BREMERTON — Thirty four breweries. More than 100 beers. Live music. Food vendors.

The Bremerton waterfront was busy July 16 and 17 when the sixth Bremerton Summer Brewfest showcased Washington craft breweries at the boardwalk.

“This is just a good thing,” said attendee Randy Randolph. “You can just tell the people here have a good time. It’s just a lot of fun.”

What started six years ago along Pacific Avenue has definitely grown, according to Washington Beer Commision’s Executive Director Eric Radovich.

“I came to the first one and I hadn’t been since,” attendee LeeRoy Hegwood said, “so I thought, what the heck?”

Hegwood was the first one through the gate on July 15, and had already tried “quite a few” brews by 5 p.m., though he and Randolph, whom Hegwood attended with, said it was “too early” to pick a favorite.

“We decided to come here and taste all the beer from the different breweries,” Randolph said. “We’re microbrew fans, love microbrew beers. And I couldn’t think of a better place to be on a good summer day than down at the waterfront, drinking some beer.”

Last year was the first year they held the event at the waterfront; this year was the first time it was extended from a one-day event into a two-day one. They also sold about 1,100 advance tickets this year, more than they ever have in the past for the Bremerton Summer Brewfest, Radovich said.

“It’s been wonderful,” Radovich said. “I think since we started this six years ago, we’ve added another half-dozen breweries right here in Bremerton, including two right here downtown.”

Radovich said the Bremerton brewfest started when Mayor Patty Lent and local business owners teamed up with the Washington Beer Commission to figure out how to draw more people to downtown Bremerton.

“We kind of all put our heads together and went, ‘How can we do an event here on the West Sound, where we have a number of great Washington craft breweries?’” Radovich said. “At the that time, we had maybe half a dozen (craft breweries) over here.

“We think we’re helping the peninsula embrace craft beer.”

The beer commission holds many events like these around the state, including the upcoming Everett Craft Beer Festival Aug. 20; the Inland NW Craft Beer Festival Sept. 23-24 in Spokane; and the South Sound Craft Beer Festival Nov. 5 in Tacoma.

Radovich said they usually have about 35 breweries with more than 100 beers being poured at each event; tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Information can be found and advance tickets purchased at www.washingtonbeer.com.