Building a Stronger Cider Community in Maryland
The Maryland Cider Association was born out of a simple idea: cider deserves its own stage. What started as a group of passionate local producers planning a single event has grown into a statewide effort to celebrate, support, and connect Maryland’s cider scene.
In 2025, we officially became a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade group, with a vision to elevate craft cider and the people behind it—from orchard-based producers to urban cideries, from farm hands to festival volunteers.
There’s wine country. There’s craft beer.
But cider? Too often, it’s been tucked into a corner—if it’s included at all.
We want to change that.
We're here to promote the local craft cider industry, to celebrate and assist local producers, and—by extension—the local value-added agriculture chain. Our goal is to bring attention to cider as its own market segment.
We want to support all of the cider makers across the state - from the farm-based producer with their own orchard to the urban cidery, from those solely producing ciders to breweries, meaderies, and wineries looking to add cider into their portfolio.
What Makes Our Events Different
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We don’t charge producers to pour
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We carefully curate for diversity—of styles, regions, and producers
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We create space for cider-adjacent innovation:
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other beverages that are blended, fermented, or infused with apples
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We see cider as the bridge between wine and beer—just as complex, just as fun, and often more accessible. Most importantly, we value community over competition and prioritize sustainability and fairness in how we run our events.
Events & Milestones
We host two anchor festivals a year:
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Spring CiderFest (Blossom Season)
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Fall CiderFest (Harvest Season)
Each event grows in reach, audience, and energy. We’ve also begun hosting smaller pairings, tastings, and collaborations throughout the year to deepen the conversation around local cider.
Our first festival was run on instinct, borrowed permits, and a whole lot of hope. The community response blew us away.
Our Nonprofit Organization
We’re a recognized 501(c)(6) trade organization (as of June 2025), with a mission centered on:
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Promotion of Maryland craft cider
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Community building among producers
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Education through events, tastings, and storytelling
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Market growth and local agricultural support
Coming Soon: Meet the Team
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