By The Thirst Team

Of course, the biggest event on the craft libations scene is the Great American Beer Fest (GABF). Plenty is happening at and around the festival. Check our events calendar and your favorite breweries’ socials for GABF awards, watch parties, tap takeovers, late night “brunches” and more. Many other events are also on tap this week all over the state. Here are a few highlights.

Great Mexican Beer Fiesta

Once you have tried all the American beers at GABF, try some of Cerveceria Colorado’s collaborations with Mexican breweries at the Great Mexican Beer Fiesta block party on Saturday around the Platte Street taproom. The event includes live Lucha Libre wrestling, a DJ, ArtistiCO Dance Company, food trucks and a vendor market.

Southwest Fresh Fest

The Billy Goat Hop Farm in Montrose hosts the second annual Southwest Fresh Fest and hop picking party at 2 p.m. Saturday, with fresh hop beers from 12 breweries in Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. The event also includes live music, games and hop farm tours.

Oktoberfest in Grand Junction

Taste fall beers from seven Colorado breweries at the Ale House in Grand Junction on Saturday. GA tickets for the Oktoberfest party cost $30, including unlimited samples, contests, live music and more.

Oktoberfest in Georgetown

Cabin Creek Brewing in Georgetown hosts its fourth annual Oktoberfest at 11 a.m. Saturday. The event includes food specials, games and competitions, live music and beer releases, including a foeder-fermented Munich-style festbier.

Denver Rare Beer Tasting

The “14er” Denver Rare Beer Tasting takes place from noon to 4 p.m. Friday at the McNichols Civic Center building on West Colfax Avenue. The event is a major fundraiser for Pints for Prostates, a cancer prevention non-profit. The event includes buffet lunch and samples of rare beers from 64 breweries around the country.

Comedy showcase

Ratio Beerworks hosts a free High Plains Comedy Festival showcase at 8 p.m. tonight at the RiNo brewhouse.

The comedy festival runs Thursday to Saturday at various locations on South Broadway. Festival passes are sold out, but individual tickets are available for shows.

Ratio also hosts a 90s-themed GABF karaoke party and contest at 8 p.m. Saturday.

GABF kickoff at Hops & Pie

If you didn’t get tickets to GABF (or even if you did), you can sample plenty of great beers this week at Hops & Pie, beginning tonight in north Denver. Some rare beers will be available from out-of-state breweries that typically don’t distribute widely in Colorado. The pizzeria and taproom will add 20 taps all weekend, and pour beers from Weldwerks, Casey Blending & Brewing and more.

Distillery opening

The rum-focused Gnebriated Gnome Distillery officially opens at 4 p.m. Friday in the former Feisty Spirits tasting room in Fort Collins.

Battle of the (brewery) bands

Brewery staffers will compete to play the best rock covers at 9 pm. Friday at the Crypt on East 17th Avenue in Denver. The event is co-hosted by TRVE Brewing, Ratio Beerworks and Cerebral, who all will have beers on tap.

Cosmic after-party fundraiser

After GABF closes for the night on Thursday, a collection of breweries will host an after party to raise money for Maui fire disaster relief. The event at the Denver Sports Castle on north Broadway includes beer tappings, live music from Mikey Thunder and Ghost.Wav and immersive art from Skyline Productions.

Left Hand’s 30th anniversary

Left Hand Brewing celebrates its 30th anniversary on Thursday in the Longmont taproom, with beer specials, a bourbon barrel-aged stout tapping and live music from a Metallica tribute band. The Denver taproom also offers the stout release and beer specials on Thursday.

Cidery anniversary

Waldschänke Ciders & Coffee celebrates its 4th anniversary on Saturday, with live music, cider releases, new merch and food.

Winemaker’s dinner

At 6 p.m. Friday, the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park cafe hosts a nine-course winemaker’s dinner, with select wines from the Winery at Holy Cross Abbey.

Horse & Dragon tap takeover

Fort Collins’ Horse & Dragon will travel to Denver for a tap invasion in the Former Saint restaurant at the Hyatt Regency, conveniently located by the Colorado Convention Center.

Fox Fire history event

On Saturday, the Ignacio Historic District will host History Live at the Fox Fire Farms wine tasting room, marking 107 years of farm history. The event includes live painting, art vendors, art demos, live music, food and wine.

Bocce tourney and tap takeovers

Rhein Haus, a German restaurant in LoDo, hosts an Avery and Founders tap takeover on Thursday, a Great Divide tap takeover on Friday and a brewers’ bocce tournament at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Last hurrah at Dos Luces

Sept. 30 will be the closing day at Dos Luces taproom, and it will go out with a last beer pairing dinner with Turtle Boat, a poke bowl restaurant further south on Broadway. The dinner is at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26, and $70 advance tickets are required.

Dos Luces is also selling discounted ceramic mugs and other merchandise if you need a souvenir of a great and unusual Denver brewery.

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