In the wake of the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, it’s not surprising that many people are concerned about attending large events so soon after the tragedy. In Denver, there is no larger event this week than the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) — which kicks off today. The three-day annual event is the biggest beer festival of its kind in the US and hosts over 800 breweries with 60,000 people attending last year’s festival. Hosted in the Colorado Convention Center, security has been a priority for the enclosed event and according to the festival, there have been no serious incidents during the 36 years of the fest— save a few broken glasses and more than one overly intoxicated attendee.
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But in light of the many terrorist incidents in our country’s recent history, the festival added metal detectors at the ticketed entry last year as an increased precaution. For this year, the event is adding another set of metal detectors at the badged entry as well as ones at the ticketed entry. In addition, backpacks are prohibited from the event. The GABF staff and volunteers also have an emergency action plan in place and were alerted to be extra vigilant. Also, additional security will be provided by ESCO, a firm that also does security for events like the Super Bowl. Although there is no known sign of a potential threat at this year’s event, the increased security is a good precaution for those who want to keep their beer buzz anxiety free.