GABF 2010. Who's Going?

Great American Beer Festival tickets went on sale today for AHA members. I picked up a handful for myself and friends for the Saturday evening session. It's looking to be bigger and better than ever this year.

Who's going and what sessions are you attending?


Mod Edit:

Gabf 2010 contact form

https://spreadsheets.google.com/formResponse?formkey=dDRqOGcyV3p1RE5Zb29VbHZ4STBNZ 3c6MQ&ifq

A buddy and myself will be attending the Saturday afternoon session.

looking forward to it!

I just got my two tickets for saturday!!:rockin:

Brewmoor said:

I just got my two tickets for saturday!!:rockin:

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Which session are you attending?

I will be attending Thu. - will also attend the Farm To Table session Thu. evening. Montanaandy

Saturday Members only session. My roomate is coming with. It is a business trade show. (write off). His girlfriend has a house near by. We will probably end up going out downtown after.

I am going to wear a hat with a HBT patch on the front.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/prob-early-start-talking-about-but-182428/

Just got our Sat members session tix.....prob be living back downtown by then so it'll just be a short walk!

We're trying to get my Dad and Brother to join us. Probably Thurs and Saturday Member session.

Saturday Members session, most likely... hoping we can do another meet up at some point.

All of us going to the members session should meet up it possible to say Hi and have a beer or something. That'd be cool

Jm-

Are you talking in the Convention Center, or maybe a meetup before hand at the Falling Rock, etc? I'd be in for either, but I seem to always be "preoccupied" whilst on the main floor! I end up losing everyone I go with about halfway through! Tunnel vision I guess...

DurangoHomeBrewMafia said:

Jm-

Are you talking in the Convention Center, or maybe a meetup before hand at the Falling Rock, etc? I'd be in for either, but I seem to always be "preoccupied" whilst on the main floor! I end up losing everyone I go with about halfway through! Tunnel vision I guess...

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Ha, I understand.

I would be down for either. It would be cool to meet up at the Falling Rock and make the trek over to the Convention Center though. Much less overwhelming.

I will be there. Thurs and Sat Members only for sure. The rest, perhaps sparingly.

We will be there for most of it, definitely members only.

The wife's blog partner and his mates are even flying over from Wales to join us!

It will be interesting to see how the members only session works out. I am looking forward to it.

I can't decide. I want to go to teh members session on Sat but all my friends are going to Sat night session. I don't feel like driving 6 hours and spending $55 to go to a crowded session full of total drunks. I also hear that by Sat night a lot of the vendors are either out of beer or packed up and gone. Anyone have any experience with this?

steinsato said:

I also hear that by Sat night a lot of the vendors are either out of beer or packed up and gone. Anyone have any experience with this?

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Yes, this is factually correct.

I hope that it doesn't creep into the afternoon session.

I think it would be fun to do an after session at the falling rock to meet other HBT members. I am sure I will be heading out on the town after anyways.

That sounds like a good idea too BM, I am up for anything, as long as I am not to hungover for the broncos game on Sunday!

DurangoHomeBrewMafia said:

That sounds like a good idea too BM, I am up for anything, as long as I am not to hungover for the broncos game on Sunday!

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Agreed, the Seahawks come to town that Sunday.

steinsato said:

I can't decide. I want to go to teh members session on Sat but all my friends are going to Sat night session. I don't feel like driving 6 hours and spending $55 to go to a crowded session full of total drunks. I also hear that by Sat night a lot of the vendors are either out of beer or packed up and gone. Anyone have any experience with this?

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Saturday session during the day is when the awards are given out - very cool! Saturday night starts out okay, but becomes a trash-fest, unfortunately. There is a Sunday session, but that's a waste of time and money - by then you've seen the best, no point in seeing the worst...

I'll be there for the Thursday session, but will be in Denver starting Wednesday and probably not leaving until Sunday evening.

Has anyone seen anything mentioned about the VIP entrance this year? (i.e. if you buy tickets with your AHA membership do they all get stamped for the VIP entrance...are they having one this year?)

edit, nevermind, they are having it again...

I just got my tickets for Thursday night, Friday farm to table and Saturday members session. This will be my first time to go and I'm pretty damned excited about it. Any hotel recommendations?

Flam- did you have to purchase a session ticket for Friday night as well?

Hotels are going to be pricey because they all know that they have a bunch of beer drinkers that need rooms. For the prices listed on hotels.com now I'd say The Magnolia, The Ritz, and the Hyatt Convention Center if you want to stay in the downtown area (walking distance).

After looking at the hotels for a few minutes (walking distance ones at 200-400 per night), if I was coming in from out of town for 3 nights I would try VRBO.com and get a loft/apt in the same area for 150-200 per night, no tax, full kitchens for meals/snacks/etc + free parking if you had a car, most of these hotels charge 15-25 per night for parking.

I'm just throwing ideas out there for you out of towners.

DurangoHomeBrewMafia said:

Flam- did you have to purchase a session ticket for Friday night as well?

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Yes, it is required that you purchase a regular ticket to be able to attend the farm to table. For my hotel, I ended up going with the Crowne Plaza. Their Brewer's Association rate for the weekend is $125, and it's an easy walk away from the convention center.

I got my members only session tixx and gave myself a 4 day weekend for the festival. I went to the Sat night last year and it was not too bad but I hear that you get better schwag and better beers at the members only session. They also got glass tasting glasses. I think Miller gave out hops last year. I may be volunteering for a shift or two this year. Look out for signs for the K.R.O.C World Beer Forum on Thursday night of the GABF.

I think that there are a few hostels in town that can offer cheaper accommodations but I am not 100% on that. If any out of towners have any questions feel free to PM me

My gf and I will be at the Thursday night and Saturday afternoon sessions. We'll be doing pub crawls, brewery tours, and general sightseeing the rest of the time.

Should be fun!

I've bought a ticket to the members only session. Not sure if I'm heading up with some fellow club members or sweet talking my non-beer-drinking wife into being DD.

steinsato said:

I can't decide. I want to go to teh members session on Sat but all my friends are going to Sat night session. I don't feel like driving 6 hours and spending $55 to go to a crowded session full of total drunks. I also hear that by Sat night a lot of the vendors are either out of beer or packed up and gone. Anyone have any experience with this?

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I'm in a similar situation. I'd prefer members only but have a bunch of friends going Saturday night. I'd prefer to be with them than alone at the members session. Hopefully there is still some great beer around sat night, but if not, I'll have plenty more GABFs in the future since I now live in Denver.

Just bought my tickets for Saturday afternoon, but I may volunteer and attend a different session too.

As for meet-ups, some of us got together for brunch on Saturday morning last year before the members' session. A bunch of us ended up hanging out at the Falling Rock after, as well.

Finally got our hotel. We're there for the whole week to give us room to acclimate to the altitude and exercise the liver a little before the sessions start..

chumprock said:

Finally got our hotel. We're there for the whole week to give us room to acclimate to the altitude and exercise the liver a little before the sessions start..

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Drink lots of water. If you think you drank enough, drink more. I worked for years in a high end hotel in Vail. I would see athletic people come to ski and end up sick in bed.

Coming a week early is good. Your body should acclimatize most of the way in about 3 days. Plus you will be in denver which is a few thousand feet lower then where I live.

I can't wait for the festival. Though i can wait for the end of summer. It is too quick around here.

I'll be there Thursday night and Saturday night. Last year saturday night session sucked because there were tons of idiot drunks running around and the "creative" beers were all gone. I try to taste all the beers i cant buy at the local liquor store here. I work during the day so cant go to the members only session but 2 years ago i went and thats the best time to go fo sho. I learned alot about brewing just by talking to the guys standing in the beer lines with me

Denver's Octoberfest is going on the same weekend, along with a bunch of other beer activities....

http://www.denver.org/denverbeerfest/

going for the 4th year in a row, ever since i turned 21. going for both friday and the saturday night session. always a good time.



what brewmoor said, if youre from out of town its a good idea to drink a bunch of water. last year my buddy from california got altitude sickness right during gabf. not only did it suck for him but sucked for me cause i had to leave at 8 to take him back. thats 2 more hours of drinking good craft brews i could have done.

Going Friday night then hitting Oktoberfest afterwards...

Still planning on attending the Saturday member's only section with my buddy. Have a 3rd guy who is trying to come along with us but isn't a member of AHA. I told him to 1. Start brewing his own beers 2. Join AHA 3. Join us at the event (assuming that session isn't sold out)!

I mean it's simple!

We will be pouring there for the first time, stop by the Emerald City Beer table and say hi!!!