Twenty-one brewing companies from Alaska, Washington and Canada along with three distributors will offer more than 130 types of beer during this weekend’s Great Alaska Craft Beer and Home Brew Festival.

“You can’t get through them all in one day that’s for sure,” said Jessica Edwards, executive director of the Southeast Alaska State Fair, which hosts the two-day event.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the festival that’s generally attributed to Arne Olsson, former owner of the Hotel Halsingland.

Called the Haines Homebrewers Festival, the first event was held at the hotel and on Fort Seward’s parade grounds, attracting 20 guests from out of town, according to a Chilkat Valley News account.

“We didn’t have to leave the block,” recalled former tourism director Susan Bell, who helped promote the event.

“The city council looked at Skagway’s Klondike run and Buckwheat (ski race) and said, ‘We want signature events.’ It took a tremendous amount of community support to build the festival and sustain it,” Bell said.

This year, 200 tickets for the gourmet brewer’s dinner and 1,700 tickets for the connoisseur’s tasting and main event sold out . The event draws visitors from Southeast, the Yukon Territory and even Anchorage.

A panel of 18 judges will select their favorite homebrew from a selection of more than 50 entries from around the state and announce the winner 3 p.m. Saturday.

The competition helped launch Paul Wheeler’s Haines Brewing Co. and Juneau’s Barnaby Brewing Company, a new brewer featured at this year’s festival, Edwards said.

Judges also will poll festival-goers on their favorite craft beer and for the first time a “people’s choice” will be awarded to the day’s most popular brew.

“New this year we have a cider vendor from Anchorage,” Edwards said. “I think they’re going to be really popular. If people want to drink cider they should get a head start on that one.”

The gourmet dinner – a feature of the festival since its inception in 1993 – includes two brew pairings that come with each of the six course menu, which includes coal roasted beets, sake cured salmon, Jidori chicken roulade, Alaskan pork belly and an array of desserts.

The designated smoking area for the first time will be located outside the gates of the fair grounds.

Camping will be available for festival goers. Once the regular campgrounds are full, overflow camping will be available at Tlingit Park and the Portage Cove beach, Edwards said.

Camping will also be available on the lower half of the parade grounds but no fires are allowed, said Port Chikoot Company owner Lee Heinmiller

Porta potties and recycling containers will be set up around town.

Edwards said local police will do occasional walk throughs to check on things.

“We always like it when they come,” Edwards said. “It’s always positive. It’s really a pretty mellow event. The excitement is usually in the evening.”