It’s never too soon to start planning for the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), especially when tickets for the nation’s premier annual beer festival and competition go on sale early.

This year’s fest takes place from Thursday, October 2 - Saturday, October 4 in Denver, Colorado. Ordinarily, tickets for the general public to attend GABF don’t go on sale until August, but this year they will be available through Ticketmaster on July 30 at 10 AM, EST.

You may have seen the GABF acronym on various blogs and social media sites, but what is the Great American Beer Festival? Possibly the biggest and arguably most influential beer fest held in the United States. At heart, the event is a competition, and a gold, silver or bronze award in this prestigious contest is a highly coveted accolade sought by breweries from near and far.

General Session tickets are run $80 per person ($75 for members) and include a commemorative tasting cup; 1 oz. samples of more than 3,000 beers; a festival guide and free app to help navigate the festival hall; access to attend more than 30 educational seminars total (all sessions combined) focused on beer appreciation; and more. General Session ticket sales are limited to four tickets per session per ticket buyer. There is limited availability. To learn more about the fest, or to purchase tickets to it, check out the GABF website.

Photo: GABF/Facebook