Made it to Annafest this year!
Annafest is a beer festival held each summer in Forcheim, Germany, Annafest is a celebration of keller bier, which is a year-round specialty of Forcheim. The festival takes place in the Kellerwald (celler forest). A city owned park that is home to around a dozen beer cellers. Around these cellers brewers set-up tents and seating that greatly expandes the drinking and dining capacity of the Kellerwald. In addition to these beer cellers, there are amusement rides and food vendors.
This year there were 22 beer cellers and pavillions served by 16 different breweries. Most from the immediate area of Franconia and northern Bavaria. Even though the focus is on kellerbier, most also offered a helles or pils and a wheat beer, along with wine and cocktails, depending upon the tent. Nearly all offer Franconian or Bavarian food as well. Multiple venues also had bands playing throughout the day.
The Kellerwald is within walking distance to central Forcheim and the train station. Busses also served the event and relatively close parking seemed available.
I spend two days at Annafest and had a really great time. I didn’t sample all 16 brewers on offer, but had enough of the locally produced kellerbiers to have a very good time. I found the crowd to be more casual than loud and this is a very family oriented festival. If you are looking for a relatively small, local summertime festival with a focus on kellerbier, then Annafest is my recomedation to you.