Mono County California June Lake Autumn Beer Festival

Autumn in the Eastern Sierra is a short, brilliant season, and the June Lake Autumn Beer Festival is timed to catch it. Held each September at Gull Lake Park, the festival pairs a carefully limited craft beer garden with aspens turning gold on the slopes above the lake.

The event is deliberately small. The all-you-can-taste beer garden is capped at 600 tickets, and it sells out every year. Around that ticketed core, the music, food vendors and general festival are free and open to the public, which gives the day a relaxed, community feel.

This guide covers what the June Lake Autumn Beer Festival is, how the weekend works, and how to plan a fall visit to one of the Sierra’s prettiest corners.

What the Festival Is

The June Lake Autumn Beer Festival is a one-day gathering of craft brewers, food vendors and craftspeople at Gull Lake Park. It runs from noon to five in the beer garden, with the wider festival open from late morning into the early evening. The setting is the draw as much as the beer: a grassy lakeside park surrounded by the June Lake Loop’s mountains.

The ticketed beer garden offers unlimited tastings from a roster of California breweries, and the limited ticket count keeps lines short and the atmosphere comfortable. Outside the garden gates, a charity pint station sells individual beers and wine, so visitors without garden tickets can still enjoy the day.

For a nearby comparison, see the Mono County California Mammoth Festival of Beers and Bluesa.

A Small Festival by Design

The 600-ticket cap is the defining feature. Where larger beer festivals can feel like a crush, June Lake stays intimate. Brewers have time to talk, and visitors can work through a thoughtful selection without waiting in long lines.

That scale also suits the town. June Lake is a small community on the June Lake Loop, a scenic byway that passes four lakes beneath the Sierra crest. The festival is a genuine local event, run with the involvement of the June Lake Brewing company and a team of volunteers, and it draws as many locals as visitors.

The 13th edition in recent years carried the same formula forward: a capped garden, free outside entertainment, and a stein-holding competition that has become a tradition of its own. Entry to the competition is limited to twenty men and twenty women, and it fills fast.

Where and When

The festival is held at Gull Lake Park in June Lake, Mono County, typically on a Saturday in late September. September is the start of the Eastern Sierra’s fall color season, and the aspens around June Lake are among the best in the state.

Location	Gull Lake Park, June Lake, Mono County, California
Typical timing	A Saturday in late September
Beer garden	Noon to 5 p.m.; capped at 600 all-you-can-taste tickets
Free activities	Live music, food vendors and crafts, late morning to early evening
Stein holding	A limited-entry competition, 20 men and 20 women
Organizer	June Lake Brewing with local volunteers
Setting	Lakeside park on the June Lake Loop, in fall color season

The Beer Garden

The beer garden is the ticketed heart of the festival. A roster of California craft breweries pours unlimited tastings, and the lineup changes from year to year. Past editions have drawn breweries from across the state, from small mountain operations to well-known coastal names, giving the tasting a genuine range.

Wristbands are typically collected in advance at the June Lake Brewing taproom on the Friday before the festival, which spares visitors a Saturday queue. Identification is checked when wristbands are issued, and the garden is strictly for adults.

Free Music, Food and the Stein Competition

Outside the beer garden, the festival is free. Live music plays through the day, food vendors and craftspeople set up around the park, and families spread out on the grass. The charity pint station gives anyone without a garden ticket access to a rotating selection of beers and wine.

The stein-holding competition is the festival’s most entertaining tradition. Contestants hold a full glass at arm’s length for as long as they can, and the last one standing wins. Entry is limited and sold on site rather than in advance, so anyone interested should sign up early.

Getting There and Getting Around

June Lake sits on Highway 395 in Mono County, about twenty minutes north of Mammoth Lakes and within reach of Yosemite’s eastern entrance at Tioga Pass. The festival organizes a free bus shuttle between Mammoth Lakes and Gull Lake Park on the day, which is the easiest option for anyone staying in Mammoth.

• Buy beer garden tickets early; the 600-ticket cap sells out every year.
• Pick up wristbands on Friday at the June Lake Brewing taproom to skip the line.
• Use the free shuttle from Mammoth Lakes if you plan to drink.
• Bring layers, since fall mornings and evenings at this elevation are cold.
• Plan around the fall color, which peaks in late September and early October.

Beyond the Festival

The June Lake Loop is one of the Eastern Sierra’s signature drives, passing Gull Lake, Silver Lake, Grant Lake and June Lake itself beneath the Sierra crest. In late September the aspens along the loop turn gold, making the festival weekend one of the best times of year to visit.

Nearby attractions include Mono Lake with its tufa towers, Bodie State Historic Park, and the lakes basin above Mammoth. Yosemite’s Tioga Pass entrance is a scenic drive south and west. For travelers chasing fall color and good beer, the June Lake festival is hard to beat.

The June Lake Loop and Fall Color

The festival’s setting is half its appeal. The June Lake Loop is a fourteen-mile scenic byway that winds past four lakes beneath the Sierra crest, and in late September the aspens along the route turn bright gold against the dark pines. The drive from the highway to Gull Lake Park is a highlight in itself.

Fall color in the Eastern Sierra is famously brief, often peaking across a couple of weeks. The festival is timed to land near that window, which is why so many visitors combine the beer garden with a morning of photography. Lundy Canyon, north of Lee Vining, and the canyons around Mammoth offer more of the same spectacle.

The weather is a factor to plan around. September days are usually clear and mild, but the elevation means mornings and evenings are cold, and early storms are possible. Layers are essential, and a warm jacket is worth carrying even on a sunny afternoon.

The Breweries and the Local Scene

The beer garden draws its character from California’s craft brewing community, and the brewery list changes each year. Past editions have brought together a wide cross-section of the state’s brewers, from small mountain operations to established coastal names, and the range keeps the tasting interesting for repeat visitors.

June Lake Brewing, the local brewery behind the event, anchors the weekend. Its taproom hosts the Friday wristband pickup and serves as a gathering point before and after the festival. For visitors, it is also a good place to learn about the town and the surrounding trails.

Because the garden is capped, the experience is unhurried. There is room to talk with the people pouring, to compare styles, and to go back for a second taste of something that stood out. That is a rare thing at a modern beer festival.

Stein Holding and the Social Side

The stein-holding competition is the festival’s signature bit of theater. Contestants grip a full glass of beer at arm’s length and hold on for as long as they can, and the crowd’s attention shifts entirely to the line of straining arms. Entry is limited and sold on site rather than in advance, so interested visitors should sign up early in the day.

Around the competition, the festival is a social occasion as much as a tasting. Locals and visitors mix easily in a park this size, and the day has the feel of a large neighborhood gathering rather than a ticketed event. Many visitors come with friends, spread a blanket on the grass and stay for the full afternoon.

That sociability is a large part of why the June Lake festival has lasted more than a dozen editions. It is small enough that people recognize one another by the end of the day, and generous enough that no one feels crowded out.

Where to Stay

June Lake is small, and lodging is limited, which is why the free shuttle from Mammoth Lakes matters so much. Visitors who want to stay in the village itself can choose from a handful of motels, lodges, cabins and condos, several within walking distance of Gull Lake Park. Options include the June Lake Villager, Gull Lake Lodge, the Heidelberg Inn, Interlaken Condos and a range of lakefront and forest cabins.

Campers have more room to maneuver. Reverse Creek and June Lake campgrounds sit close to the festival, and the surrounding national forest offers additional sites. Because the festival falls in fall color season, both lodging and campgrounds book up well in advance, so reserving early is essential.

Staying in Mammoth Lakes is the other sensible option. The drive is short, the shuttle is free, and the town has far more restaurants, shops and lodging. Many visitors base in Mammoth and treat June Lake as a day trip, which also makes it easy to combine the festival with the lakes basin and the fall color drives nearby.

Festival Area Map

The map below marks Gull Lake Park in June Lake, with the Highway 395 approach along the June Lake Loop for planning your visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the June Lake Autumn Beer Festival?

It is held on a Saturday in late September.

Where is it held?

At Gull Lake Park in June Lake, California, on the June Lake Loop.

How many beer garden tickets are there?

The all-you-can-taste beer garden is capped at 600 tickets and sells out each year.

Is the festival free?

The live music, food vendors and general festival are free. The beer garden requires a ticket.

Is there transportation?

Yes, a free bus shuttle runs between Mammoth Lakes and Gull Lake Park on festival day.

What is the stein-holding competition?

It is a contest in which entrants hold a full stein at arm’s length for as long as possible. Entry is limited and sold on site.

What to Expect From the Next Autumn Beer Festival

How often is the festival held?

It is an annual event, held each September.

When is the next festival?

The next edition is expected on a Saturday in late September. Confirm dates and ticket details with the organizers.

Will the format change?

The capped beer garden and free outside entertainment have been consistent, though the brewery lineup changes each year.

Last updated: October 2026

The June Lake Autumn Beer Festival is a lesson in restraint. By capping the beer garden at 600 people and keeping the rest of the day free, it stays a festival you can actually enjoy rather than endure. Add fall color on the June Lake Loop and you have one of the Sierra’s best small events.