When New Trail Brewing Co. was founded in 2018, the initial goal for the brewery was to serve the local community and areas contiguous to Lycoming County, according to owner Mike LaRosa. Six short years later, New Trail’s delicious craft brews can be found across all of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and West Virginia, with the company selling nearly 1.5 million cases of beer in that time.

To celebrate its ever-growing popularity and another trip around the sun, New Trail will be hosting its 6th Orbit Anniversary Party from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. The event will feature a full slate of live music and a varied selection of food trucks for partygoers to enjoy, as well as the unveiling of New Trail’s 6th Orbit Anniversary Hazy Triple IPA.

“It’s amazing to see so many people connect with our message and liquid,” LaRosa said. “My partners and I cannot be more proud of our hardworking teams — past and present — and want to thank them for their constant support and efforts.”

LaRosa said that Orbit parties are “always exciting for our team and the community.” While the event is a celebration of New Trail’s anniversary, it also offers the brewery a chance to draw attention to the area’s thriving food and arts scenes.

“We love the local band scene,” said LaRosa. “This year we are running two stages with constant music all day.”

Kicking the event off will be Williamsport-based groups Tippet Back (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and Family Ties (1 p.m. to 3 p.m.). The nine-piece funk jam band Great Big House, featuring New Trail’s production manager Marc Campolongo on lead trumpet, will perform from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wrapping up the evening will be ’90s cover band As If, playing from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

“I believe everyone except Great Big House has played an Orbit party in the past,” said LaRosa. “If they haven’t been at an Orbit party, I know they have all played here prior.”

The selection of food trucks at the event will include The Mad Griller, Derone’s Dynamite Dogs, Empanada Shack, Motha Cluckin Chicken, and Leonard’s Backyard Bistro.

One of the highlights of the party every year is the debut of a new limited distribution Orbit IPA. This year’s 6th Orbit Anniversary Hazy Triple IPA boasts an intense 10.6% ABV, and utilizes Motueka, Talus, Experimental HBC 586, Citra, Amarillo and Crystal hops.

“The Orbit beers every year get a lot of attention from our loyal fans. What I like about my process with the Orbit beers’ recipe development, is getting to showcase either new processes, hops, and/or raw materials we learned or played with over the last year,” LaRosa said. “So, it’s very experimental by nature.

“This year, 6th Orbit utilizes a newer-to-us yeast that accentuates the tropical and citrusy flavors hidden at the chemical level in a lot of our raw materials,” he added. “The yeast transforms the thiols and pushes them to the forefront of the aroma and flavor of the beer.”

Other beers being released at the Orbit party include: Human After All, a Germanic step-mashed and Tettnang-hopped pilsner; Mini Super Cell, a Citra and Nectaron tiny cold IPA; and Campsite, a New Zealand-hopped hazy DIPA.

Planning for the Orbit event takes a lot of work and includes a mix of people, ranging from New Trail’s executive team (Dave Hertwig, Charles Imbro and LaRosa), tasting room manager (Hannah Summerson), marketing department (Don Rieck and Sam Barkauskas), as well as input from its general team.

“A lot of attention to detail goes into making sure everything is right,” LaRosa said. “Over the years, we have figured out some things that work better and ways to improve as well. So, I’d like to say that it gets easier every year, but I’m sure I’d have a different answer for you Friday evening.”

The hard work that goes into the party is well worth it, though, to celebrate a local business that has accomplished so much in such a short amount of time.

“Six years is an awesome milestone. I am proud of what we’ve done here,” LaRosa said. “That all would not be possible without the fervent support of our fans. They are what makes us do what we do and we would not be here without them.”

New Trail Brewing Co. is located at 240 Arch St., Building 18. For more information on the brewery and its events, visit newtrailbrewing.com or call 570-980-9295.