The Great American Beer Festival brings its celebrated craft beer experience to the eclectic confines of Fremont Country Club, where chromed antler chandeliers and bejeweled carousel ponies set an unexpected backdrop for serious beer appreciation. This storied festival, known for showcasing hundreds of breweries and thousands of different beers, transforms the venue's Tex-Mex kitsch aesthetic into a playground for hop heads and casual beer drinkers alike.

Expect long rows of tasting stations featuring everything from experimental sours and hazy IPAs to traditional lagers and barrel-aged stouts. Brewers typically pour samples themselves, sharing stories about their craft and answering questions about ingredients, brewing techniques, and what makes their beer stand out. The covered-wagon entryway and illuminated steel horseshoes create a surreal contrast with the contemporary craft beer scene, making this iteration of the festival feel uniquely Las Vegas—a little bit country, a little bit cosmic, and entirely devoted to good beer.

The festival atmosphere tends toward the convivial, with strangers comparing tasting notes and debating the merits of different brewing styles. Between samples, the venue's 10,000 square feet gives you room to decompress, and the space's quirky details—like that movie tunnel entrance—keep things visually interesting when you need a break from the beer.