GABF moves to the park: less show, more beer

The Great American Beer Festival, one of the biggest beer festivals in the United States, changed completely this year. It left the convention center for an outdoor format at the Levitt Pavilion in Ruby Hill Park, Denver.

It runs on the weekend only, with sessions from noon to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. No more themed zones, silent discos or costumes: brewers pouring their own beer, live music and food trucks.

Pours are up to 4 ounces, and for the first time breweries can bring a seltzer or a canned cocktail. There are 207 breweries, less than half of the festival's peak, but almost all are medal winners, including Russian River, Firestone Walker, The Lost Abbey, WeldWerks and Westbound & Down.

Crew tip: if you go, bring a blanket to sit on the grass, not a chair.

Source: Axios Denver