By The Thirst Team

We are in the middle of Colorado Wine Week (more on that below), and Denver Beer Week officially starts Friday, culminating in the Great American Beer Fest (more details here). But that’s just the beginning of the craft beer fun happening this week, including major festivals and anniversaries, more Oktoberfest parties, and a colorful Pagosa Springs party. Buckle up. This is a long list, with something for every taste and area.

Telluride Blues & Brews

The legendary Telluride Blues & Brews festival this weekend is sold out, but tickets are still available for libations tasting sessions, a beer pairing dinner and some late-night gigs. Festival organizers just released the list of breweries and beer styles at the event, which also includes plenty of spirits, ciders, hard kombucha and more.

Colorado Mountain Winefest

Colorado Wine Week culminates on Saturday with a festival all day Saturday in Riverbend Park in Palisade. The event includes unlimited samples of Colorado wine, live music, chef demonstrations, wine seminars and more.

Click here for a list of other remaining wine week events.

Bines & Brews

The Bines & Brews Beer Fest comes to Monument from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, with beer, cider, spirits and more from at least 18 Colorado craft businesses, as well as live jazz and food vendors. Tickets cost $25, including unlimited sampling, and proceeds benefit Silver Key Senior Services and other local non-profits.

June-a-Palooza

Talnua Distillery in Arada had planned June-a-Palooza on Saturday as a fundraiser for Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital, where beloved distillery dog June was treated for a brain tumor.

Sadly, June died this week, so the event is now a celebration of life, but will still include a whiskey release, live DJ, food trucks and doggie splash pools. Proceeds will still benefit the animal hospital.

Colorfest weekend

Pagosa Springs hosts Colorfest events this weekend. The Friday wine and food festival is sold out, but $35 tickets are available for Saturday’s all-ages Bands & Brews festival. The event runs from 4 to 8 p.m., and will be surrounded by hot air balloons for the 7:30 p.m. night glow.

The festival also includes a 5K run or walk on Saturday morning, and mass balloon ascensions on Saturday and Sunday morning.

Hispanic Heritage Month

Odell Brewing celebrates Hispanic Heritage month on Friday at its Fort Collins and Five Points taprooms, with live music, food, tattoos and beer releases, including a Michelada lager, Horchata stout and Champurrado ale. Proceeds benefit Mujeres de Colores, which promotes education and leadership opportunities for women of color.

Mexican Independence Day party

Cheluna Brewing in Aurora hosts a Mexican Independence Day 5K and celebration on Saturday. Other festivities include giveaways, stein hoisting and a 4:30 performance by an MSU Denver mariachi group.

Parry’s Oktoberfest

All 21 Parry’s Pizza locations will kick off a month-long Oktoberfest celebration on Friday. The pizzeria and taproom will have limited-release Märzen beers and seasonal ales, large Bavarian-style pretzels and seasonal Pumpkin Bites, as well as a giveaway for a Yeti tote bag with two tumblers.

And Oktoberfest would not be complete without Stein hoisting. Click here for dates and locations.

Diebolt anniversary

Diebolt Brewing Co. in Denver marks its 10th anniversary with a party from Friday through Sunday, with free bratwurst and hot dogs, as well as live music and beer releases. Saturday also includes a brewer-led tasting of barrel-aged beers.

Gravity anniversary

Gravity Brewing in Louisville celebrates its 11th anniversary with an Oktoberfest party starting today and running through Saturday. A new beer will be tapped each day, including the Festbier on Saturday. Full Belly also will play at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Spargetoberfest

Sparge Brewing in Wellington kicks off its annual Spargetoberfest with a 5K run or walk at 9 a.m. Saturday. The fun run includes a slip ’n’ slide, games, music and refreshments along the course, as well as vendors, food trucks, dunk tank and more in the taproom at the end.

Registration costs $40 for adults, including breakfast, one beverage and a shirt. Proceeds benefit the area’s Kiwanis Club and American Legion post.

New Terrain anniversary

Golden’s New Terrain Brewing hosts WanderFest ‘23 all weekend to celebrate its seventh anniversary. The free festival runs Thursday through Saturday, and each day brings a new lineup of rare beer releases, live music, food trucks and more. There also will be an ice cream truck, face painting, tie-dye station and kids’ crafts on Saturday.

Castle Rock Oktoberfest

An Oktoberfest party runs from 1 to 9 p.m. in Wilcox Square in Castle Rock, with live music, food trucks, vendors and libations from at least 18 Colorado craft libations makers.

South Pearl Street Oktoberfest

Six neighborhood breweries will participate in an Oktoberfest party from 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday on South Pearl Street in Denver. The event also includes food vendors, live music, kids’ activities, stein-hoisting competition, costume contests and more.

Florence Oktoberfest

Florence Brewing Company and The Other Side in Florence host their eighth annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, with beer releases, specialty cocktails, food trucks, beer games, live music and more.

Gratitude party

Our Mutual Friend Brewing hosts its 10th annual Gratitude on Saturday at its RiNo brewery. The event includes a drawing for free beer for a year, as well as specialty beer releases and collaborations, a live DJ, a selfie station and photo booth and more.

A $75 Gratitude bundle including merch, beers, beer tokens and a numbered keychain is available online for pre-order or in person at the event. The keychains are numbered 1 to 100, and a number will be drawn at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. The winner gets a year of free beer.

Living the Dream Oktoberfest

In Littleton, Living the Dream Brewing Co. will tap a Märzen and host a growler-holding contest, food trucks and more starting at noon Saturday.

Strange Craft Oktoberfest

Denver’s Strange Craft Beer Co. will tap its World Beer Cup award-winning Oktoberfest beer on Saturday, and host a costume contest, German food and more.

Release of the week

Laws Whiskey House releases its Honey Cask Finished Bourbon on Saturday. The limited release is a marriage of four barrels, and was aged for a total of four years and two months. A limited run of 660 bottles will be released for $79.99 each, including a sample jar of Bee Squared Bourbon Cask Honey.

As always, please send us your events and announcements. We’re happy to share them. And enjoy your Colorado craft libations responsibly.