Over 100 breweries and cideries will be pouring samples at the Vancouver Craft Beer Week Festival

It's the most wonderful time of the year for local craft brew enthusiasts, as June 2 and 3 marks the ninth annual Vancouver Craft Beer Week Festival and grand tasting.

The PNE grounds are the place to be for two days of tasting, tasting, tasting, and more tasting. The VCBW Festival is one of the most highly-anticipated events of its kind in Western Canada, and there will be over 100 breweries and cideries pouring more than 300 beers and ciders for you to try.

Photo: Two Peas/VCBW

The participating breweries and cideries not only represent the best that British Columbia has to offer, from the lower mainland and elsewhere in this beer and cider saturated province, but also from the other side of the border: The United States Brewers Association has chosen the VCBW as their exclusive Canadian festival partner three years in a row. That's how you'll come to find more than 20 breweries with a collective 40+ beers, many of which have never been poured in Canada.

The VCBW Festival is a great opportunity to see what your favourite brewer is showcasing, but also to try things you may never have tried before. Get a gander at Vancouver Island Brewing's new look, check out the brand new brews from Electric Bicycle in Vancouver, or hone in on those American suds.

Photo: Christine McAvoy/VCBW

Cider lovers, take note: B.C. Farm Crafted Cider Association’s cider row will boast 10 cideries pouring 16 different ciders. That's a lot of cider!

Beyond the brews, the VCBW Festival will have a kick-ass line-up of food trucks and vendors each day, plus live DJs and music, live interactive painting with the Vancouver Mural Festival, a lounge and games area, flower crown making, and the chance to meet and mingle with like-minded beer fans and brewers.

Photo: Two Peas/VCBW