The Peoples Beer Fest returned to Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood Oct. 11, drawing hundreds of visitors to celebrate craft brewing, culture, and community. Hosted by Oak Park Brewing Co., the festival turned Fourth Avenue behind the brewery into a lively block-party with food vendors, live music, and more than 30 breweries from across the country.
Organizers describe it as California’s largest Black beer festival — an event created to amplify Black brewers and brands while welcoming beer lovers of every background.
The Peoples Beer Fest began in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Oak Park Brewing Co. and community partners sought new ways to bring people together safely.
The brewery also pays tribute to Theodore Mack Sr., one of the nation’s first Black brewery owners, whose legacy continues to inspire brewers and events like The Peoples Beer Fest.
For Rodg Little, organizer of the festival and co-owner of Oak Park Brewing Co., the event represents a personal vision and the brewery’s mission.
“This was something I saw from the start,” Little said. “It’s growing because it’s who we are at Oak Park Brewing — a community built around beer and belonging.”
He said the brewery remains focused on spotlighting Black-owned beer brands while keeping its doors open to everyone. “We’re a Black-beer-brand-focused company,” he explained, noting the strong presence of Black brewers at this year’s event.
Little said his own path into the industry began with inspiration from Mack Sr., a pioneering Black brewer he discovered while researching the history of brewing. “The door was open for me because of Mr. Mack,” he said. “I was still just a homebrewer then.”
Now, six years into his brewing journey, Little continues to work alongside his mentor, who has nearly two decades of commercial experience. Oak Park Brewing’s current ownership launched on Juneteenth 2019, a date Little said was chosen intentionally to reflect freedom, new beginnings, and community.
Theodore Mack II, the son of Theodore Mack Sr., said his father’s story was always about empowerment, not alcohol.
“When my father passed, he wanted Black people to know about his legacy,” Mack II said. “It wasn’t about drinking; it was about empowerment.”
On April 12, 1970, Theodore “Ted” Mack Sr. and a group of investors purchased the Peoples Brewing Co. in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, making it the first African American-owned major brewery in the United States. His goal was not only to produce great beer but to create opportunity — a message that still resonates.
He spent years searching for the original Peoples Beer recipe, which his father created after purchasing the Peoples Brewery. “I’d been trying to find it for years,” he said. “I’m not a brewer myself, I’m a businessperson, but I wanted to help preserve that history.”
Mack II said he eventually found it after what he described as a moment of faith and persistence. “I kind of said to God, ‘I tried and never found it,’ and He said, ‘Do exactly what I said — put in there about a master brewer.’ So I went online, pressed the button, and there it was.”
Today, Peoples Beer is once again being brewed, available on tap and in cans at Oak Park Brewing Co., where it serves as a living tribute to the elder Mack’s pioneering work.
His story links generations of Black entrepreneurship in brewing, from his father’s groundbreaking ownership of the Peoples Brewery to the new wave of brewers and festivals inspired by that legacy.
Among those in attendance was Jon Renthrope, president of the National Black Brewers Association and founder of Cajun Fire Brewing Co. in New Orleans, the first Black-owned beer company in the U.S. South.
Renthrope said his organization has about 300 members, including sponsors, and that around 85 Black-owned breweries operate across the country. Events like the Peoples Beer Fest, he explained, are crucial for connecting those brewers and expanding their reach.
“These kinds of festivals promote fellowship and give us access to markets we might not otherwise reach,” Renthrope said.
He noted that Sacramento’s festival stands out for its diversity and community reach. “Each state has its own group of Black-owned beer companies,” he said, “but what’s special about this one is how diverse it is — you see families, businesses, people from all walks of life.”
Renthrope added that the festival creates real economic value beyond the beer itself. “It’s an ecosystem that generates revenue,” he said. “That’s a real incentive for the city.”
Tio Hunter, co-founder of Crown and Hops Brewing Co. in Inglewood, said his journey into brewing began with a passion for the craft and a realization about who was missing from it.
“I fell in love with beer back in 2006,” Hunter said. “I started chasing breweries I admired and realized that none of the brewers I met were Black, or even people of color.”
He said the lack of representation came not from exclusion but lack of exposure. “It wasn’t that anyone was being kept out,” he said. “It was about access — craft beer just wasn’t reaching our communities.”
Crown and Hops was founded to help change that, with a focus on excellence and visibility. “We strive to make the best styles possible,” Hunter said. The company’s flagship beers — The Dopest IPA and 8 Trill Pils — are available in Northern California, including Sacramento. For the fall season, the brewery also produces Dope-toberfest, its take on a traditional Märzen-style beer.
Alongside the beer tents, The Peoples Beer Fest featured local artists, small businesses, and food vendors. A family area offered children’s activities such as painting and crafts, underscoring the festival’s commitment to community.
By evening, the block outside Oak Park Brewing was filled with music, conversation, and the shared sense that the festival had become more than a celebration of beer — it was a celebration of belonging.
