Eight years ago, Boomtown Brewery planted a flag in the northernmost reaches of the DTLA Arts District community with a neighborhood taproom and event space featuring a handful of handcrafted local brews. Eight years of rotating taps, perennial favorites and more than a dozen of their Artist Series hazy DIPA can releases later—and surviving the pandemic years with loading dock sales of canned beers and growlers—Boomtown has plenty of good reasons to celebrate as the Arts District has grown to surround it. 

This Saturday, February 18, Boomtown will ll be throwing an all-out bash with special Anniversary release craft beers (including rare barrel-aged brews), food options galore, live bands, special merch, games, giveaways, photo booths and more.  It’s an all-day and into the late-night party that might as well be—heck, it IS—a beer fest in its own right, and with no ticket admission, wristbands, or devastating long lines to hold anyone back, Boomtown promises a party for the record books—for those who keep records! 

The headliner of the party is, of course, the beer. Along with stalwarts like Nose Job and Chavez Ravine IPA’s and Mike Czech pilsner, Boomtown promises numerous specialty releases for the event, some of which will be canned (so, you know, so guests can take the party home with them).

To pair with all that beer, tasty grub will be available from VChos Truck @vchostruck serving tacos and pupusas; Under the Bun @underthebunn serving up burger sliders; and 38 Degrees Alehouse @38degreesla serving brisket sandwiches, cheesesteaks and other sandwiches; amazing cookies from French Chip Cookie Co; and handcrafted micheladas from Buly Cheladas @bulychelada. The Better Together collective @bettertogether.cc will upcycle guests’ older clothes and turn them into something new!

Musically, the Anniversary party will feature stellar sets starting at 3:00PM with Perry Bancs, Justin Nash Fisher, Olivia Morreale; The Boomtown House Band with featured vocalists Brianna Alomar and Bettis Richardson; Hendri; and The Bites, taking guests into the wee hours with indie, alternative tunes.

Boomtown is proud of its artist bona fides appropriate to its location. “When your brewery is located in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles, there’s not only a logical connection to artists, but also a responsibility to promote them and their work,” says Boomtown’s Ryan Windish. “Visitors to our taproom and event space will quickly notice murals throughout our space, created by local and international artists alike.  And, of course, there’s our Artist Series, limited-edition cans of hazy IPA’s created by both local downtown and internationally known artists. We share something fundamental with these artists: a love of creation, a desire to push the limits, and the pure joy of making something beautiful from raw materials.”

In recent years, music has become part of the mix at Boomtown’s sprawling event and performance space, with one-day “Boomfests” featuring nine bands in nine hours, Thursday night performances, and Sunday jazz and roots sets. Boomtown is also Wednesday’s home for the traveling Vegan Playground, a plant-based celebration of food, apparel and vegan culture, for vegans and the people who love them, for the past several years.

Saturday’s music schedule is as follows:

3:00pm - Perry Bancs @perrybancs

4:00pm - Justin Nash Fisher @jnashfish

5:00pm - “Princess Livv” Olivia Morreale @princesslivv69

6:00pm - Lance Rodriguez @lancemrodriguez

7:00pm - Boomtown House Band with special guest vocalists Brianna Alomar @briannaalomar and Bettis Richardson @bettismusic

9:00pm - Hendri @heyhendri

10:00pm - The Bites @thebitesofficial

11:00pm - Boomtown House Band reprise 

Boomtown’s committed to its mashup of beer, food, music and art culture, “and we expect to keep that up for another eight years and many more” as it grows into a major cultural outpost on the DTLA arts scene.

If you go: Boomtown Brewery, 700 Jackson St, Los Angeles, CA 90012. From noon-1:00AM. Admission free. 21 and over, please.