After a year-long hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, CoFestCo has announced that the Hops & Harvest Festival will take place on Saturday, Oct. 2, at Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods.

Now in its fifth year, the festival has quickly become a popular place to enjoy unlimited tastings of beer, wine and spirits while enjoying fresh local food and area bands like the Kelly Bell Band, DJ Chris Tharp and Miss Moon Rising. There will be scores of local breweries, wineries, distilleries, craft artisans and food vendors to explore, as well as a hammock lounge area and lawn games including Cornhole, Giant Jenga, Bear Pong, and carnival-style games.

The festival will take place from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2, with three ticket options available for purchase: General Admission, Designated Driver and Youth. General Admission tickets include entry, souvenir cup, unlimited tastings, live entertainment and games. The Designated Driver and Youth options include entry, live entertainment and games. Children ages eight and under are free. Pre-sale General Admission tickets are available at a discounted rate through Oct. 1.

The 23 acres of Symphony Woods will provide ample open-air space for festival-goers to feel safe while enjoying themselves, providing roughly 48.5 square feet per person with a max attendance of 5,000 people.

Organizers will continue to monitor public health updates. For more information, visit hopsandharvestfest.com.