Lake Dillon Beer Festival

The Lake Dillon Beer Festival returns to the Dillon Amphitheater and Marina Park at 135 West Lodgepole Street on Saturday, June 13, 2026, for its 14th annual edition. Doors open at 12:30 p.m., with the festival running from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., featuring 30 Colorado craft breweries offering unlimited samples against one of the most compositionally arresting settings available to any beer festival in the American West: the terraced amphitheater sits directly above Lake Dillon’s reservoir surface with the Continental Divide visible behind it, a backdrop that makes the question of where to station yourself for optimal scenery during the tasting session a genuinely competitive one. Tickets begin at $46.35 for unlimited sampling; non-drinking tickets begin at $12.88. Children 12 and under are admitted free; youth ages 13 and older require a non-drinking ticket. All alcohol consumption requires proof of age 21 or older. No gluten-free options are available. No pets are permitted.

The 2026 brewery roster includes operations from across the state representing both established Colorado names and the smaller, more experimental producers that define the current moment in Colorado craft brewing. Past editions have featured Breckenridge Brewery, Cerebral Brewing, Dillon Dam Brewing Co., Ska Brewing, and Outer Range, among others, with the roster shifting annually to reflect the evolving Colorado craft beer landscape. A portion of proceeds supports the Colorado Brewers Guild and the Blue River Watershed Group, the latter being the conservation organization responsible for water quality monitoring on the Blue River system that feeds the reservoir itself — a connection that gives the festival’s lakeside setting a specific environmental relevance beyond aesthetics. Tickets are available at DillonAmp.com; the event consistently sells out in advance, and the organizers encourage early purchase. Free parking is available throughout the town of Dillon, though premium parking in the Dillon Amphitheater Lot requires separate advance purchase.

The Summit County Context

The Lake Dillon Beer Festival occupies the most visible position in Summit County’s summer outdoor event calendar, which extends through October with concerts at the Dillon Amphitheater, the Dillon Farmers Market on Fridays, and the broader recreation infrastructure of the reservoir, the Blue River, and the surrounding national forest. The Breckenridge Brewery taproom at 600 South Main Street in Breckenridge, seven miles south via Highway 9, is the most directly relevant post-festival continuation for visitors who want to extend their craft beer afternoon into a full evening with a sit-down tasting menu context rather than a standing festival format.

Good to Know
The free Summit Stage bus service connects Dillon to Breckenridge, Keystone, Frisco, and Silverthorne throughout the day, making designated-driver logistics considerably simpler than at comparable festivals that rely on private vehicle access. Ridesharing is also encouraged by the organizers. Arriving by 12:30 p.m. for door opening allows the best orientation to the amphitheater’s terraced seating and the tasting stations before the midday crowd consolidates. The Blue River Watershed Group volunteer option, which provides event perks in exchange for conservation work during the festival, is available through the Group’s website.

Nearby Accommodations

Summit County’s short-term rental market is among the most competitive in Colorado for June weekends that align with popular outdoor events. Book any property in the Dillon-Silverthorne, Frisco, Keystone, or Breckenridge corridor several weeks in advance of June 13. Look on Lake.com for properties near Lake Dillon that combine reservoir access with proximity to the Dillon Amphitheater.