‘Cool Kids Carnival’ BAM beer fest returns to Santa Monica Sunday

With the rise of brewing’s popularity, the craft beer festival is becoming a common occurrence in Los Angeles, but not all beer fests are created equal. The fifth annual Beer Arts and Music Festival takes over the 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica on Sunday, and it’s one of L.A.’s most fun beer events.

As the name implied, the BAM Fest pairs art and music with the beer (and wine, and food) and serves it all up alongside educational opportunities. The more than 40 craft breweries attending cover the gamut from the usual suspects (Golden Road, Angel City) to fan favorites (Beachwood Brewing, Smog City) to popular out-of-state visitors (Dogfish Head, Deschutes Brewery) to local newcomers (Three Weavers, King Harbor).

Not sure where to start? A few under-the-radar breweries to add to your shortlist are: international sensation Einstok Beer Co., perennially underrated Ladyface Ale Companie, Lancaster’s Kinetic Brewing (especially if they’re pouring Citrafuge Fresh Hop XPA), and Santa Monica’s first craft brewery -- the new Santa Monica Brew Works.

Prefer the grape to the grain? Wine Enthusiast is handling the curated selection of wines from across the country, and to round out the list of libations there will be mead from Gold Coast Meadery, infused tequila from Mama’s Boy Infusions and craft sodas prepared by the Maltose Falcons homebrewing club.

This year’s festival also introduces “crash courses” -- 20-minute mini-seminars hosted by experts on beer, wine and art that cover “a wide range of topics such as how to pick out food flavors from different beers or how art could be paired with some of the best wine and beer.”

BAM Fest backs up the brews with entertainment that includes a selection of live bands (KoTolan, Nick Shattuck, Trapdoor Social) and open studios from 18th Street Arts Center’s artists-in-residence, and a bevy of food trucks (don’t miss the cheesy tots from Dogtown Dogs).

The party has more of a cool-kids carnival feel than the typical beer-fueled festival. Event organizers strike a delicate balance between showcasing some fantastic craft brews and giving attendees plenty to do besides stand in line and guzzle beer in the sun.

The party runs from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets -- which include unlimited beer tasters -- are $50 at the door, or $45 if purchased in advance, and all proceeds benefit 18th Street Arts Center.

18th Street Arts Center, 1639 18th St., Santa Monica (310) 453-3711.