Saturday, August 10 saw the return of the 4th Central Coast Cider Festival to Atascadero. This annual event brought together some of the top cider houses in California for an afternoon full of tastings, great food, and live music.
The event was held at the Atascadero Lake Park Pavilion on the Lake, providing the perfect atmosphere for this year’s event. Guests could enjoy the picturesque view of the lake as they wandered between cider houses, and the weather was just perfect for the outdoor food area and live music stage.
The Ciders
This year 15 cider houses came together for the annual event:
We got to sample some really unique ciders at the event, like the jalapeño from Hemly Cider. Our co-founder Nicole really loved the Hot Tub Wine from Tin City Cider. It had a cherry finish and was absolutely delicious!
See Canyon Cider Co Tin City Cider Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards Gopher Glen Cider Co Jean Marie Cidery Black Hand Cellars Work & Play Cider Two Broads Ciderworks Sycamore Ranch Ciderworks Schilling Hard Cider Hemly Cider Anna’s Cider
The Food
In addition to the cider houses, there was lots of food at the festival:
- Hurricane Kitchen was serving ceviche
- Heirloom Catering was serving a summer stone fruit crostini
- Old San Luis BBQ had the best tri-tip sliders
- Full of Life Flatbread had flatbreads with all sorts of toppings
- StreetSide Ale House had mac & cheese, and jalapeño poppers
- Clementine Cupcake Company brought all sorts of cupcakes and cookies
- And SLODOCO was there with their amazing donuts!
StreetSide Ale House Full of Life Flatbread Heirloom Catering SLODOCO Old San Luis BBQ
The Music
To top off the event, there was also live music by The Tipsy Gypsies! The actual stage for the band was outside with the food, but the festival organizers were smart and piped music into the hall so you could hear the songs regardless of where you were. Genius!

All of the food, unlimited tastings, and the live music was included in the purchase of our Central Coast Cider Festival tickets. A portion of the proceeds benefited the low-cost spay and neuter clinic at the north county location for Woods Humane Society.
Tips for Next Year
1. Prices & Parking
Ticket prices in 2019 were:
- Early Bird: $40
- General Admission: $45
- InCider Admission (VIP): $65
- Designated Driver: $25
The event is held at the Atascadero Lake Park where parking is free.
2. Get Your Tickets Early!
The Cider Festival sold out in 2019, so getting your tickets early is helpful just so you can go to the event in the first place. This year the organizers also sold the first 100 tickets at a discounted rate, so we got our tickets for $40 instead of $45 apiece.
3. It’s Hot in Atascadero
The event is held at the end of summer, so it is still really hot in Atascadero. This year it was 80 degrees when the event started, and closer to 75 by the time it ended. We were comfortable in jeans, sandals, and t-shirts / tank tops.
4. Don’t Forget Your Swag Bag!
We got totally distracted by picking up our drink glass and completely forgot to grab our swag bag the first trip around the room. It would have been so helpful for all the cool stickers, postcards, buttons, and other items we picked up along the way. Luckily there were plenty left, but just in case for next year don’t forget to pick up your bag and fill it with swag!
Contact Information
Event Address:
Atascadero Pavilion on the Lake
9315 Pismo Avenue
Atascadero, CA 93422
Website:
www.centralcoastciderfestival.com
General Inquiries:
info@centralcoastciderfestival.com
Newsletter:
http://www.centralcoastciderfestival.com/#newsletter-section
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