Two things have earned Hyattsville serious bragging rights: art and beer. To be more specific, local art and local beer. The downtown is packed with shops, cafés, and galleries that showcase its tremendous neighborhood talent — and you can take on an adventure like no other while you’re there. For a truly one-of-a-kind experience, spend a day, or a few, in Hyattsville to experience its local breweries and art spaces.

Build your perfect weekend with a combination of these Hyattsville spots:

Drink Local Brews

  1. Family-owned Denizens Brewing Co. began at the owners’ home in downtown Silver Spring and now has locations both in that city and Riverdale Park. They have partnered with government and community leaders to eliminate barriers to the production and distribution of local beer and open their brewery and taproom to the public with their full-service bar and event spaces. Join a trivia night or Drag Bingo! show, try a year-round or seasonal brew, and order a Catalyst hot dog, its local in-house food partner.
  2. Beer isn’t the only thing that’s brewed in Prince George’s. Maryland Meadworks crafts sweet mead using natural processes and locally sourced ingredients. There is a range of brews for visitors to try, from sweet to dry, and still to sparkling. If you pop into the tasting room, you’ll get the chance to drink any of the eight meads on tap, including innovative new flavors from a combination of fruit, herbs, spices, coffee, and teas.
  3. A long-standing favorite, Franklin’s Restaurant, Brewery, and General Store offers beer brewed on a 10-barrel Bohemian Brewing Company system. They provide various styles and have 18 beers on tap at a time, including a root beer for a non-alcoholic option. The brewery has earned over 180 awards at competitions, including the Great British Beer Festival and the Maryland Craft Beer Competition.
  4. Streetcar 82 Brewing Co. was born out of a converted auto garage by three friends, all graduates of Gallaudet University. The brewery has deep connections to the community; it’s even named after the 82 Streetcar, which ran from 1888 until 1958 through the Eckington, Woodridge, Mt. Rainier, Hyattsville, and College Park neighborhoods. Pop in to try any of the local brews on tap, like the Acai Berry Sour or the Irish Sunburn.

Experience Local Art

  1. Exhibits at the Pyramid Atlantic Art Center showcase a variety of printmaking artwork. The space often hosts artist talks, provides exhibition opportunities for local artists, and rents out its galleries for events. In addition to taking in the powerful art, visitors can sign up for workshops and participate in the craft themselves.
  2. With the mission of creating a stronger community through art, women-led Art Works Now offers visual arts education. Many of the classes at the center are offered for children, but parents can plan a date night in town and drop off their children at one of the Parents’ Night Out evenings at the center. Kids will get to be creative, play games, and eat dinner.
  3. Shop for your own art supplies at the Artist & Craftsman Supply, where staff at the employee-owned company will provide advice on the tools and items you’ll need for your pieces and tutorials on new ways to create.
  4. Studio SoHy is “committed to providing an open access space where artists and audiences may connect.” To get an inside view of the artistic community in the region, visit one of its local artist exhibits, take part in an artist talk, or shop for original creations.
  5. Experience textile arts at Three Little Birds Sewing Co. The small sewing shop sells kits and supplies to complete sewing projects, books and gifts on the subject, and patterns for quilts and garments. You can also sign up for in-person sewing classes.

When you’re done indulging, plan a detox weekend in Hyattsville with this itinerary.