Festival Prep

Festival Basics

• Saturday, July 29, 2023
• 3:00 – 7:00 PM
• Bayfront Festival Park, Duluth
• Event Capacity: 4,500
• Bayfront Festival Park on Google Maps

>> Event Website and Tickets
>> APN Facebook Event
#AllPintsNorth

Other Registration and Participation Notes

• NEW THIS YEAR: APN Volunteers will not be in blue shirts. To find a volunteer, look for people with lanyards and/or an orange vest.
• You must be an active member for 2023 to pour at APN. If you aren’t, you can join or renew your membership here.
• Space & Tent Reminder: You are REQUIRED to provide your tenting for APN. Please be mindful of your neighbors and the fest layout; do not expand beyond your 10×10 space!
• 21+ government-issued photo IDs are required for ALL staff attending/working APN. No exceptions.
• Please note: No THC will be allowed at All Pints North in 2023.
• No Stipends for 2023: The Guild has not been able to offer stipends to participate in our festivals since 2019. We appreciate your support as we try to make up significant revenue losses from 2020/2021 and ensure the Guild can continue our work to protect, promote, and grow the MN craft beer industry.

First festival with the Guild? Please email us with any questions you have about participating! Email Events Coordinator Lindsey Darling at Lindsey@mncraftbrew.org.

Below is the All Pints North festival map! We have two versions for you, both of which include brewery layout and booth numbers.

• The parking area
• The one-way route to take for load-in/load-out
• The Brewery Check-In Tent, where you get your wristbands and glasses (do this AFTER grabbing your registration bag on your booth table)
• The Brewer Hospitality Tent, where you can grab refreshments before and during the fest (bring beer to share!)
• The water spigot (please get all water needed BEFORE the fest starts; the water truck in the Marketplace is for attendees only!)

Friday, July 28, 2023

• 12:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Optional Early Keg Drop-off
  • The Reefer Truck will be locked promptly at 5 p.m. so the Guild staff can prepare for the Member Meeting. Please plan accordingly.
  • Bring your own hand trucks or carts for load in/out.
• 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Optional Early Set-up
  • If you require extra time to set up your booth, you can access your location between 2 – 5 p.m.
  • See the “Festival Map and Booth Placement” tab on this page to help you plan.
  • Bring your own hand trucks or carts for load in/out.
  • Please note: There will be minimal security in the park overnight; set up early at your own risk.
• 6:30 p.m.: July Member Meeting at Bent Paddle Brewing Company
  • Please RSVP for the meeting to ensure we have enough food.
  • This meeting is also a sticker swap! Bring your brewery stickers to the member meeting to share!
  • All members welcome!

Saturday, July 29, 2023

• 10 a.m.: Load-in and Reefer Truck Opens
  • See the “Festival Map and Booth Placement” tab on this page to help you plan.
  • Please see the “Load-In, Fest, and Load-Out” tab for full details.
  • Bring your own hand trucks or carts for load in/out.
• 1 p.m.: Ice Drop-off Begins
• 2 p.m.: Load-in Complete, and Reefer Truck Closes
  • BREWERIES MUST REMOVE ALL KEGS FROM REEFER TRUCK BY THE END OF APN, OR THEY RISK LOSING THEM.
• 2:30 p.m.: Attendees Enter Vendor Marketplace
• 3 p.m.: Festival Early Entry VIP Guests
• 3:30 p.m.: Festival Entry for General Admission
• 6:30 p.m.: Ice Drop-off Ends
• 6:45 p.m.: Last Call and Awards
• 7 p.m.: Festival End
• 8 p.m.: Load-out Complete

Load-In Details

Reefer Truck
You may store kegs in our refrigerated truck.

Friday: 12:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday hours: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

• Reefer Truck Location Image
• Map Pin to Reefer Truck
• Bring your own hand trucks or carts for load in/out.

Load-In Hours
Friday: 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. (optional; note that there is no security overnight)
Saturday: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

• See the “Festival Map and Booth Placement” tab on this page to help you plan.
• You may start setting up your booth early on Friday afternoon, though there will not be significant security in the park overnight; set up early at your own risk!
• Bring your own hand trucks or carts for load in/out.

Parking & Entering the Fest Grounds

• Park at the Bayfront Lot – Parking Lot B. Staff should enter the fest through this gate only. Please limit the number of staff vehicles to 2 vehicles only.
• Breweries can drive one vehicle into the park for load-in/set up, and the vehicle must exit the park within 20 minutes of entering.
• When entering the park, vehicles must remain on the designated driving path shown on the map.
• You can use hand trucks/carts to load materials when walking across grass. No vehicles are allowed on the grass.

Booths and Tents
At your booth space, we will have set up one table (6′-8′) and two chairs. Your brewery is responsible for:

• Your 10’x10′ tent (unless indicated otherwise at registration).
• Booth decorations. Breweries are encouraged to embrace the summertime theme with booth decor, clothing, and branding!
• Additional tables and seating for your staff.
• Any desired PPE.
• Pouring equipment including jockey boxes, keg tubs, rinse pitchers, bar rags, etc.
• Transportation of kegs from storage to your booth (NOTE: ice delivery starts at 1 p.m.).

Ice and Ice Tickets: Starting at 1 p.m., volunteers will begin delivering five 20# bags of ice to each booth (please plan accordingly when pulling your kegs from the reefer truck). For additional ice, you will have ice tickets in the folder at your booth. Give an ice ticket to the volunteers roaming the fest in golf carts, OR give a ticket to the volunteer at the ice truck.

Water: Water for booth use is near the stage (indicated on the brewer map). Please get all needed water from one of these locations BEFORE the festival starts. The water truck taps are for drinking ONLY, and will not be open until the festival starts.

NA Tent

• If you volunteered to bring NA beverages to APN, please drop them off at our N/A tent (marked on map) on Saturday by 2:00 p.m.
• Please return to the booth at the end of the fest to collect unopened product.
• Please have these NA products at your tent as well! We want attendees to be able to enjoy your product without needing to walk to the NA tent.

Festival Check-In (Saturday Load-In)

• Head straight to your booth; you DO NOT need to check in first. Set up at your designated booth space. Your table will have a registration bag with your designated number of staff wristbands and additional information for set-up.
• Return your registration card, found in your registration bag, to brewery check-in (see map) to receive your APN glassware. Bring any additional purchased tickets to brewery check-in to retrieve their associated wristbands and glasses. (If you purchased General Admission tickets for your staff, they can enter with fellow staff through Brewery Check-In prior to 2:00 p.m. Brewery Check-In closes promptly at 2 p.m.;  if people with General Admission tickets arrive after 2 p.m., they will have to check in like a regular attendee.)
• All staff must have a 21+ government-issued photo ID. No exceptions.

The Fest

Sampling

• We will have ~4,000 attendees. Plan your samples accordingly.
• The legal beer sampling size is 2oz.
• DD/Sober ticket holders will be wearing a [ pink wristband ]  and using plastic cups. DO NOT SERVE these attendees alcohol.
• We will announce “Last Call” at 6:45 p.m. Pouring must stop at 7:00 p.m. SHARP.

Plan to Win: Voting and Awards

• Guests will vote for Best Beer and Most Creative Booth at the Guild’s tent. ENCOURAGE ATTENDEES TO VOTE FOR YOU!
• Winners will be announced at 6:45 p.m. at the event and on MNCBG social media.
• The winner of Most Creative Booth will win a free booth at APN 2024.

Hospitality Tent 

• A hospitality tent will provide food, water, coolers for shared beer, and private bathrooms for brewery staff.
  • Only people with a brewer/vendor wristband will be allowed to enter the hospitality tent.
  • Please bring beer to share!

Load-Out (After the Fest Closes/Clean-Up Tasks)

• All breweries must be loaded out by 8:00 p.m.
• Please be mindful of pedestrians exiting the festival grounds. Attendees will be directed to exit towards the DECC; breweries should plan to exit using the same gate you entered through.
• Vehicles may be left overnight in the Bayfront parking lot; however, there will NOT be security over Saturday night.
• Please plan to use public transportation or to delegate a sober driver. do not drink and drive.

Member Meeting

Friday, July 28, 2023 (the night before All Pints North)
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Bent Paddle Brewing Company, Duluth, MN
>> Please RSVP!

Please bring beer to share; light food will be provided. Thank you Bent Paddle for volunteering your space!

AGENDA:

• Important Membership Updates
• Board Nominations and Election
• Rest of the Year: State Fair, ABR, and MN Pint Day
• Updates from our Committees

We are asking everyone who will attend – in person or remote – to RSVP to this meeting so we can get a basic count.

New for the July Member Meeting: Sticker Swap!
Bring your brewery stickers to the member meeting to share!

PLEASE NOTE: The member meeting will NOT be held at Bayfront Festival Park and you will not be able to drop off kegs at the reefer truck during or after the member meeting. See the Festival Timeline tab for reefer truck hours.

Upload Your Beer List Today!
Please upload your beer list by July 14! This is a hard deadline that we cannot extend.

Attendees at Guild festivals are excited to explore Minnesota craft beer. One of the most common requests we’ve gotten is to connect our beer list to Untappd so that attendees could rate fest beers and refer back to them after the festival. We did this for the first time at Autumn Brew Review last year, and it was a hit!

This will be our first time partnering with Untappd for the All Pints North beer list. Do you have flagship beers that you know will be at APN? You can enter those beers now, then re-submit the form later to update the list once you finalize what you’re bringing.

Note: THC/CBD beverages cannot be poured at All Pints North due to current legal restrictions. 

Why Should I Upload Our Beers?

In addition to the feedback you’ll receive from the ratings and reviews during the fest, listing your beers in the festival beer list also provides your brewery and beers with promotion before, during, and after the festival.

• Pre-Fest: Having the beer list early allows ticketholders to browse all the selections and note which beers they want to try. Influencers and beer blogs also refer to the beer list as they promote the fest, so having your beers listed increases the chances that you’ll be mentioned.
  • The earlier, the better! The sooner you share your fest beers with us, the sooner attendees will be able to see you. Untappd gets 20,000 users each month in the metro alone, and we’re promoting our fest to all of them!
• At the Fest: Attendees will be able to share drinks, ratings, and photos in real-time with their friends in the app, increasing your brand awareness much further than just the attendees of the festival.
• Post-Fest: The festival beer list will be available indefinitely, and attendees will be able to refer back to their ratings and photos as long as they keep their account. This increases your exposure well past the festival date!

How Does It Work?
Once your beers are in Untappd, and you’ve filled out the beer list form, Untappd creates an All Pints North beer list. (See last year’s Autumn Brew Review list to get an idea of what it looks like.) Anyone visiting our Untappd page will be able to see what you’re bringing to APN, and when they try your beers, they’ll be able to rate them right in the app.

All Our Beers Are Already in Untappd. Do We Need To Use the Form?
Yes! Submitting your beers to our form is the only way to get your beers on our festival app. By submitting the form, Untappd can connect your existing beer to our festival list.

Should We Submit Our NA Product Too?
Yes! NA beverages can also be loaded into the submission form and Untappd menu. This way, attendees can try your NA product at our booth AND at your booth, for maximum reach!

Will Attendees Have to Download Untappd for This to Work?
No. Our festival page will be viewable in a browser. (See last year’s Autumn Brew Review list to get an idea of what it looks like.) Attendees will not need to download an app or have an account to use it; however, an account will be needed if they want to rate/review your beers in the app.

What if My Brewery Doesn’t Have an Untappd Account?
No problem! Just claim your brewery to create a free Untappd account.

What if We Have Special Releases, Timed Releases, etc?
The Untappd app allows us to schedule your special release as an event at our festival, with a push notification to all of the fest’s Untappd users.

How Much Beer Should We Bring?
There will be between 4,000+ people at APN. We suggest bringing 3-5 half-barrels worth, depending on style, ABV, etc. If you are bringing many styles, we recommend 1/6 bbl kegs. Package is okay.

I Have Another Question!
Please email the Guild Events Coordinator Lindsey. This is only our second time using Untappd for our beer list, so we want to make sure it’s providing a better promotional experience for you!

All Pints North typically sells out every year and brings over 4,000 people together on the shore of Lake Superior. Attendees love trying samples from new-to-them breweries, chatting with brewers, owners, and fellow attendees about craft beer, and supporting a robust Minnesota craft brewing industry.

How the Guild Promotes the Fest (And You!)

Pouring at the festival is a great way for your brewery to get exposure to the public before, during, and after the fest. With our full brewery list on the ticketing page as well as the festival page, we aim to promote member breweries and brewpubs as much as possible through:

• Radio promotions
• Social media posts and Facebook event
• Newsletters
• Digital ads
• Partnerships and sponsorships
• Press releases
• And more!

Upload Your Beer List

Attendees love browsing the beer list and making notes of what breweries they want to visit and what beers they want to try. Having the beer list early is a great way for us to help promote both you and the fest! The form closed on July 14 – thank you to everyone who submitted.

Alert Your Social Media Followers!

Help spread the word! Tell your followers that you’ll see them at APN. Use the hashtag #AllPintsNorth when posting – and remember to tag the Guild so we can share it to our followers as well!

When members posts about the fest, it helps promote not only the fest but also fellow brewery and brewpub members, increasing awareness about the variety and quality of craft beer statewide.

Use the images below for your posts or stories.

Member Tickets

All participating breweries and brewpubs get 4 staff tickets for free. See the “Load-In, The Fest, and Load-Out Details” section on how to enter the fest and get your wristbands.

All tickets, including discounted member tickets, are SOLD OUT. The fest is at full capacity and we cannot accept any last-minute ticket requests.

See the “Load-In, The Fest, and Load-Out Details” section on how to enter the fest and get your wristbands. If you purchased General Admission tickets for your staff, they can enter with fellow staff through Brewery Check-In prior to 2:00 p.m. Brewery Check-In closes promptly at 2 p.m.;  if staff arrives after 2 p.m., they will have to check in like a regular attendee.

Hotel Room Blocks – Please Book ASAP!

These hotel room blocks are an effort by the Guild to help members find accommodations for All Pints North. You are not required to book within the block. If you find other accommodations that work better for you and your team, please feel free to book those. However, we do recommend booking as soon as possible, because rooms will sell out very quickly.

Most room blocks have a deadline around the beginning of June. We had suggested booking your room over the winter; if you haven’t booked yet, you should do so now!

Please note: An 8,000-person festival is scheduled in Duluth for the same weekend as All Pints North. No other weekends were available for the fest. This means hotels will be more expensive and will sell out much earlier than usual. It will be very challenging to get hotels for All Pints North if you wait.

If you have staff that are traveling from the Twin Cities metro area to Duluth, another option is to purchase staff bus tickets instead of hotel rooms. See the “Member Tickets and Staff Bus Info” section of this page.

Also, check out our 2023 Hotel Partner: Lift Bridge Lodge!

—

Pier B Resort (Ends June 11)
10 rooms – 2 Queen – Thursday/Friday/Saturday – $347 per night
5 rooms – 1 King – Thursday/Friday/Saturday – $347 per night
To book:  (218) 481-8888 (press 1)
Refer to block number 182093

The Suites Hotel at Waterfront Plaza (Ends at Noon on June 27)
2 rooms – Studio Queen – $229 Thursday, $259 Friday/Saturday
3 rooms – 1 King – $249 Thursday, $279 Friday/Saturday
To book: 218-727-4663
Refer to All Pints North – Vendors Only

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Duluth North (Ends June 27)
15 rooms – 2 Queen – $189 Thursday, $259 Friday/Saturday
To book: 218 722 0909
Refer to the All Pints North Block

Holiday Inn & Suites Duluth Downtown (Ends June 27)
20 rooms – 2 Queen – $189 Thursday, $239 Friday/Saturday
To book: 218 722 1202
Refer to the All Pints North Block

Days Inn Duluth Lakewalk (Ends June 27)
10 rooms – 2 Queen – $169 Thursday, $269 Friday/Saturday
To book: (218) 728-5141
Refer to All Pints North 2023

Fairfield Inn & Suites Duluth Waterfront (Ends June 27)
8 rooms – 2 beds – Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday – $389
2 rooms – King – Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday – $389
To book: (218)722-6001
Refer to All Pints North

Canal Park Lodge
7 rooms – 2 Queen – $389 Friday/Saturday
2 rooms – 2 Queen Balcony – $389 Friday/Saturday
6 rooms – 2 Queen Lake View – $389 Friday/Saturday
To book: 218-279-6000
Refer to MN Craft Brewers Guild

Sheraton Duluth Hotel FULLY BOOKED
5 rooms Thursday, 10 rooms Friday/Saturday – $229 per night
>> Book Using This Link

Park Point Marina Inn (Ended May 26)
5 rooms – 2 Queen Land View – $235 Thursday, $319 Friday, $369 Saturday
5 rooms – 2 Queen Harbor View – $275 Thursday, $369 Friday, $429 Saturday
To book: 218-491-7111
Refer to All Pints North

Answers to FAQs

Can we still register?
We cannot accept late registrations at this time; we are at capacity at the festival. Please email Lindsey if you’d like to be on the waitlist in case another member is unable to attend. If you’re not sure if your brewery is registered, see the list of participating breweries on our ticketing page or our event page.

When will we receive fest details?
All planning info we usually provide via emails to fest main contacts will live on this page. Click to open each tab on this page to learn more. Each time we add more details, we will email your festival main contact with a notification. Timing for new updates is as follows:
1) Initial Planning Details – late May/early June (SENT)
2) Full Fest Details – early July (SENT)
3) Final Reminder – week before fest (SENT)

Will there be help unloading my kegs/prepping my booth on Friday and Saturday?
No. Your staff is responsible for loading/unloading your kegs from the Reefer Truck and setting up your booth. Please bring all people/carts/gear needed.

How much space will we have?
Unless you are a Creative Booth, you have a 10×10 designated space at the festival. You can set up within this space however you like, but please do not bring additional 10×10 tents or other decor/materials that impact your neighboring tents. Creative Booths have a 20×20 space.

How do attendees find us/our beer?
The festival map will be available in the fest program at entry, via the QR code placed throughout the fest, and in the APN Untappd app. The beer list will be within the Apn Untappd app, which will be linked in the QR code throughout the fest.

How much beer should we bring?
There will be between 4,000+ people at APN. We suggest bringing 3-5 half-barrels worth, depending on style, ABV, etc. If you are bringing many styles, we recommend 1/6 bbl kegs. Package is okay.

Can we bring THC products?
No. THC cannot be sampled or sold at APN.

Can we pour non-beer beverages at our booth?
Yes! You are welcome to pour samples of NA beverages, hard seltzers, cider, etc. in addition to beer.

How do attendees vote for Best Beer and Most Creative Brewery Booth?

Guests can vote for at the Guild’s PAC tent in the walkway between the main fest area and the marketplace. ENCOURAGE ATTENDEES TO VOTE FOR YOU! Winners will be announced at 6:45 p.m. at the event and on MNCBG social media. The winner of Most Creative Booth will win a free booth at APN 2024.

Festival Terms & Conditions

Please read the APN Terms and Conditions below and our General Event Terms and Conditions and save them for your records. When you registered, you should also have received an email titled “APN Registration: For Your Records” that includes this information as well.

Space Reservation:
Reservations for exhibit space at this event will be accepted upon submission of this form. The Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild shall endeavor to assign exhibition space that best suits the layout at the event site, subject to availability. We reserve the right, and have sole discretion, to assign exhibition space in accordance with overall effectiveness for the event. Brewery/brewpubs may not assign or sublease their space to any person or entity.

Participation:
Brewery/brewpub participation in All Pints North 2023 is contingent on active MNCBG membership status and up-to-date membership dues. The MNCBG reserves the right to terminate brewery/brewpub booth reservation and reopen brewery/brewpub booth space availability to other interested MNCBG members if your membership is not active.

Set-up, Staffing & Tear-down:
All Pints North is open to guests from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, Saturday, July 29, 2023. Brewery/brewpub must be set up and ready to serve early-entry guests by 3:00 PM; General Admission will open at 3:30. There will be designated setup times on both Friday and on Saturday morning, so please see the Festival Prep page for details.

Brewery/brewpub exhibit must be staffed during all active hours; in no instance can a booth be left unattended. No brewery/brewpub will be able to leave before the official end of the event at 7:00 PM. Breweries/brewpubs must be moved out no later than 8:00 PM.

Breweries/brewpubs are responsible for communicating all requirements for participation to the staff that will be working the festival, including set-up/tear-down policies. Brewery booths that do not abide by festival rules may be removed from the festival and barred from future festivals. 

Care of Exhibit:
Brewery/brewpub is responsible for the orderly presentation of their exhibit and for cleaning within their exhibition space. Brewery/brewpub is also responsible for booth cleanup at the end of the festival.

Alcohol Samples:
Alcohol samples must come into the event with an invoice from a licensed brewery, brewpub, or distributor indicating that the alcohol samples are for the specific MNCBG event. 

Beverage Rules:
Every brewery/brewpub sampling beverages must comply with all governmental regulations (including Federal/State/County/City/Town health departments) concerning the storage, preparation and distribution of beverage items. Additionally, such brewery/brewpub must provide a hand-washing station in their booth or supply booth workers with rubber gloves and require them to be worn at all times that a worker may handle open beverages. Individual servings must not exceed 2 ounces of beverage.

Brewery/brewpub may only distribute free samples of a beverage that is made or sold in the ordinary course of business of that brewery/brewpub. MNCBG reserves the right to terminate the distribution of any sample should it be in violation of Federal/State/County/City/Town laws relating to food-and-beverage handling or if deemed necessary for public safety reasons.

THC cannot be sampled or sold at APN in 2023.

Cancellation:
If a MNCBG event or any part of a MNCBG event is canceled or rescheduled, under no circumstances shall MNCBG be liable for costs or damages incurred by brewery/brewpub as a result of such cancellation or rescheduling, whether due to cause(s) beyond or within the control of MNCBG.

Code of Conduct:
Discrimination, intolerance, harassment, or violence of any kind will not be tolerated within our organization, membership, or events. Attendees, volunteers, or event staff who create an unsafe environment for others may be removed from the event at the discretion of the event organizers. Please read our MNCBG Code of Conduct. A reporting tool will be made available to all attendees, staff, and volunteers at the festival via QR code/link in the fest program, app, and signage.

Photography, Audio and Video:
By signing this contract, brewery/brewpub grants MNCBG permission to photograph and/or record audio and/or video of brewery/brewpub exhibit and staff, both inside and outside of the brewery/brewpub booth, and to interview brewery/brewpub or their staff about this MNCBG event. Brewery/brewpub grants MNCBG a perpetual nonexclusive license to use this content containing brewery/brewpubs likenesses and/or statements in all MNCBG products in print and online, in promotional materials, and in audio and video advertising.

Conditions for Festival Cancellation

The health and safety of festival workers and attendees is of utmost importance to the Guild. The following conditions would cause us to cancel a festival: 

• Extreme Weather: Our festivals are rain or shine. But extreme weather that risks injury would cause of us potentially cancel (or delay) a festival. 
• Hazardous Air Quality: The festival will automatically be canceled if air quality is anticipated at 300+ AQI for the date/location of an outdoor event. Guild staff and board may also decide to cancel an event at 200-300 AQI. Air quality cannot be assessed very far in advance, but we will warn event contacts and the public if conditions are concerning in the days prior to the event. The final assessments and communication will take place the morning of the event. You can monitor the AQI for an area using this tool.
• Communicable Disease or similar Public Health Emergency
• City or State Declaration: The Guild will comply with any state of emergency or other declaration from city or state officials that requires the cancellation of our event for the safety of attendees or the community.

If any of these conditions are anticipated in the days leading up to the festival, the Guild will communicate with all festival main contacts via email to warn them of the specific conditions that would cause cancellation. If we have to cancel a festival, the Guild will communicate first using social media, followed by emails to all festival main contacts and other stakeholders.