It started as an idea a little more than a year ago. Now, the first Waynesboro Brewmaster Beer Festival is only a few days away.

The event, being presented by Mainstreet Waynesboro, Inc., will be held from 12:00 to 4:00 on the afternoon of Saturday, May 16 in the Grove-Bowersox Parking Lot behind the Waynesboro Post Office.

More than 40 craft beers from 18 microbreweries will be available to sample at the event. The confirmed list includes several businesses located in central Pennsylvania (Chambersburg’s Roy Pitz Brewing Company, Hershey’s Troeg’s Brewing Company and Gettysburg’s Battlefield Brew Works), two from Maryland (Frederick’s Flying Dog Brewery and Salisbury’s Evolution Brewing Company) and a few from across the country (Chicago’s Goose Island Beer Company, Denver’s Great Divide Brewing Co. and San Francisco’s 21st Amendment Brewery).

Former Waynesboro resident, Andrew Maxwell, will return to town with four beers from his Rivertowne Brewing Company in suburban Pittsburgh. He, along with brew masters from Roy Pitz and Battlefield Brew Works, will each lead educational breakout sessions about the beer-making process and their respective entries into the industry.

Live music will be provided by Jon Ingels and Lucky Punk. Caveman BBQ, Dutch Country Soft Pretzels and Main Street Diner are set to serve as food vendors, selling a variety of items for attendees to enjoy.

Bob Steele from the Scorpion Radio Group will act as the emcee of the event, and people can capture memories of their experience using photographs provided by Click Pic Photo Booth.

Organizers have been impressed by the amount of support that this inaugural festival has generated from members of the community.

“Based on our ticket sales so far, I think it’s safe to say that this is an event that people are eager to be a part of,” said Scott Hershberger, Mainstreet Waynesboro’s director of economic development. “The planning process has also been made easier by managers at The Beer Shed and a generous number of monetary and in-kind donations.”

Sponsors of the festival are Alma Oyer (“Barrel Partner”), American Legion Post 15, F&M Trust and Greg & Debi Duffey (“Keg Partners”), The Broad Axe, M&T Bank and Realtor Darwyn Benedict (“Growler Partners”) and Franklin County Visitors Bureau, McLaughlin’s Energy Services and Waynesboro Veterinary Clinic (“Pint Partners”). The Beer Shed is sponsoring the five-ounce souvenir mugs that attendees will use when consuming their samples, and in-kind donations are being provided by AC&T (toilets), American Legion Post 15 (tables and chairs), Buchanan Automotive (food tent), Food Lion (ice), Home Depot (canopy tents), Martin’s Food Market (gift cards), Sheetz (ice), St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic School (tables) and Waynesboro Construction (fencing).

Tickets are $25 a piece, but anyone who wants to attend the festival and not consume alcohol can buy a “Designated Driver” ticket for $10. They can be ordered online by visiting www.facebook.com/WBBeerFestival or purchased at the office of Mainstreet Waynesboro, Inc. (13 West Main Street), The Beer Shed (226 Walnut Street) and the office of the Greater Waynesboro Chamber of Commerce (118 Walnut Street).

A limited number of tickets will be available to purchase (cash only) at the entrance on the day of the event. No one under the age of 21 years old will be permitted to attend. Everyone must display a valid form of identification, regardless of age. Smoking within the fenced in boundary of the festival is prohibited.