Things are getting saucy in Norwood this summer with the return of a festival celebrating bourbon and barbecue.
“Sauced: A Bourbon and BBQ Festival” is back for its second year on Saturday, June 14 from 2-8 p.m. at Factory 52. The weekend promises unforgettable experiences fusing community, culture and craftsmanship together in pools of BBQ sauce and glasses of spirits.
Admission to the festival is free. Guests can expect live music, plenty of delicious eats and activities like bourbon tastings and food pairings.
Bourbon tasting tickets can be bought on-site the day of the festival for $10 for one tasting or $40 for five. Participants can sample a wide range of bourbons, from small-batch to big names, and vendors include, but are not limited to:
- Northern Row
- Angel’s Envy
- Bulleit
- Woodford Reserve
- Willow Run Custom Bourbon
- Robert James Distillery
- Northside Distilling Co.
- Karrikan
The festival will also offer a variety of craft beers for purchase. To eat, attendees can order from different barbecue pop-ups, located on the green, which will be grilling up smoky and savory eats to complement your drink of choice. Factory 52’s food hall, The Gatherall, will also be open. While you imbibe in all Sauced has to offer, bands and performers will be entertaining guests on the green all day, with a lineup including Mike Wade and the Nasty Nati Brass Band and E Over Everything.
Sauced isn’t the only event happening at Factory 52 on June 14, however. Before the mixed-use development was Factory 52, it was the headquarters of the U.S. Playing Card Company, which manufactures Bicycle Playing Cards. In honor of Bicycle Playing Cards’ 140th anniversary, Factory 52 will also host “the world’s leading card festival,” Cardtopia, which will take place steps away from Sauced from noon to 8 p.m.
Cardtopia aims to bring together collectors, magicians, families and more. General admission tickets are around $30 for adults and $13 for kids 12 and under. You can also buy a VIP package for around $84. The festival will feature pop-up magic shows, a card collector’s marketplace and possibly some Guinness World Record-breaking events.
You can learn more about Cardtopia and buy tickets here.
Factory 52, 4590 Beech St., Norwood. Learn more about Sauced: facebook.com/events.
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 13, 2025.