Great American Beer Festival

　
Festival History

　　The first festival was held in 1982 at the Harvest House Hotel in Boulder. There were 22 breweries, 40 beers and 800 attendees.
The festival moved to Denver in 1984.
The 10th festival was held at the Denver Merchandise Mart with 150 breweries, 500 beers and 7,000 attendees.
Due to continued growth and popularity, the festival was moved from Currigan Hall in Denver to the Colorado ConventionCenter in 2000.
The 2007 Festival sold out the week of the event; 2008 sold out two weeks in advance, 2009 sold out three weeks in advance and 2010 sold out five weeks in advance.
Festival Highlights
Great American Beer School—The beer education areas inside the festival hall include:

　　Craft Beer & Food Pavilion – Enjoy multiple demonstrations throughout the festival, in which chefs and brewers alike discuss the art of cooking with craft beer as well as how to pair with beer to make the perfect meal.
Farm To Table Pavilion – Join chefs, local Colorado farmers, and small and independent brewers as they discuss and pair craft beer with dishes created with locally grown ingredients. Additional ticket required.
Brewer’s Studio Pavilion – With beer that tastes so good, there must be an even better story behind it! The Brewer’s Studio gives festivalgoers the opportunity to listen to the brewers themselves as they wax philosophical on a variety of subjects as well as share their stories and beers.
The fifth annual GABF Pro-Am Competition – Entries are brewed by professional craft brewers based on award-winning homebrew recipes from American Homebrewers Association (AHA) members. Homebrew recipes are scaled up and brewed at a craft brewery for submission into the GABF Pro-Am competition.
Support Your Local Brewery Pavilion sponsored by CraftBeer.com – Learn about individual states’ beer culture and try the rare beers showcased by the guilds which are unavailable anywhere else at the festival. Nine states will be represented. Enjoy displays of malt, hops, brewing equipment and more!
Brewers Publications Bookstore – This area features books on every aspect of brewing, from style, technique and history to cooking, pairing and serving beer with food. Sample copies will be available and special book signings will be offered.
You Be The Judge Booth – Evaluate a beer with a BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) or GABF Competition beer judge.
The Silent Disco - Always a crowd favorite, the Silent Disco gives dancers the chance to dance to music only they and the other disco dancers can hear through wireless headphones. Fun for dancers and spectators alike!