FAQ: Festival Breweries

When can I sign up to participate at GABF?

Festival registration for ALL breweries is open June 15 at 10:00 am – June 28, 2023 at 5:00 pm

Do I need to register if I only want to participate in either the competition or the festival?

If you wish to enter the competition you will need to complete an application at GABFRegistration.com. GABF festival registration will utilize a new registration platform in 2023 and will be separate from the competition registration process.

Can I register for the festival if another brewery contract brews it for me?

If you own the rights to a brand, but your beer is produced by another brewery, you are still eligible to register those beers for the festival. The brewery producing your beers must meet the brewery eligibility requirements. Enter the beers under the name of your brand, not the name of the brewery at which your beers are produced.
Enter the TTB Basic Permit/Brewers Notice number of the brewery producing the beer on your registration entry.

How do I register for the festival?

Festival registration takes place online from June 15 – June 28, 2023. Only breweries who meet both beer & brewery eligibility requirements may register.

Can I participate in the festival if I did not enter the competition?

Yes! You can register to participate in the festival without having any entries in the competition. You might not come home with a medal, but you will gain new fans.

How much does it cost to participate in the festival?

Pricing depends on what you’re doing, and if you’re a member of the Brewers Association. Brewers Association members can register for an in-line booth at the festival for $250, the cost for non-members is $500. That cost includes up to four badges for brewery representatives to attend all festival sessions. Sponsorship pricing for endcap spaces varies depending on brewery barrelage.

Can I serve seltzer, cider, or hard kombucha at my brewery booth space?

Yes! New in 2023, all brewery booth spaces can register to pour an additional “beyond beer” beverage (packaged only) as part of their booth lineup. All brewery booths are required to serve at least one beer as part of their lineup and only beer can be served via draught at the festival, but you can serve any combination of beer (up to 5 on draught or packaged) and “beyond beer” beverages (packaged only) at your space.

How do my beers/beyond beers get to the festival?

If you are planning to send draught beer, we recommend using the free MicroStar keg program to have kegs shipped directly to your brewery for your festival beer. You can then drop those full kegs or packaged product at one of our 25+ festival drop off points and we will take care of the shipping from there.

How do I register for festival credentials?

If you register to have a brewery booth at the festival, you receive up to four (4) comped badges with that registration. If you opt for a Meet the Brewer booth we require that you have brewery staff working the space during all festival sessions and therefore include up to seven (7) comped badges with any Meet the Brewer booth registration. You can also purchase additional badges as part of the festival registration process. More information additional badges available here.

Are there restrictions on how I can decorate my festival booth space?

We invite all breweries to decorate their booth and compete for the annual festival flair award. We do ask that you review our Guidelines for displays and promotional materials as well as our Code of Conduct and Marketing & Advertising Code while planning your booth space as we strive to provide an environment free of offensive language or booth décor that perpetuates any harmful stereotypes. The Brewers Association retains sole discretion to determine eligibility for the Great American Beer Festival.

How can I have my beer served at the festival if we can’t commit to a brewery booth?

We offer several options that allow breweries to send beer to have featured at the festival including the Wish We Were Here Taproom, The Heavy Medal Taproom, a Non-Alcoholic Taproom, Gluten-Free Taproom, and the State Guild Pavilion to name a few. More information on these options is available here.

Can I get a refund?

A full refund is given only in the event that your brewery cancels by July 21. No refunds will be given for any cancellations after this date.

What if I don’t know my brewery’s BA Company ID Number?

The company admin person for your brewery’s BA Membership is able to log into the company account at BrewersAssociation.org to view this information. If you are not the admin or do not know who your company admin person is, please request this from our member services team by emailing info@brewersassociation.org or by calling 303-447-0816 ext. 2.

How do I find out who is on our company roster?

The company admin person for your brewery’s BA Membership is able to log into the company account at BrewersAssociation.org to view this information. If you are not the admin or do not know who your company admin person is, please request this from our member services team by emailing info@brewersassociation.org or by calling 303-447-0816 ext. 2.