Big Beers Moves to Breckenridge for 2017
Vail is no longer the site for Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines, but after almost reconsidering the festival as a whole, Big Beers Event Coordinator Laura Lodge has informed us they've decided to move the fest to Beaver Run in Breckenridge. This is great news! Big Beers does such a great job melding homebrewing, beer education and a beer festival into an incredible event, so we're super excited to have it a little closer to home!We've enjoyed heading up to the mountains for this festival year after year, and we'll keep on attending every year they'll have us.Check out our experiences here: 2016 (part 2), 2015, 2013, 2012, 2011 (part 2)Press release:Vail, CO – The Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival announced today that its 2017 event will be held January 5-7 in Breckenridge, Colorado. After 16 years of craft beer weekends in Vail, the upscale and highly regarded event will establish a new community infrastructure in Breckenridge, with Beaver Run Resort & Conference Center as home base.
“We really appreciate the amazing support that we have been given in Vail and look forward to creating a new chapter of Big Beers working with the locals and business owners in Breck,” said Event Coordinator, Laura Lodge.
The Vail Cascade Resort has been the host of the Big Beers Festival for the past 7 years, and was purchased last December by new owners. The ensuing re-branding and extensive remodel will put it out of reach financially for the group going forward. An exhaustive search of alternate locations to host the event was completed at the end of March, determining Breckenridge as the optimal place to relocate.“We almost closed down the event because we were unable to continue our Vail tradition. However, the 2016 post-event survey sent to participants and attendees provided overwhelming feedback that our folks would come to a different location and encouraged us to keep Big Beers going,” said Lodge. That being said, a significant amount of effort has gone in to choosing a location that will provide the same critical elements of the weekend experience.Those who have previously attended the Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival know it to be a destination winter sports event in the Rocky Mountains, specifically attuned to skiing and snowboarding. The immediate access to ski lifts outside the doors of Beaver Run was a significant contributing factor to the final decision, as was the support of the Town of Breckenridge and the Breckenridge Tourism Office. In addition, the ability to have all of the core events at one location inside the host resort weighed heavily in favor of Beaver Run and Breckenridge. Finally, the 275+ shops, bars, restaurants and the recently renovated Arts District in the historic downtown area which offer many diverse ways to integrate the 100+ breweries and importers with the Breckenridge community convinced organizers to seal the deal.To celebrate this new chapter of the Big Beers Festival, organizers will be launching a new website and revisiting the weekend schedule to incorporate the new activation options within the Town of Breckenridge. Lodging support and event hosts around town will be established over the next few months, although reservations can be made now at Beaver Run Resort. For further information visit the current website for existing and additional updates or contact Laura Lodge at bigbeersfestival@hotmail.com .
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The Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival is the perfect combination for a Winter Wonderland getaway: A world-class beer festival in the legendary Colorado Rocky Mountains! Meet renowned brewmasters and brewery owners, taste hundreds of big, Belgian style, and experimental beers, explore beer & food pairings, and learn from an impressive array of brewmasters and industry experts over an action-packed three day weekend. As a novice, an aficionado, or an advanced homebrewer, you can enjoy an unprecedented opportunity to discuss beer with the amazing people who make it happen. Visit www.bigbeersfestival.com to learn more about this little festival in the mountains that the beer industry hold in such high esteem.
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Beaver Run Resort and Conference Center is located at the base of peak 9 at the Breckenridge Ski Resort. Beaver Run is a full service, year round resort featuring slope-side condominium style lodging, multiple on-site bars and restaurants as well the largest conference center in Breckenridge, Colorado. Visit http://www.beaverrun.com/ for more information. The Breckenridge Tourism Office is the destination marketing organization for the Town of Breckenridge. Visit GoBreck.com for activity and event information or connect @GoBreck on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest photos and updates.
