Martian beer fans have something to look forward to this autumn.

The Mars Borough Council approved the Mars New Year Brew Fest, scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18.

The proposal letter was unanimously approved at the Mars Borough Council meeting on July 6.

The festival, which was previously held in early summer, was delayed along with other events to meet COVID-19 restrictions.

Unlike Mars New Year, the brew fest was previously held annually, but the 2020 event had been canceled altogether.

Funds from the festival will go to raise money for the next Mars New Year celebration and community revitalizations projects, according to the letter approved by the council.

The sixth annual iteration of the festival will feature 19 breweries, two wineries and two cideries. Mars borough's Mayor Gregg Hartung said that Mars Brew Fest is between the second and third largest beer festival in Butler County.

Hartung expects the event to be “even bigger than previous years,” he said, in terms of turnout.

“In the past, there's been anywhere from 1,000 to 1,200 people who attend,” he said. “We expect more this year, just because of the number of breweries and with everybody getting out again.”

Hartung said breweries are eager to return to the festival.

“They love coming to Mars. It's this quaint downtown type of brew fest versus being in Pittsburgh or somewhere else,” he said. “They haven't been doing very many (festivals). We'll be the third or fourth local brew fest since the pandemic.”

Grand Avenue will be closed during the festival from Marshall Way to Clark Street, and to the Pittsburgh Street intersection with Crowe Avenue.

Hartung confirmed that NASA has approved personnel to attend and give presentations at the Mars New Year festival on Aug. 27 and 28.“This is really good news,” he said. “This wasn't going to happen if COVID-19 wasn't under control. We're on Plan A for the festival.”