Fall Food & Drink Festivals in Denver
The upcoming months are going to be good for your taste buds. Local food, microbrews, fine wine, expert chefs – it’s all coming your way in the Mile High City. Find out all about these delicious events here.
A Taste of Colorado Aug. 30-Sept. 2
Civic Center Park
www.atasteofcolorado.com Got a healthy appetite? Good – you’re going to need it. That’s right, the weekend-long food-lovers’ delight known as A Taste of Colorado returns to Downtown Denver’s Civic Center Park this Labor Day Weekend. A Taste of Colorado features more than 50 of Colorado’s favorite food establishments offering sample- and full-sized portions of their specialties. With an exceptional variety to choose from, you’re sure to find something new no matter what kind of cuisine you’re looking for. You’ll find everything from the finest, fanciest food to that down-to-earth cooking Mom used to be so good at. All in all you’ll enjoy the offerings of over 50 area food establishments, 250 marketplace artisans and vendors, seven entertainment stages, kids’ and family activities, educational programs, and more — all for no admission fee. Not a bad deal!
Denver Food & Wine Classic Sept. 5-7
Metropolitan State College of Denver
www.denverfoodandwine.com Save some room for this one! The Annual Denver Food & Wine Classic is one of the largest food and wine tasting experiences in Denver. Join more than 3,500+ food and wine enthusiasts for a tasting of more than 400 featured wines, spirits and cuisine from over 30 of Denver’s finest restaurants. Enjoy a wine auction, a steel chef competition and a wide array of culinary demonstrations. Proceeds from the event will go to a number of great Denver charities.
Denver BeerathonSept. 14
Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel & Fado Irish Pub
www.denverbeerathon.comDenver’s 1st Annual Beerathon follows the overwhelming success of Beerathons that have taken place in New York City, Boston, Washington DC, Houston, and Savannah, and takes you on a carefully planned route through 26 bars to experience 26 craft beers. Enter with a team of friends or office mates and show your spirit with matching Tees, or go solo and meet other Denver craft beer lovers. You’ll be giving to local charity,
Excelsior Youth Center, while getting your Beerathon on.
Elitch Gardens Brew FestivalSept. 21
Elitch Gardens Theme and Water Park
www.elitchgardens.com Featuring more than 30 brews, guests can enjoy unlimited tastings of their favorites and sample some new flavors too; plus, spend a full day in the Theme Park! Great beers, 50 rides all at downtown's fabulous amusement park — the Elitch Gardens Brew Festival will be a day you and your friends won’t want to miss!
Harvest Week Sept. 22-27
The Grow Haus
www.eatdenver.com Thirty six of EatDenver’s restaurants will host a series of pop-up dinner parties at the Grow Haus (4751 York Street). Parties will sprout-up each day – a brunch and five dinners – featuring different chefs and fun interactive themes. Each four to six course meal will be accompanied by hand-crafted cocktails, local brews and wines. Guests will each bring their own place setting (plate, cutlery and wine glasses)…get creative as there will be a prize for the best place setting each night! The party will begin with passed appetizers and cocktails crafted by some of the city’s best mixologists. They will then be seated at large community tables and the festivities will begin. Everyone is encouraged to join the fun with outfits to match the party’s theme. More contests and games will ensue, while they enjoy a family-style meal, served by the chefs, paired with beer and wine and accompanied by live music. The themes have been created to encourage guest participation and guarantee that a good time is had by all. Proceeds from the events go to support the efforts of EatDenver and The Grow Haus.
Great American Beer Festival / Denver Beer Fest Oct. 10-12 (GABF) & Oct. 4-12 (Denver Beer Fest)
Colorado Convention Center
www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com,
www.denverbeerfest.com For beer aficionados, there’s no bigger event all year. More than 46,000 beer enthusiasts from Colorado, the United States, and around the world will attend this year’s Great American Beer Festival. This year's GABF is bigger than ever, covering 188,000 square feet of the Colorado Convention Center. GABF is all about sampling. Visitors enjoy one-ounce beer samples from the festival's breweries, which come from all over the country, giving beer lovers a walking tour of the nation’s beer-blessed landscape. The brewers themselves staff many of the booths. If you love beer, don’t miss this event. This year, tying in with GABF is Denver Beer Fest, a citywide celebration of all things beer in the Mile High City. Tastings, tours, beer-food dinner pairings, brewery talks and more are scheduled.
Denver International Wine Festival Nov. 6-9
Omni Hotel, Broomfield
www.denverwinefest.com The premier International Wine Festival in The Rocky Mountains is a celebration of wine, cuisine and travel. Proprietors and winemakers from around the world will present more than 400 wines for your discerning palate. No matter if you're a dyed-in-the-wool oenophile or a newbie to the world of wine, this is yet another can't-miss Denver event.