Though it may be new to the festival circuit, Punk in the Park requires only a little explanation. It’s punk rock music — the ripped shirts with skulls on them and brightly dyed hair kind of punk — in the relatively isolated, green-laden foothills of Orange County’s Oak Canyon Park. The only part not obvious from the name is that this is a beer festival, too. In fact, it’s produced by Brew Ha Ha Productions, the company behind 125 beer events, including Punk In Drublic Craft Beer & Music Festival, Silverado Showdown, Summer Roots, OC Brew Ha Ha, and Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair. At Punk in the Park, you’ll get an all-you-can-drink craft beer tasting for the first three hours the festival opens each day. Then, it’s time to rock.
Punk in the Park has California pride, and both the beer and the bands are largely local. At the top of the bill sit 80’s and 90’s punk phenoms Bad Religion, The Dead Kennedys, and Face to Face, all California bands. They’re joined at the headline by the out-of-state bands Dropkick Murphys, The Murder City Devils, and The Bouncing Souls. They, along with 24 other bands, will play two stages for the second ever Punk in the Park. One hundred local and regional breweries will be there, too. (If you like what you’re drinking here, then really like what you find a few hours’ drive to south in San Diego, the craft capital of the country. Check out the San Diego Beer Guild Festival for the full experience.)
The Specs
- Tickets come in two levels: general admission and VIP. Both are available for one or two days. If you want to partake in the beer tasting, single day general admission tickets start at $55. If you do not plan on tasting, tickets start at $50.
- Kids 10 and under get in free with the purchase of a general admission ticket.
- Oak Canyon Park has a 10,000 person capacity.