Great American Beer Festival 2024: Ultimate Insider’s Guide to Beer Paradise!

Join the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver, Colorado. This annual event features over 800 breweries and 4,000 beers to taste. Enjoy food, music, and games while discovering new favorites. GABF started in 1982 and is now America’s biggest beer festival. Learn about tickets, events, and tips for a great experience.

Introduction

The Great American Beer Festival is coming back to Denver in October 10-12, 2024. This big beer party happens every year at the Colorado Convention Center. Beer fans from all over come to taste new brews and meet other beer lovers. At GABF, you can try beers from over 800 breweries across the USA. There are more than 4,000 different beers to taste. You get a small cup to try as many as you want. The festival also has food, music, and fun games. GABF started in 1982 with only 24 breweries.

Now it’s the biggest beer event in America. The Brewers Association runs the festival. They make sure everything goes well. People come to GABF to find new favorite beers. Brewers come to show off their best drinks. Judges give out awards for the top beers of many types. This guide will tell you what you need to know about the Great American Beer Festival in 2024. You’ll learn when it is, how to get tickets, and what to do there. We’ll also share tips to help you have the best time at the festival.

This year, GABF has some new things to see. The festival will feature themed experience areas like Biergarten, Sports & Games, and Halloween, catering to diverse interests. PAIRED, a new event, will unite craft breweries and acclaimed chefs for unique beer and food pairings. Additionally, the festival will have three tasting sessions instead of four, as the Saturday night session has been eliminated. This version includes the necessary corrections while maintaining the overall structure and flow of the original text.

History of the Great American Beer Festival

The Great American Beer Festival started in 1982 in Boulder, Colorado. Charlie Papazian created the event. He wanted to show off American beers. The first GABF had only 24 breweries. They served 47 different beers. About 800 people came to taste the beers. The event lasted five hours.GABF moved to Denver in 1984. It needed more space for the growing number of breweries. The festival kept getting bigger every year.

In 1987, GABF added a beer competition. Judges gave awards to the best beers. This made the festival more exciting for brewers and fans. By 2000, GABF had over 1,600 beers from 400 breweries. More than 40,000 people came to the festival. It became America’s biggest beer event.GABF helped make craft beer popular in the USA. It showed people that American beer could be really good. Many small breweries became famous because of GABF. Some big moments in GABF history:

• 1991: GABF became a three-day event
• 2000: Ticket sales reached 100,000 for the first time
• 2009: The festival added food and beer pairings
• 2020: GABF went online due to COVID-19

Today, GABF is run by the Brewers Association. It’s a key event for beer makers and drinkers. The festival shows how American beer has changed over time. This version reflects the correction regarding the founding of the festival, ensuring accuracy while maintaining the overall structure and content.

Great American Beer Festival 2024 Event Details And Schedule

The Great American Beer Festival 2024 will take place in Denver, Colorado. It runs from October 10 to October 12. The Colorado Convention Center hosts the event.GABF has different ticket types. General admission lets you in for one day. You can buy tickets for any day of the festival. VIP tickets give you early entry and special perks. Ticket prices start at $95 for general admission. VIP tickets cost $150. Members of the Brewers Association get a discount. Tickets go on sale in July. The festival has three sessions over three days. Each session lasts for four hours. You can only go to one session per ticket. Here’s the schedule:

• Day 1, October 10: 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM
• Day 2, October 11: 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM
• Day 3, October 12: 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM

The Colorado Convention Center is in downtown Denver. The address is 700 14th Street, Denver, CO 80202. It’s easy to get there by bus, light rail, or car. This year, GABF has a new feature called PAIRED. It lets visitors enjoy unique drink and food pairings from craft brewers and acclaimed chefs. Remember to buy your tickets early. GABF often sells out fast. You must be 21 or older to attend. Bring a valid ID to get in. This version maintains the overall structure while ensuring that the information is accurate and clear.

Travel and Accommodation

 Getting to Denver for GABF is easy. Many airlines fly to Denver International Airport. The airport is about 25 miles from downtown Denver. Visitors can take a train from the airport to downtown. It’s called the A Line. The trip takes about 37 minutes. Taxis and ride-shares are also available. Denver has many hotels near the Colorado Convention Center. Some popular choices are:

• The Westin Denver Downtown
• Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center
• Renaissance Denver Downtown City Center

Book hotels early. Rooms fill up fast during GABF. Many hotels offer special rates for festival-goers. The Convention Center is in downtown Denver. It’s easy to walk to from many hotels. Public buses and light rail also stop nearby. Denver has a bike-sharing program called B-cycle. Visitors can rent bikes to get around. GABF offers free bike parking at the festival. For food, downtown Denver has many restaurants.

Interested in the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC)? Check out the full schedule and details here

There are also food trucks near the Convention Center during GABF. The airport has some good beer options. Try Great Divide Brewing Co. for local craft beers before leaving Denver. Remember to plan your trip home safely. Don’t drink and drive. Use taxis, ride-shares, or public transport after the festival. This version maintains the overall structure while ensuring that the information is accurate and clear for festival attendees.

Great American Beer Festival Beers

The Great American Beer Festival (GABF) features over 4,000 beers from more than 800 breweries. Visitors can taste many different beer styles, including ales, lagers, and stouts. In 2024, GABF will have themed areas like a German Biergarten and a sports area. Some breweries will release special beers made just for the festival.

Attendees can learn about beer-making through educational classes. GABF also hosts a big beer competition where breweries can win awards. The festival includes food trucks and entertainment for a fun experience. Check the GABF website for more details on events and ticket sales. This version uses simple language and clear sentences, making it easy to understand for a younger audience.

GABF Week Events

GABF Week is more than just the main festival. Denver hosts many beer events all week long. These events happen before, during, and after GABF. Many local breweries have special tap takeovers. They serve rare beers not found at the festival. Some popular places for tap takeovers are:

• Bierstadt Lagerhaus
• Hogshead Brewery
• Cohesion Brewing

Restaurants in Denver offer special beer dinners. Chefs make foods that go well with certain beers. These dinners usually need tickets bought ahead of time. Some breweries release new beers during GABF Week. Visitors can try beers made just for the festival. Many of these are small-batch brews. There are beer education classes during the week. People can learn about beer-making and tasting. Some classes are free, others cost money. Bierstadt Lagerhaus hosts a big party called Denver Rare Beer Tasting during GABF Week. This event features live music and special beers.

Many Denver museums have beer-themed events. The History Colorado Center does a beer history tour. The Denver Art Museum has a beer and art night. Local beer tours run more often during GABF Week. These tours take people to several Denver breweries. Some tours focus on specific types of beer. Check the GABF website for a full list of events. Many events sell out fast. It’s good to plan ahead and buy tickets early. This version maintains the overall structure while correcting the specific event name associated with Bierstadt Lagerhaus, ensuring accuracy and clarity for festival attendees.

5 Cool Things to Do in Denver Besides GABF

After trying all those beers, you might want to see more of Denver. Check out these fun activities:

1. Fly Like a Superhero on Ziplines Did you know the longest zipline in Colorado is 1,900 feet? That’s longer than 5 football fields! You can zoom through the trees on 6 different lines at the Rocky Mountain Zipline Adventure. It’s a great way to get some fresh air after all that beer.

Click here to book your zipline trip

2. Sip Fancy Drinks on a Cocktail Tour Beer isn’t the only tasty drink in Denver. Learn about the city’s history while trying yummy cocktails. You’ll visit cool bars and even an old-timey speakeasy. It’s like a treasure hunt, but with drinks!

Click here to join the cocktail tour

3. Try More Local Beers in LoDo Can’t get enough beer? Take a tour of Denver’s oldest neighborhood and visit 4 breweries. You’ll get to taste over 10 different beers. One person who went on this tour said it was “fantastic”!

Click here to book the LoDo beer tour

4. See the Rocky Mountains Up Close Want to see some big mountains? Take a trip to the Rockies! You’ll visit famous places like Red Rocks and see real buffalo. The views are so pretty, they might make you say “Wow!”

Click here to book your mountain adventure

5. Explore the Best of Denver in One Day See all the coolest parts of Denver in just a few hours. You’ll visit Red Rocks, see amazing views from Lookout Mountain, and learn fun facts about the city. It’s like a sampler platter, but for places instead of beer!

Click here to see the best of Denver

These fun trips will make your GABF visit even better. Don’t wait to book – spots can fill up fast during the festival!

Great American Beer Festival Social Media Sites

Tips for First-Time Attendees

1. Wear comfortable shoes. The festival involves lots of standing and walking. Choose shoes that won’t hurt your feet.
2. Bring a pretzel necklace. Many people wear necklaces made of pretzels. They help clear your taste between beers.
3. Use the GABF app. The app has maps and beer lists. It helps you find beers you want to try.
4. Try small samples. Don’t fill the tasting cup all the way. This lets you try more beers safely.
5. Have a safe ride plan. Don’t drive after the festival. Use taxis, ride-shares, or public transport to get home.

Conclusion

The Great American Beer Festival 2024 will be a fun event for beer fans. It’s a chance to try many different beers in one place.GABF shows how American beer has grown over the years. The festival has helped make craft beer popular in the USA. Visitors can taste beers from all over the country. They can also learn about how beer is made. Denver becomes a big beer party during GABF week. There are many events all over the city.

People who want to go should buy tickets early. GABF often sells out fast. Remember to drink responsibly and have a safe way to get home. The festival is about enjoying good beer with friends. GABF 2024 will have some new things to see. The festival will feature themed experience areas like a German Biergarten, a sports-themed area, and a Halloween area. The PAIRED event will return, uniting craft breweries and acclaimed chefs for unique beer and food pairings.

Beer fans can find more info on the GABF website. The site has ticket sales dates and event schedules. Don’t miss this chance to be part of America’s biggest beer festival. Get ready for GABF 2024 in Denver! This version reflects the corrections regarding the new features and clarifies that the PAIRED event is returning, ensuring accuracy and clarity for festival attendees.

FAQs – Great American Beer Festival