Beer drinkers celebrated the return of the Stratford for the ShakesBeer Festival Saturday.

Attendees danced to live music and ate from local food trucks while sampling beers from more than 50 craft breweries.

It took place at the former site of the American Shakespeare Theater which burned down in 2019.

Festival founders were proud of the turnout, given it was their return from a five-year hiatus.

"The turnout has been amazing and it makes me feel really optimistic about the future and having this event become something that Stratford can look forward to every year and I'm extremely proud. I have a lot of people to thank for it that all made this possible," said event co-founder Steven Bilodeau.

The Stratford Oldtimers Athletic Association donated a portion of every festival ticket sold toward athletic scholarships for Stratford students.