DENVER — The Great American Beer Festival in Denver is moving online this fall, event officials announced Thursday.
The festival will also be pushed back from Sept. 24-26 to Oct. 16-17, according to the Brewers Association in Boulder.
The event is typically held at the Colorado Convention Center, but the COVID-19 crisis — and the convention center currently being on standby as an alternative care facility for COVID-19 patients — pushed the event online.
“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,” Bob Pease, president and CEO of the Brewers Association, said in a news release. “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 Brewers Association is still planning the online event, but said the festival would include beer tastings, conversations with brewers, an at-home beer and food pairing deliveries.
The festival's professional beer competition will still take place, with more than 100 judges and over 7,000 entries. Brewery registration for the competition opens June 9.