Austin and Marissa Wilson, of South Heights, stand in front of the USS Mars AFS-1 Ship’s Bell on Saturday, June 17. They said that their favorite drinks at the Mars Brew Fest are the root beer from Smiling Moose and the smoothie beer from Cellar Works. Irina Bucur/Butler Eagle

Carissa Neary, of Beaver Falls, and Alana Costello, of Lisbon, N.Y., had a full itinerary planned over the weekend. First, the pair of friends traveled to Pittsburgh for the Taylor Swift concert Friday night, June 16. Looking for something to do on Saturday evening, they stumbled into the Mars Brew Fest.

The brews and buzzing atmosphere drew visitors from Butler and nearby counties to the annual Mars festival on Saturday, June 17, that boasted 18 local breweries. Mars Mayor Gregg Hartung said 800 tickets for the event were sold online, and even more were sold at the door.

Vendors from local breweries displayed a variety of offerings, from sweet smoothie beers, crisp and sour ciders, and hoppy pale ales. According to the festival website, pop-ups from four wineries and distilleries also were present.