Watchtower Brewing to open in downtown Aberdeen

A new brewery is coming to downtown Aberdeen, as there's a renewed push to revitalize the city's historic center just off of Route 40 in Harford County. Watchtower Brewing Company just signed a lease for a space directly on Festival Park. It will be at 22 Howard Street and include outdoor seating. Watchtower hopes to open in September 2025, or earlier. The team has already shown up at Friendship Craft Beer Festival in Abingdon, and at Aberdeen's recent Oktoberfest. It was the second Oktoberfest for the city, spearheaded by another downtown favorite, Prost German Restaurant, which opened in 2020.

"What's going on in Aberdeen is amazing," said Watchtower's marketing director Joe Fino. "We're bullish on Aberdeen." He noted Mayor Patrick McGrady is determined to revitalize the entire "Main Street" area, and the city has big plans for the historic center. "[McGrady] is willing to do whatever it takes [to revitalize]," said Fino. Watchtower "is going to anchor their downtown area."

The city is also renovating the entrance to Festival Park, and is planning to make a pedestrian walkway from the park over to another new eatery, the trendy bakery Say Delicious, on West Bel Air Avenue near Howard Street.