Late Summer 2019 Roundup | Can’t Miss Colorado Beer Festivals

Summer: The season of drinking beer and exploring the outdoors, which both happen to be very popular activities in Colorado. If the mid-summer heat has you itching to get out of town and sample some new brews, we’ve rounded up some of the can’t miss beer festivals taking place across Colorado until the Great American Beer Festival in October.

Keep in mind we know Oktoberfest has become a big deal in Colorado, so don’t worry we’ll have a full round-up on Oktoberfest celebrations taking place throughout the state shortly.

This post is brought to you by our friends at OnTap Credit Union, who have been crafting banking solutions for breweries, brewery employees and beer lovers for the past 64 years in Golden and Arvada.

Keystone Bluegrass and Beer Festival

The 23rd annual Keystone Bluegrass and Beer festival features more than 100 types of beer from 40-plus Colorado breweries. Friday night kicks off with a beer maker’s pairing with New Belgium Brewing and food inspired by Colorado ingredients; other events include Voodoo Ranger Seminar and a cornhole tournament. Drink packages that include unlimited beer tastings are available.

Where: River Run Village, Keystone, 140 Ida Belle Dr, Keystone
When: August 3 and August 4
Tickets: Free – $75 on EventBrite

Winter Park Beer Festival

This mountain festival is a popular escape for families and mountain enthusiasts. The basic general admission tickets cost $10 and get you into the festival. Unlimited tasting and VIP experiences are also available.

Where: Rendezvous Events Center (formerly Hideaway Park), 78820 US 40, Winter Park
When: August 3 from noon – 5 p.m.
Tickets: $10 to $75 on EventBrite

Save the Ales

No water = no beer. Conservation Colorado’s annual fundraiser for its water program invites brewers across the state to show how Colorado’s craft beer industry is working to learn and incorporate more sustainable practices into businesses. Expect 30-plus local favorites like Black Sky and Emporium Brewing at the event alongside local food trucks, games, and more.

Where: Mile High Station, 2027 W Colfax Ave, Denver
When: August 8 from 6 – 10 p.m.
Tickets: $15 to $80 via NightOut

Boulder Craft Beer Festival

The 6th annual tasting event combines Colorado craft beer with local food and music. Get your tickets early; the festival frequently sells out.

Where: North Boulder Park, 800 Dellwood Ave, Boulder
When: August 24 from 1 – 5 p.m.
Tickets: General admission tickets start at $35 and VIP tickets are $50. Updates on the event page.

Chef & Brew

The culinary and beer competition pits 20 chefs and 20 breweries against one another for the people to decide who has the best dish and beer. Featuring some of the best chefs throughout Denver, attendees are treated to unlimited bites, and sips for the ultimate treat yo self night of decadence.

Where: EXDO Event Center, 399 35th St, Denver
When: August 28 from 6 – 9 p.m.
Tickets: Available for $49 – $69 online. Details on the event page.

Castle Rock Brew Fest Under the Stars

The 3rd annual festival pairs local craft beer with bites from local chefs and music from three local bands. The “deviation decision” also allows guests to pick their favorite unique beer while raising funds for the Colorado Brewers Guild.

Where: 1375 W Plum Creek Pkwy, Castle Rock

When: August 31 from 4 to 10 p.m.

Tickets: Available from $30 to $65 on EventBrite. Details on the event page.

Keystone Oktoberfest

The Colorado-style Oktoberfest pours brews from New Belgium into commemorative steins to kick-off a day of oompah bands, German grub and a lot of lederhosen.

Where: Keystone Festivals, 140 Ida Belle Dr, Keystone
When: August 31 from 1 – 6 p.m.
Tickets: $35 tickets include three full steins of beer. Details on the event page.

Ska Brewing 24th Anniversary Party

One of the state’s OG breweries also throws one of the best late summer beer festivals around. Bringing in big time Ska bands such as the Aggrolites, the Toasters and Mustard Plug, combined with an invitational-style lineup of 30+ breweries, Ska’s anniversary combines great beer and music for one grand celebration.

Where: Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St., Durango, CO
When: September 7 from 4 – 9 p.m.
Tickets: $45 general admission tickets.

Suave Fest

Already billed as one of the country’s most significant beer events of the year, Suave Fest celebrates Latino craft breweries, brewers, beers, community and culture. The event is put on by the founders of the soon to open Raíces Brewing Co. and in addition to beer from Latino-owned breweries, will also feature Latin American and Caribbean cuisine from a diversity of vendors, as well as spectacular musical performances from top Latino artists and groups from the Centennial state. Suave Fest was one of the recipients of the 2019 Brewers Association’s Diversity Grant Awards and will include Dos Luces , Donavon , Boggy Draw , Novel Strand , Cheluna , Lady Justice , Coal Mine Ave and Raíces Brewing Co among others.

Where: STEAM on the Platte – 1401 Zuni St. Denver, CO
When: September 14 from 12 – 6 p.m.
Tickets:Available from $45 to $60 on EventBrite. Details on the event page.

Gratitude

One might think throwing a beer festival the weekend before the Great American Beer Festival is a death sentence, but over the years Our Mutual Friend’s humble celebration on the dawn of the country’s biggest beer festival has become a can’t miss tradition. Paying homage to those that have made Our Mutual Friend Brewery a success, Gratitude features an expanded parking lot party featuring specialty bottle releases, extended draft lists and a full day long celebration.

Where: Our Mutual Friend Brewery – 2810 Larimer St. Denver, CO
When: September 28 from Noon to Close
Tickets: Free to Attend

The 2019 Great American Beer Festival

The Super Bowl of Beer Festivals returns to Denver. Featuring over 4000 beers from nearly 800 breweries spanning four session across three days, GABF is still one best and certainly the biggest beer festivals in the country. Tickets have become easier to find with new monitoring software that helps to drive down scalping. Plus with an increased ticket allotment of 62,000 available and a larger festival footprint the Brewer’s Association aims to make the festival more accessible without discounting comfort. 

Where: Colorado Convention Center – 700 14th St., Denver CO

When: October 3 – October 5
Tickets: $85 Tickets go on sale to the general public tomorrow, July 31 at 10am via AXS

The Second Half of 2019 Colorado Craft Beer Lovers’ Calendar

Here are all the major beer festivals we know of taking place in the later half of 2019. We’ll add anniversaries as they are announced, and we tried to keep this list focused on major established beer festivals rather than include every beer release, tap takeover, or special tapping that occur each week… that’s why we created the Denver Beer Beat. Additionally, keep in mind, these are Colorado-centric events. Be sure to check back often as we’ll be updating this throughout the rest of the year.

Once again, special thanks to On Tap Credit Union for sponsoring this post.

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