Need opinion on going to GABF

[jimrush]

Yeah, probably being a pussy about this, but need to ask.

I'm not a big fan of mass, pressed in crowds. Nor, spending 90% of my time in lines. Even less if its for a porta potty.

So, when I attend some of the local beer festivals, I tend to buy the VIP passes. These tend to get a nice sitting area, some food and separate porta-potties that tend to have reasonably short lines. You also tend to get in 30-60 minutes early (no lines for at least a little while and actually an oppurtunity to talk to the vendors about their beer). The bigger beer sample is nice, but I want to taste first, drunk eventually.

This weekend, I tried to hit our local culinary festival, that also has a medium size beer garden. Got there, probably at its peak (yeah, big mistake). The space was packed. You couldn't walk five feet before hitting a wall of people. Every food stall had 15 people in line. The beer garden, from what I could count, looked like a line of 150 to get in and the bodies were pressed in tight (don't get me wrong, pressed up against a bunch of college coeds isn't all bad, but I'm there with my wife so its just eye candy). I turned around and walked out after 15 minutes of hell (preceded by a almost an hour of parking hell).

So here's the deal. My wife and I have talked about GABF. Maybe take a few days before or after to enjoy the town. What is GABF like

thx, Jim

PS No survey. I'm not interested in knowing how many people think the No Pants attedendance is the right choice

[bub]

PS No survey. I'm not interested in knowing how many people think the No Pants attedendance is the right choice

It's the ONLY choice!.... I've never been so I cannot give you an intelligent answer. Hell as I think about it even if I had been I couldn't give you an intelligent answer. Actually I doubt ANYONE here could give you an INTELLIGENT answer... but I ramble. Glad I couldn't be of help.
BUB

[crazymonkey15]

I was a student in Colorado a few years back and went twice. If you want to skip most of the crowd go to the Connoisseur session, otherwise there are a lot of people. But most of the lines, especially for beer, are not bad at all (even at the heavily populated sessions). Probably the worst line you will wait in will be the one to get in the door. As for my opinion you really ought to go if you can make it, and make a plan before you get in so you get to taste beers that aren't available in your region.

[BrewBum]

Don't go Saturday night or Friday night, for sure, that is drunk college night.

You will wait in a ridiculous line to get in but once inside and the people have dispersed the most I waited was 3-4 people and you really aren't running into people. There are a ton of Porta-potties too.

I am guessing by your intolerance for such events without VIP access this will fall in your medium intolerance level, once inside. You will want to kill yourself before they open the doors though. One way to avoid that is show up about 15 minutes after they open the doors, there is plenty of beer and time.

I would say go for it, the shear amount of different beers you normally can't get is worth it.

[Push Eject]

I like your style, jimrush.

As I get older and rounder I too find myself more willing to pay a premium for a good time.

Push Eject