Great American Beer Festival

Name: Great American Beer Festival
Start: 2026-09-23
End: 2026-09-25
Location: Denver

A Celebration Where Craft, Community, and Flavor Take Center Stage

2026/09/23 - 2026/09/25

Every autumn, Denver, Colorado becomes a paradise for beer lovers during the Great American Beer Festival (GABF). For three days, tens of thousands of beer fans from across the U.S. and around the world gather to sample an overwhelming variety of craft beers, chat with passionate brewers, and soak up the lively atmosphere filled with the clink of glasses and bursts of laughter. Whether you’re a beer enthusiast, a newcomer, or just looking for a fun time, GABF is the ultimate event to experience American craft beer culture.

The festival is held at the Colorado Convention Center, usually from late September to early October. With more than 60,000 attendees, over 500 breweries, and more than 2,000 beers to try, it’s the largest ticketed beer festival in the country. If you love craft, creativity, and community, this is an event you can’t miss.

Main Attractions

The Beer Hall

The heart of GABF is the massive beer hall, lined with endless brewery booths. The air is filled with the aromas of citrusy IPAs, rich stouts, and tangy sours, while the lively conversations and clinking glasses create the perfect background music. Visitors wander from booth to booth, enjoying tasting-size pours, chatting with brewers, and jotting down new favorites. From hazy IPAs to barrel-aged specialties and unique sours, there’s a new discovery at every turn.

Key Events

GABF is much more than a tasting event. It also hosts the largest beer competition in the country, where judges from around the world award gold, silver, and bronze medals in over 100 styles. The awards ceremony is a thrill for both brewers and fans. There are also beer and food pairing sessions, the lively Silent Disco where you dance with wireless headphones, and educational seminars on all things beer.

Traditional Food & Drink

Beer is the main attraction, but the food is just as impressive. Gourmet grilled cheese, bratwurst, tacos, barbecue, and Bavarian pretzels are just some of the delicious options from food vendors. Beer and food pairing events—like chocolate porter with smoked ribs or citrusy pale ale with spicy tacos—offer new flavor experiences. With bold beers and hearty food, you can keep tasting and celebrating for hours.

Cultural and Historical Background

The Great American Beer Festival was founded in 1982 by homebrewing pioneer Charlie Papazian. It started with just 22 breweries and 40 beers and has grown into a symbol of the American craft beer boom. For brewers, winning a GABF medal is a career highlight; for fans, it’s a place to celebrate creativity, community, and the ever-evolving world of beer.

GABF has led the way in shaping American beer culture, inspiring new generations of brewers and beer lovers, and putting Denver on the map as a craft beer capital. It’s a festival that embodies passion, innovation, and the joy of connecting through beer.

Participant Voices

I’ve attended GABF for five years, and every time I’m amazed by the variety. I talked with a brewer from Vermont and tried a wild blueberry sour that tasted like summer in a glass. Both the beers and the people are truly fascinating!