Colorado has no shortage of breweries or beer celebrations. Beer is part of the Rocky Mountain lifestyle. And there is no shortage of beer festivals in almost every city, especially in popular ski towns.
But one of the best annual beer festivals is in the popular ski town of Breckenridge. The annual Breckenridge Spring Beer Festival hits the mountains each spring, and if you’re traveling through Colorado for Spring Break, make it a point to stop by and check it out.
Even if you don’t drink, the festival offers free live music, as well as food trucks, vendors, and shops, not to mention a fun party atmosphere in the mountains. Because this festival falls strategically during Spring Break, it is always packed and often sold out.
This festival is for a good cause. Raises money for the Samantha Remington Angel Heart Foundation, created in honor of a young, local heart transplant recipient who passed away in 2016.
Each year has a different theme, like in the ’80s, when upbeat traffic jams (by a cover rock band properly called The Goonies) filled the streets and participants pulled out their flashy, colorful, old-school ski suits. fluorescent.
Colorado ski towns tend to take their suits quite seriously, so if you do your best, you won’t be alone. There is even a costume contest to honor the most outrageous beer festival.
The details (including how to avoid a hangover)
Get a ticket to the beer festival, either GA or VIP, if you want to sample beer from dozens of different breweries, including many based in Colorado. The ticket usually comes with a mug and an all-you-can-drink beer tasting. Needless to say, plan a sober walk or stay in town within walking distance of the festival, which is always downtown, in the 100 and 200 blocks of Ridge Street.
DDs enter for free or can pick up a DD VIP ticket to enter the store and have lunch.
Breck also offers excellent public transportation, if you want to save money and stay in nearby inexpensive Frisco. The bus ride is simple and convenient.
Beyond beer, you can have lunch with your favorite local vendors. In the past, the highlights have included Climax biltong (dried meat of Colorado gourmet, including elk and beef jerky crocodile), Indian cuisine Gandhi (not really made by Gandhi, Gosh) and Andy kitchen (Asian food, made in Colorado). Vendors change every year. Or fill up at a nearby restaurant. Breck has a lot of great options.
The beer festival is also a great place to buy some souvenirs. Purchases generally include hats, crafts, bikes and bike guides and, aptly, a local company called Hangover Painover, “developed in the Rocky Mountains by a party ski bum.” This company sells a vitamin and nutrient-packed powder that you can add to any drink that claims to curb hangover feelings the next morning. Take it to the festival and theoretically you can jump in the next morning and hit the slopes – no need for extra dark sunglasses and Tylenol.
Kids can attend the Breckenridge Beer Fest, but actually, leave their strollers at home. This is more of a party atmosphere for adults. Leave your puppy at home too.
After the festival ends that night, there is always a fun party at a local bar or restaurant, where drink specials, live music, and food continue.
I wanna go?
Check the website for details on where to pick up your tickets in advance or on the day of. Consider becoming a VIP, because you’ll be arriving an hour earlier than everyone else, which means no long lines and a head start on some of the more popular beers (not a bad idea, as some breweries can run out of the most popular beers , Due to the demand). VIPs also have access to some full plates (not just little tasters), a collector’s mug, and a packed lunch, followed by sandwiches and desserts. Adding all this up, VIP tickets turn out to be big business, which is why they usually sell out.
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VIP event attendees also have access to separate bathrooms (a serious bonus), a special patio, live music, and plenty of seating. Your feet will thank you.
Of course, be sure to drink plenty of water, especially if you are visiting out of state or above sea level. If you have not consumed alcohol by this point before, proceed with caution. It can hit you a lot. Vendors throughout the festival will also sell water and non-alcoholic beverages. Hydrate well before you go out and make sure you are acclimatized to the altitude as well. Breck is one of the highest ski towns, at 9,600 feet above sea level.
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