making Competition has extended the deadline for accepting entries until May 5. The judging is based on creativity and not necessarily by style, and while all BJCP styles can be entered, the main criteria will be “creative relevancy” or the most fun beer/cider to enjoy at the fair. The winning homebrew beer will be brewed at Hamburg Brewing, while the winning cider will be brewed by BlackBird Cider Works. Both will be available on tap at the fair, Hamburg Brewing and Resurgence Brewing, as well as in cans. Entries can be dropped off at Resurgence or Hamburg’s taprooms, or at the Erie County Fairgrounds Main Offices. There is a $25 entry fee.

Perry’s Ice Cream, Southern Tier Brewing Giveaway

Perry’s Ice Cream and Southern Tier are joining forces on a new giveaway inspired by their latest collaborative beer, Cherry Pie Imperial Ale. They are giving away 4 cartons of Cherry Pie ice cream, Perry’s ice cream scoop, 2 Perry’s pilsner glasses, a $50 Southern Tier gift card and Southern Tier merchandise ($100 value). To enter, make sure you’re following @perrysicecream & @stbcbeer on Instagram, like the contest post and tag a friend. The contest runs through April 28.

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).