The annual Great American Beer Festival held in Denver’s Colorado Convention Center is canceled once again due to safety concerns surrounding COVID-19.

Though the festival was set to kick off in six months, the Brewers Association announced Monday the 60,000-person event will not be able to be held safely indoors judging by gradual vaccination and reopening efforts.

“We are disappointed to cancel the festival portion of GABF for the second year in a row,” said CEO Bob Pease. “We look forward to convening in person for the festival’s 40th anniversary in 2022.”

Though the festival is canceled, the Brewers Association will still hold its annual GABF competition and award ceremony that typically coincide with the festival.

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Winners of the beer competition will be announced at the annual Craft Brewers Conference on Sept. 10 at the Colorado Convention Center. The award ceremony will be live streamed from the Bellco Theatre on The Brewing Network.

Denver’s annual Beer Week will shift its dates to correspond with the Craft Brewers Conference. From Sept. 10 to 18, the celebration hosted by Visit Denver will feature over 200 events including beer tastings and meet the brewer events.

“Beer is synonymous with the Denver brand and our city has maintained a longstanding relationship with the Brewers Association and GABF that spans nearly four decades,” said Visit Denver CEO Richard Scharf.

“We are optimistic that Denver will welcome the country’s largest beer celebration back in its truest form next year and, in the meantime, we are excited about the return of the Craft Brewers Conference this year, which will fill thousands of hotel rooms with beer enthusiasts from across the industry.”

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More information about the competition and awards ceremony is available at GreatAmericanBeerFestival.com.

The Brewers Association is also holding a passport program from Sept. 17 to Oct. 17, providing passport holders with access to deals at over 1,100 breweries around the country.

Passports will be available in July at GreatAmericanBeerFestival.com.

The GABF is the largest ticketed beer festival in the U.S. The festival will return with regular in-person celebrations for its 40th anniversary in 2022 from Oct. 6 to 8 at the Colorado Convention Center.