Sprung! Beer Festival Debuts Inaugural Sprung Games

The Winter Olympics ended last month, but sports will be alive and well at the Sprung! Beer Festival April 7 at the Wynwood Market Place.

Sprung! organizer Tony Albelo says this year the festival will embrace the spirit of sportsmanship by adopting something of a beer Olympics.

Attendees can sign up for games such as kickball, cornhole, Jenga, and beer pong. There will even be prizes, though Albelo couldn't give details. He suggested anything from trophies to gift certificates.

Sprung! is the seasonal opposite of Grovetoberfest, which is essentially an Oktoberfest celebration, and the festival in April is still very much about beer.

"We want to remind everyone that drinking beer is fun and social," Albelo says. "Sprung! falls during spring break, so it always has that kind of vibe about it."

Albelo expects at least 100 local and nonlocal breweries pouring close to 400 beers at the fest. Many past breweries are returning, he says, and at least three new ones have signed up.

Sprung! will also offer live music and DJs; the Kitchen Lab, presenting cooking demos and samplings from South Florida chefs; a thrifter marketplace selling local crafted goods and artwork; and a dog park.

The festival has also transitioned from the RC Cola Plant, which Albelo says wasn't the ideal venue for hosting more than 4,000 attendees because it's enclosed and became too hot. Instead, he moved the fest to an 80,000-square-foot location that's a "lot fresher and a lot more airy." He expects as many people, possibly more, to show up for this year's edition.

Hurry up and claim your tickets, Albelo says. VIP passes (capped at 500 for $90 each) are nearly sold out. They allow access to the festival beginning at 2:30 p.m., and VIPs get their own air-conditioned lounge with designated bathrooms, food, swag, and exclusive access to the selection from Boxelder Craft Beer Market.

The Beer Socialite package ($70) grants early access to the festival at 3 p.m., as well as a souvenir backpack and pint glass. General-admission tickets ($40) include entry at 4 p.m., unlimited beer samples, and the chance to participate in the Sprung Games.

Sprung! Beer Festival. 2:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 7, at the Wynwood Market Place at Mana Wynwood, 2250 NW Second Ave., Miami. Tickets cost $40 to $90 via eventbrite.com.