Festival Preview: Local Flavors and Fall Fun at Quad State Beer Fest

This year is the 6th annual lnterstate Festival Group celebration called Quad State Beer Fest taking place during the perfect season for beer – fall – and right in your backyard in Hagerstown, MD. This hometown throw down has everything you want on a chilly fall weekend: lots of food, tons of local beer to try and buy, live music, and a relaxed time with friends in the beautiful park with pavilions for shelter and vibrant red leaves underneath your feet. We’ve worked with Rob of Interstate Festival Group for years and love his other event Shamrock’d in the Spring, and his spirit and passion for bringing attention to local breweries and a fun fall activity for the community. We decided to ask him a couple of questions about his event promotion career and give you some info on the basics so you can join the fun.

Rob Immer and his wife Diana

How long have you been organizing events?

We set sail on February 22, 2014

Why did you start getting into festival/event promotion?

I started attending larger festivals and events with my new bride, but quickly grew tired of driving an hour plus to get to decent events. Light bulb moment.

Rob pouring beer at an event

How long have you been doing Quad State Beer Fest?

Since 2014. However, even though this is our 6th Quad State Beer Fest (Main Event), it is actually our 10th Quad State Beer Fest since we do a “ShamRocked” version near St. Patrick’s Day every March, and 31st event overall (we also do wine fests, BBQ fests, and whatever else seems like a ton of fun).

What was the inspiration for the event?

Seeing the growth small breweries on the horizon. And since there weren’t that many in our area, and since we live so close to three other states, “Quad State” was born.

What is your personal favorite local beer?

Bases Loaded by Antietam Brewery. It is an easy drinking Copper Ale that is seasonal and is the official beer of the Hagerstown Suns minor league baseball team in Hagerstown, MD (also the home of Antietam Brewery, the Quad State Beer Fest and me!)

What is your personal favorite aspect of running this festival each year?

The People. Seeing the excitement in the eyes of the brewers to share their new creations with the masses, and the masses lining up in costumes and pretzel necklaces to come out to support local breweries and other businesses, it’s a nice steady adrenaline rush for sure.