For craft beer lovers, few things can match attending a beer festival. With so many beers to sample, friends to make, food to enjoy, and entertainment to appreciate, a festival is unparalleled in its universal appeal among beer aficionados and casual fans. And the largest and arguably best beer festival is, of course, the Great American Beer Festival, held in Denver, Colorado each year. The event is now in its 36th year and tickets will go on sale very soon. Here is some quick background information:
- Event: Great American Beer Festival (GABF), the largest beer festival/competition in the United States.
- Location: Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th Street, Denver, Colorado
- Beers Available: Approximately 3,800 from more than 800 breweries
- Dates and Times: Thursday, October 5 from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, October 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, October 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., with a special Brewers Association and American Homebrewers Association members- only session from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Tickets to the Great American Beer Festival are predicted to be as hot this year as any other year and they are scheduled to go on sale to the general public online on August 2, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. MDT/12:00 p.m. EDT via Ticketmaster.com. Like with past years, there will be a ticket pre- sale for members of the American Homebrewers Association and Brewers Association exclusively and it will take place exactly one day earlier, August 1, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. MDT/12:00 p.m. EDT. In order to qualify for this special pre- sale, you need to already be a member of the American Homebrewers Association or Brewers Association. The cutoff for membership qualification was July 23, 11:59 p.m., so unless you became a member at that date/time or earlier, you do not qualify for the pre- sale.
The Great American Beer Festival has been around since 1982 and here at Great Beer Now, we have attended this beer extravaganza numerous times over the past 20 or so years. The event is every bit as amazing as you might imagine and while its common to find pictures of the event posted on line, they really do not do it justice. You really need to witness GABF for yourself to appreciate what this event is all about.
Tickets to GABF sell out quickly, so if you want to make a purchase, I recommend that you set an alarm on your phone or utilize some other reliable service to make sure you’re online and ready to go on August 1 or August 2 at 10 a.m. MDT. If you hesitate or procrastinate in even the slightest way, you could easily miss out.
Great American Beer Festival is an event like no other in the United States. Get your tickets, book your flight to Colorado, and have a blast at this annual competition/celebration of beer in downtown Denver. I hope to see you there!
Additional ticket information can be found on the GABF website.
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