Tickets going on sale for Seattle, WA's Great Pumpkin Beer Festival

SEATTLE - One of Seattle's iconic festivals for craft beer enthusiasts is returning for its 22nd year in October, with tickets officially going on sale Wednesday, Aug. 5.

Elysian's Great Pumpkin Beer Festival will make its way back to Elysian Brewing's Capitol Hill brewpub location on Oct. 3, featuring countless beers and experiences from the iconic giant pumpkin keg tapping to costume contests. Keep reading for all the information needed before attending the event.

(Great Pumpkin Beer Festival)

What is the Great Pumpkin Beer Festival?

The Great Pumpkin Beer Festival features the brewery's fall-inspired ales—Night Owl, Punkuccino and Great Pumpkin—alongside more than 60 pumpkin and fall harvest beers from breweries across the country.

Aside from the brews themselves, the festival is known for a number of unique traditions:

The giant pumpkin keg tapping—Where a several-hundred-pound pumpkin is carved, scorched, filled with beer and tapped live.
Live DJ sets
Costume contest
Local food trucks
Pumpkin pie-eating contest
"Unexpected surprises" throughout the festival, according to the organizers

This year, the festival is following a new format. Last year, attendees could purchase a two-day pass, but this year has been condensed into a single day.

The "Pumpkin Variety Pack" beers are already back on shelves, for those eager for pumpkin season,. or for those who are unable to attend the event but want a taste of the seasonal flavor. In this variety pack are the fall-inspired ales: Night Owl, Punkuccino and Great Pumpkin.

People dancing at the 2024 Great Pumpkin Beer Festival in Seattle, WA (Michael K. via Yelp)

Where to purchase tickets:

Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, Aug. 5 on the Elysian Brewing website, about two months before the event kicks off on Saturday, Oct. 3.

When did the Great Pumpkin Beer Festival start?

The backstory:

The Great Pumpkin Beer Festival started out as a small event on Capitol Hill, 20 years ago, with only four Elysian-brewed pumpkin beers and four guest breweries. Eventually, the festival outgrew its location and moved to the Seattle Center. This year, as shared above, will be hosted in its original location on Capitol Hill.

On average, the event attracts 6,000 pumpkin beer drinkers per year.

The Source: Information in this story came from Elysian Brewing.