The Great American Beer Festival® was founded in 1982, and has been growing and evolving along with the American craft brewing industry ever since. GABF® was voted the No.1 beer festival in the country by 10Best and is listed as one of the top 1,000 places in the U.S. to visit before you die.

Due to COVID-19, the country’s preeminent beer festival and competition will pivot this year's event to an immersive online experience, October 16–17, 2020.

“While we are disappointed to not be gathering in Denver this fall for the craft beer community’s annual big tent event, the health and safety of our attendees, brewers, volunteers, judges, and employees is and always has been our top priority,” said Bob Pease, president and CEO of the Brewers Association, which is located in nearby Boulder, Colo. “As the world is still greatly affected by the spread of COVID-19 and will continue to be affected for the foreseeable future, we must stay true to our priorities and pursue other ways to host GABF.”

The 39th Great American Beer Festival may look different, but beer lovers from around the country will have the opportunity to come together in new ways to celebrate the nation’s craft beer community. The spirit of the festival will live on through live and virtual experiences with beer lovers and breweries nationwide, including beer tastings, conversations with brewers, local brewery activations and at-home beer-and-food pairing deliveries.

The festival’s renowned professional beer competition will still take place in 2020. A panel of more than 100 professional judges will assess the more than 7,000 expected entries to identify the three beers that best represent each style category. The GABF gold, silver and bronze medals are recognized around the world as symbols of brewing excellence. 

Stay tuned for more information about the 2020 Great American Beer Festival.