5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO TO BANFF BEERFEST

Ever since 3 railway workers stumbled upon the historic site in 1883, the Cave and Basin has been a place of adventure! But remember, adventures can come in both the good and not so good varieties – think bungee jumping VS. that guy who cut his own arm off because it was stuck under a boulder. Now, we’re not suggesting there is any boulder danger in your future, but to make sure you and your crew get the most out of this incredible experience – we’ve put together 5 facts you NEED to know before you go. 

1) How to Get There – Sorry that I’m about to shout in your eyes, but…

YOU CAN’T PARK AT THE FESTIVAL THIS YEAR – DROP-OFF ONLY!

As a way to ensure everyone’s safety, no personal vehicles will be allowed to park at the Cave and Basin for this year’s festival. ‘How do I get there then?’ you demand. Fear not my ‘Iwannagettothebeerfestnow’ friend – we’ve got you covered! In addition to allowing taxis and personal vehicles to drop you off, we have 8 shuttle buses running continuously throughout the event. You can load at the Banff Ave Brewing Shuttle Tent in the Mount Royal Parking Lot (135 Beaver St., Banff, AB). Two shuttles (ROAM) will have wheelchair access for those requiring accessibility assistance. For those feeling those already mentioned adventurer vibes – you can also walk 15 mins to the event from the new Nancy Pauw pedestrian bridge in Central Park. 

2) Need A Date? How about some fun times? To make sure you don’t miss out on any of the fun, here are the event times and shuttle schedules:

Thursday, November 23rd & Friday, November 24th

• Shuttles start at 4pm and last shuttle leaves the Cave and Basin at 10:30pm
• Event runs from 5pm to 10pm

Saturday, November 25th

• Shuttles start at 11am and the last shuttle leaves the Cave and Basin at 9:30pm
• The Saturday afternoon session goes from noon until 4pm, and the evening session runs from 5pm until 9pm.

PLEASE NOTE – We highly recommend getting to the shuttle loading area as early as you can to avoid delays.

3) Fun On Both Ends – With Banff Ave Brewing acting as the Official Headquarters of the Banff Craft Beer Festival, and Den and Meadow hosting the Official After Party each night, you can keep the fun going before and after the World’s Most Beautiful Beer Festival! 

4) Just the Tips – Knowing these details will make you look really cool to whoever you are going with! (Actually, we can’t guarantee that, but we can guarantee you reading this should reduce the number of questions we get asked and we think that is pretty cool so…..)

• FIRST, get there early. There are over 50 of the world’s best breweries, distilleries, and eateries so every minute will count.
• SECOND, dress warm. I feel like I shouldn’t have to say this because we’ll be in the mountains in November – but dress warmly so you can spend some time outside by the ice sculpture, near the fires, and taking in the majestic scenery. There will be heat inside all the buildings and the 2 tented areas, but better to be prepared and not need it versus the other option.
• THIRD, know where things are. There are 5 different areas where sampling goes on. There are also 4 washroom areas – outside in the front lounge, out back in the smoking area, just inside the building between the towers, and the main washrooms are in the back building downstairs. 
• FOURTH, it’s important to note that the Banff Craft Beer Festival is a Sampling Event. Upon entry, each guest will receive an official sample cup to use throughout the event and take home with them afterwards. All beer and food can be sampled by first purchasing sample tokens. Sample tokens are $1 and sold in sheets of ten. Each sample is a minimum of 2 tokens and a sample of beer is legally 4oz and spirits are a ½ oz. If you pre-ordered tokens, there will be a separate line for you at the door.
• LAST, Once again, our charity of choice for the festival will be the team at Rocky Mountain Adaptive. Learn more about how they make adventure accessible at rockymountainadaptive.com . Along with all our other amazing volunteers, Rocky Mountain Adaptive will once again be running a coat check with all proceeds going to support their amazing work.

5) GET SOCIAL – Charge up your smartphone! (Don’t be confused by the exclamation mark – it’s optional). The Banff Craft Beer Festival is connected to everyone through our Facebook, Instagram & X – @ABBeerfestivals – Tag your photos with #banffbeerfest to engage with the people who love all things beer and Banff!

Congratulations! By reading this far, you are now a certified Banff Beerfest Adventurer! So unless you have an arm stuck under a boulder (don’t say we didn’t warn you) we’ll see you at this year’s Banff Craft Beer Festival! 

Sincerely,

Bill Robinson
President – ABF

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More #BanffBeerfest information available at albertabeerfestivals.com/festivals/banff-craft-beer-festival