Summertime in Colorado means one thing – it’s beer festival season. There might not be anything better than sipping unlimited samples of craft beer in the Colorado sunshine. There are local Denver festivals and festivals in almost every mountain town. These beer parties are happening most weekends from June until the end of August. Make a day of it – or if you want, in our opinion, plan a full weekend of adventures.

We rounded up our favorite events so you can plan out your entire summer. Don’t find yourself missing out on the delicious brews and great mountain views.

June

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Bonfire Block Party 2018

When: Friday, June 1 thru Sunday, June 3 – times vary based on event
Where: Bonfire Brewing 127 W 2nd Ave, Eagle
Cost: One-day wristbands $15, Two-day wristbands $20 and VIP Experience $100 – tickets can be purchased here

The Lowdown: Start off your summer festival season with the weekend-long event hosted by Bonfire Brewing. The fourth annual music festival takes over Eagle and it becomes a full out street party featuring Bonfire beers, good food and jams by nine different local bands including The Record Company and Galactic.

Avery Brewing Invitational

When: Saturday, June 9, 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: Avery Brewing Company 4910 Nautilus Ct. N., Boulder
Cost: $40 – tickets can be purchased here

The Lowdown: Avery is starting a new tradition with this festival. Instead of hosting the Strong Ale Fest and Sour Fest, Avery is hosting one gigantic beer festival combining those styles and more. What makes this festival unique? The beers and breweries were hand-picked from wish-lists submitted by the entire Avery team.

Snowmass Rendezvous

When: Saturday, June 9, 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Where: Snowmass Mall and on Fanny Hill, Snowmass Village
Cost: General Admission $35 – tickets can be purchased here
The Lowdown: For this festival, it’s almost as much about the beer and music as it is the view. You can enjoy beers from over 30 local Colorado breweries but then you can end the day slopeside jamming out to The Drunken Hearts and Kyle Emerson overlooking the Roaring Fork River.

Vail Craft Beer Classic

When: June 14 – June 17, 2018 – times vary based on event
Where: Vail, Colorado
Cost: Tickets range from $35 – $139 based on events – tickets can be purchased here

The Lowdown: This is perhaps the most extensive lineup of different beer events in one weekend. You can sip on beers at the top of the mountain with the high altitude tasting, bike down the trails with the brewer or dive into the world of Grapes versus Grains to see who will win the battle of wine versus beer. If you like to be outdoors and reward yourself with a cold brew this festival is calling your name.

WeldWerks Invitational Festival

When: Saturday, June 23, 12 p.m. 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Where: WeldWerks Brewing Company 508 8th Ave, Greeley
Cost: $100 per session – tickets can be purchased here

The Lowdown: Do you want to drink for a good cause? One hundred percent of the proceeds from this inaugural festival will benefit local Weld County nonprofit organizations such as the Immigrant and Refugee Center of Northern Colorado. For this event Weldwerks’ invited all of its high-profile friends including Angry Chair Brewing, Bearded Irish Brewing, Bottle Logic Brewing and Jester King who will partner with local favorites like Wiley Roots and New Image Brewing. Outside of GABF, it might be hard to find a lineup this stacked.

2018 Rapids & Grass Beer Festival

When: Friday, June 29, 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Where: South Main Square 701 Front Loop, Buena Vista
Cost: General Admission $50 VIP Beer Festival $75 – tickets can be purchased here

The Lowdown: Bluegrass music, the Arkansas River and unlimited tastings from over 48 breweries: All in all, a solid day in Colorado. If this isn’t enough, you can kick your weekend up a notch by adding the Freedom Float on Sunday, June 30, a seven-mile raft trip through a section of Class 3 whitewater.

Wild West Fermentation Fest

When: Friday, June 29 and Saturday, June 30, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Where: Two Rivers Park Devereux Rd., Glenwood Springs
Cost: General Admission $30 for early bird and $ 35 day of the event, VIP $65 for early bird and $75 day of the event – tickets can be purchased here

The Lowdown: Tucked away in Glenwood Springs, you can sample food truck snacks, enjoy live music and dig into local beers. It’s not just beer at this festival — sip on samples of local ciders and distilleries giving attendees the full local craft experience.

July

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Photo courtesy of The Brewtography Project

Breckenridge Summer Beer Festival

When: Saturday, July 7, 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: Outside of the Beaver Run Resort & Conference Center 620 Village Rd, Breckenridge
Cost: Unlimited Tasting $35 and VIP $75 – tickets can be purchased here

The Lowdown: Celebrating its 13th year the Breckenridge Summer Beer Festival is one of the few that can say it is welcoming to craft beer fanatics as well as craft beer families. That’s right, children are allowed although not quite recommended. Over 40 breweries, live music, food and other retail vendors will give you plenty to do.

Colorado Brewers Rendezvous

When: Saturday, July 14, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: Riverside Park, Salida
Cost: General Admission $45 and VIP $110 – tickets can be purchased here

The Lowdown: This is one of the longest-running mountain beer festivals, celebrating its 22nd anniversary this year. The festival is hosted at Riverside Park in downtown Salida, where you can drink along the Arkansas River underneath the gigantic trees surrounded by the mountains. There will be over 70 Colorado breweries pouring more than 300 different beers.

Denver Summer Brew Fest

When: Friday, July 27 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. (VIP 6 p.m.) and Saturday, July 28 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. (VIP 6 p.m.)
Where: Mile High Station 2027 Old West Colfax Ave, Denver
Cost: General Admission $35 and VIP $50 – tickets can be purchased here

The Lowdown: If you are looking for a summer beer festival in the heart of Denver, it doesn’t get much closer than this. Hosted at Mile High Station, over 40 local breweries will pour unlimited samples while live music enhances the party vibe.

Editor’s note: The organizers have informed us that while Sesh Fest is still happening the concept is changing dramatically. Stayed tuned for more details.

 

August

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Photo courtesy of 2018 Chef & Brew on Facebook

22nd Annual Keystone Bluegrass and Beer Festival

When: Saturday, August 4 and Sunday, August 5 – times vary based on events
Where: Keystone Festivals 140 Ida Bella Dr., Keystone
Cost: Tickets range from $10 to $75 based on the event – tickets can be purchased here

The Lowdown: It’s said that for this weekend Keystone brings the wonders of Appalachia to the Rocky Mountains. There is down-home cooking, beers from over 40 local Colorado breweries and live music on not one but three stages each day.

Hops in the Hangar

When: Saturday, August 11, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Where: Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum 771 E. Academy Blvd., Denver
Cost: $40 – tickets can be purchased here

The Lowdown: The Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space museum knows how to throw a good beer festival. This one features Denver breweries, food and perhaps best of all is hosted in the WWII-era hangar giving the whole night a nostalgic feel.

Parker Brewfest 2018

When: Saturday, August 18, 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: 10795 Victorian Dr., Parker
Cost: General Admission $40 and General Admission at the door is $45 – tickets can be purchased here

The Lowdown: Beer festivals have good causes – this festival is a fundraising event for the Cherry Creek Valley Rotary Club of Parker who supports the local Parker Community. If you haven’t spent time in Parker – this is a great excuse with 42 breweries, three cideries and food trucks featuring cheesesteaks and Cubanos slated to participate.

Castle Rock Brew Fest Under The Stars

When: Saturday, August 24, 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Where: 1375 W. Plum Creek Pkwy, Castle Rock
Cost: Drinker Ticket $65 and Non-Drinker Ticket $30 – tickets can be purchased here

The Lowdown: The festival is more low-key than some of the others on this list and it is all about the ambiance. Sure, the local craft beers are great and so is the live music but it’s really all about relaxing atmosphere of the summer night next to the pond and the crackling fire at the Millhouse in Castle Rock. Bonus – by attending you are supporting Can’dAid Foundation which raises funds to buy instruments for local schools.

2018 Chef and Brew Festival

When: Wednesday, August 29, 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. (VIP 6 p.m.)
Where: EXDO Event Center 1399 35th St., Denver
Cost: General Admission is $49 and VIP is $69 – tickets can be purchased here

The Lowdown: The Chef and Brew Festival is all about promoting the idea that local craft beer is an ideal pairing for chef-driven food. This event brings together over 20 of Denver’s best chefs and craft brewers in a competition to create the best beer and food pairing. The best part? Guests get unlimited samples and have a chance to vote for their favorites.

Stay in Denver or head for the mountains – go for the food or go for the music – whatever festival you decide to hit up this summer just make sure to enjoy the beer and how much better it tastes in the summer.