With three sessions of beer mayhem and over 1,000 beers from hundreds of breweries, expect to find something for everyone here. GABF is a major festival that attracts a wide variety of attendees, and the additions of new experience areas reflect a desire to appeal to even more people.
Also new this year is the number of sessions — three rather than four. The former Saturday night session has been eliminated; given that it was widely seen as the weakest of the four sessions, this will probably not be much of a loss. The three remaining sessions will increase capacity, so overall, there should be a similar number of attendees as last year.
Here are all the must-know details about GABF 2024:
Getting There
Public transportation is the best way to get to the festival, which takes place at the Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th Street. Multiple buses and light-rail lines can get you right to the front doors. If your ride ends at Union Station, it's a fifteen- to twenty-minute stroll, and over half of that walk can be eliminated by hopping on the free 16th Street Mall shuttle (currently running on 15th and 17th streets due to construction on the mall).Parking
If you have a designated driver or are staying overnight downtown after the festival, there is a parking garage conveniently attached to the Convention Center on the southwest side of the complex. There are several other parking options to consider as well, and the Downtown Denver Partnership has set up a resources page to navigate them.
Times
Session 1: Thursday, October 10, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.Session 2: Friday, October 11, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Session 3: Saturday, October 12, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.
When I began attending GABF in 2012, session 3, the “members' session,” was the hot ticket because there were slightly fewer people and the medal ceremony finished at the very start of it, creating added excitement for those searching for the year's winners.
The Saturday afternoon session is still a great choice, but my new favorite is the Thursday evening session. Fewer people seem to attend it, likely because Friday is a traditional work day. It’s the first session of the festival, so beer hasn’t run out anywhere, and most everybody is fresh going into three days of festivities.
You can also walk right up to most booths without having to wait in line. The Thursday night session is just an overall more casual affair. Of course, if you’re into a higher-energy party vibe, the Friday night session is probably a good choice.
What else is going on?
While GABF is the star of the show, there are plenty of other events happening all over town.Bierstadt Lagerhaus has become the go-to hangout for visiting industry members throughout the week, and there's no reason to think that will change anytime soon. Hogshead Brewery and Cohesion Brewing are two other popular stops. You'll also find plenty of visitors at other local standouts, from Ratio Beerworks and Our Mutual Friend Brewing to River North Brewing and Burns Family Artisan Ales, among many others. Breweries in and around Denver proper, as well as some of the more destination-focused spots in the metro area, will see an increase in traffic.
Pints for Prostates holds its annual Rare Beers fest during GABF. This year, it will take place on Thursday, October 10, from noon to 4 p.m. Its new location is Bierstadt Lagerhaus. Expect some of the very best beers from top local and national breweries. This is always one of the premier events during GABF.
Denver's top beer bars are usually filled with special releases and out-of-state beers that aren't found outside of GABF week. Take a look through our best beer bars list and then visit individual social media pages to see what's going on at places like Hops & Pie, Finn's Manor and more.
Tips
I usually go to GABF with the same half-dozen friends each year. Everyone has their own priorities, but I will generally drink nothing but sessionable lagers and lighter ales for the first hour, and then I'll get to hoppier and stronger beers. I do this so that I can still taste those lighter beers, as it doesn't really make sense to drink a 14 percent ABV stout and then try a helles.I've seen people take paths where they only try a certain style of beer, like IPA. You can actually achieve that at GABF, and big fans of one type of beer can build their own style-focused festival. One year, some friends only drank pumpkin beers. This was a mistake — they couldn't drink them for years afterward. (Perhaps it wasn't a mistake?)
Eating a solid meal before the festival is also a good idea. If you're a nibbler, wear one of those pretzel necklaces. Or if you're like an unnamed friend of mine, step it up with a pretzel/meat stick/Twinkie necklace.
It's best to go in with a plan to avoid just aimlessly wandering from booth to booth with thirty minutes left, pounding one-ounce samples — that's a surefire way to end up being one of the stumbling people struggling to navigate the sidewalk after the festival ends.
Taprooms
GABF will set up eight taprooms throughout the festival. Here's a rundown:Collab Country + Pro-Am
These sections will have collaboration beers between breweries, as well as home brewer-brewery collaborations. These are often fun beers of a high caliber, making it worth a stop.
Gluten-Free Garden
This one is self-explanatory. In a smart and convenient move, the fest will offer over two dozen gluten-free beers in one section. The setup last year included five from local brewery Holidaily.
2024 Heavy Medal
This is a must-stop. Medal winners from past GABF and World Beer Cup awards are being poured in this section. Some of the top beers of the festival can be found here, so stick around and sample quite a few.
United Nations
This was a new section last year; the booth highlights international breweries in a partnership with Elite Brands, a sponsoring distributor. Last year, sixteen beers were poured from five breweries, with familiar imports like Schneider Weisse from Germany, a trio of well-known Belgian breweries in St. Bernardus, Duvel and Rodenbach, as well as a lesser-known fifth brewery, Einstök Ölgerð from Iceland.
National Black Brewers Association
Back for a second year, the National Black Brewers Association (NB2A) will showcase Black-owned breweries and beers.
United in Beer
This is the spot where the State Guild representatives will be. It's a great way to learn more about breweries in a specific state, and there are usually some really fun collaboration brews.
Wish We Were Here
This is described as a place for breweries that wanted to attend but couldn't make it, so they sent their beer instead. As an attendee, this isn't much different from the booths where volunteers pour the beer and the brewery team isn't really hanging around. It basically seems like it will be a place where you're certain to not meet a brewer, owner or beertender. Still, it's worth checking to see if one of your can't-miss beers is being poured here.
Experience Areas
New for 2024, are several experience areas. From Prost!, a German biergarten, to Score!, a sports-themed area, it's clear that GABF is trying to appeal to different audiences. There's even a Halloween area, Blast Off (beer and beyond, including the United Nations taproom), a Meet & Mingle area where attendees can meet brewers, and a Chill area offering cornhole, live music, food and more.
The tradition of a roar from the crowd as a glass breaks is a constant over the years.
Danielle Lirette
Brewery Quick Guide
This guide is specifically curated for ease of use along any combination of three distinct tracks. Whether you’re looking for lagers, IPAs or stouts and barleywines, this list will allow you to easily find a recommended brewery for the style.Since many beer lovers are familiar with the great breweries in and around Colorado, we’ve focused on out-of-state breweries, most of which you can’t otherwise find in Colorado outside of GABF.
Lagers
Altstadt Brewery
Fredericksburg, Texas
Austin Beer Garden Brewing
Austin, Texas
Breakside Brewery
Portland, Oregon
Brieux Carre Brewing
New Orleans, Louisiana
Highland Park Brewery,
Los Angeles, California
Jack's Abby Brewing
Framingham, Massachusetts
Künstler Brewing
San Antonio, Texas
Von Ebert Brewing
Portland, Oregon
IPAs
3 Floyds Brewing
Munster, Indiana
Boneyard Beer
Bend, Oregon
Deschutes Brewery - Portland Public House
Portland, Oregon
Dogfish Head
Milton, Delaware
Ecliptic Brewing
Portland, Oregon
Fat Head’s Brewery
Middleburg Heights, Ohio
Pizza Port (four booths)
Various Locations, California
Pure Project
Vista, California
Radiant Beer Co.
Anaheim, California
Russian River Brewing
Santa Rosa, California
Wiseacre Brewing,
Memphis, Tennessee
Wren House Brewing
Phoenix, Arizona
Stouts and Barleywines
Destihl Brewery
Normal, Illinois
Ecliptic Brewing
Eugene, Oregon
Ex Novo Brewing
Corrales, New Mexico
Firestone Walker Brewing
Paso Robles, California
Fort George Brewery
Astoria, Oregon
Maplewood Brewing
Chicago, Illinois
Modern Times Beer
San Diego, California
MORE Brewing
Huntley, Illinois
Reuben’s Brews
Seattle, Washington
Revolution Brewing
Chicago, Illinois
Rhinegeist Brewery
Cincinnati, Ohio
Sierra Nevada Brewing
Chico, California
Sun King Brewery
Indianapolis, Indiana
The Lost Abbey
Vista, California
