The Fayetteville Ale Trail introduces a facet of Northwest Arkansas culture for both locals and visitors to explore. Featuring 23 breweries total - 8 of which are located in Fayetteville - the Fayetteville Ale Trail provides a level of entertainment perfect for weekends with friends, travelers riding through Northwest Arkansas, adult family gatherings, and more.
The Fayetteville Ale Trail first opened at the end of 2013 and originally featured 7 breweries highlighting the city of Fayetteville. Fast forward to today, and the passport program has grown to include 23 breweries around Northwest Arkansas, still with events occasionally circling the 8 breweries in Fayetteville. The Ale Trail is a great way to show your support for local businesses, all the while enjoying the delicious craft brews from around the region. Whether you’re in a race to finish the Ale Trail before your friends or take it slow with a stop or two every weekend, the Ale Trail helps you explore flavors while also discovering the beauty of Northwest Arkansas.
“Experience Fayetteville is Fayetteville’s tourism promotion office,” says Sarah King, Experience Fayetteville’s VP of Marketing and Communications. “We print the Ale Trail passport. It fits in your pocket and features each of these breweries.” The current prize for completing the tour of the 8 Fayetteville breweries is a custom lanyard/koozie combo. If you complete all 23, you’ll be one of the few who earns a stein saying, ‘I finished the Ale Trail.’
Even for those who don’t earn or haven’t yet earned their prize, the Fayetteville Ale Trail is one of the most unique outlets for longtime residents and newcomers to immerse themselves in the culture of Northwest Arkansas. “Over the years,” says Sarah, “we’ve given out more than 150,000 of these passports. The community impact of folks getting out and visiting all these unique breweries has been great.” Each brewery maintains a unique aesthetic and personality. For instance, Columbus House is known as a hub for runners, so if you’ve got a knack for getting out and going for a jog, you can meet like-minded people here for a great way to plug into running.
Sarah says, “Ale Trail is a way for us to not only highlight these really cool small businesses and independent breweries but also roll out the welcome mat to visitors. Plus, it’s really beloved by locals.”
Getting involved in the Ale Trail is simple. Of course, you do need to be 21 or older to take part as well as follow all applicable laws. The Experience Fayetteville Visitors Center will be closed until early 2025, but you can pick up a passport at any one of the 23 participating breweries or order online for a mail reception at fayettevillealetrail.com. You can also get a passport from Vanny if you see Experience Fayetteville’s Mobile Visitors Center in October. Regardless of your method of receiving your passport, getting started comes at no cost to you. From there, the Ale Trail begins, acting as a choose-your-own-adventure type of activity, so you can start and finish wherever you’d like.
“There aren’t any particular rules about what you have to order,” says Sarah. “Stop by any of the 23 breweries, present your passport, and ask for it to be stamped.”
One of Fayetteville Ale Trail's most exciting events is starting this month. “Our Visitors Center was closed for remodeling starting in September,” says Sarah. “During this time, our Mobile Visitors Center, a sprinter van named Vanny, will be popping up all around Fayetteville. You can visit our website or check our social media to find out where you can see Vanny. In the month of October, for the folks who visit our 8 Fayetteville craft breweries and return a completed passport, we will have a special t-shirt that lets everyone know that you visited those breweries… Vanny will also be at Falltoberfest for its second year, so that’s a great way to pick up your passport and get going on the journey.”
For more information on the Fayetteville Ale Trail, visit fayettevillealetrail.com or find Experience Fayetteville on Instagram @fayettevillear. You can also check out all the breweries included in the Fayetteville Ale Trail below!
Columbus House Brewery, Crisis Brewing Company, Fayetteville Beer Works, Flyway Brewing Company, Fossil Cove Brewing Co., Mad Rooster Beer Company, Puritan Coffee & Beer, West Mountain Brewing Co., Bentonville Brewing Company, Bike Rack Brewing Co., Black Apple, Core of Arkansas, Eureka Springs Brewery, GOAT Lab Brewery, Ivory Bill Brewing Co., Natural State Beer Company, New Province Brewing Company, Orthodox Farmhouse Brewery, Ozark Beer Co., Rendezvous Junction Brewing Co., Saddlebock Brewery, Social Project Brewing Co., The Recreation Parlor.
The Fayetteville Ale Trail spotlights familiar favorites like Fossil Cove Brewing Co., Columbus House Brewery, and Flyway Brewing Company as well as newer additions like Crisis Brewing Company. Visit all the breweries along the trail for rewards, or find the spots you like, and stick with them!