Event Preview | 2025 Denver Food & Wine Returns September 3-6

Over the last decade, the city of Denver has gained national prominence and attention as a wildly popular destination not just for tourism, but also for permanent residence. However, while the Mile High City has garnered widespread recognition for its incredible outdoor activities, pioneering craft beer, and cannabis scene, competitive sports teams (not you, Rockies), and thriving city life, the one category that is often overlooked and underappreciated is Denver’s food scene.

Sure, Denver’s restaurant landscape may not be able to compete with larger metropolitan hubs like New York, LA, Chicago, etc, but over the last decade, the Queen City’s food scene has quietly been punching way above its weight. Blending a burgeoning landscape of culturally diverse restaurants, along with fine dining entries that don’t just follow national trends, but instead have carved their own identities reflecting regionality and local tastes.

No event better captures the essence of Denver’s recent culinary explosion than Denver Food + Wine, returning to Downtown Denver’s Tivoli Quad at 1000 Larimer Street, this week, spanning September 3-6. This year’s event will once again feature popular events like its Shake + Brake Showdown, a cocktail & food truck competition and tasting taking place on Thursday, September 4 from 7-10 pm, as well as its Grand Tasting Event, taking place Saturday, September 6 from 1 – 4 pm, but this year’s lineup will also feature a Riedel Wine Glass Seminar, kicking off the weekend of programming on Wednesday, September 3 from 6-7 pm, and a Dine Out Auction featuring an opportunity to bid on dining experiences with some of Denver’s most critically acclaimed restaurants.

Denver Food + Wine’s Shake + Brake Showdown is the perfect night out for cocktail & foodie fans alike who wish to sample unlimited cocktails from some of Denver’s premier bartenders and mixologists paired with unlimited appetizers from some of the city’s brightest young food truck purveyors. This year’s lineup includes fan-favorites like Mukja, The Rolling Stoves, Mile High Tikka Express, Konjo Ethiopian Food Truck, Uptown & Humboldt, Mile High Smashburgers, The Pizza Bandit, and Maiz food truck, to name a few.

The crown jewel of the Denver Food + Wine weekend, the Grand Tasting, will once again feature an impressive array of the region’s standouts for a three-hour showcase of Denver’s culinary greats. This year’s lineup includes Michelin-recognized establishments like Rootstalk, MAKfam, glo Noodle House, Sweet Basil, and Blackbelly, along with Top Chef alums like Manny Barella of Riot BBQ, Carrie Beard of Fox and the Hen, and Brother Luck Four by Brother Luck. Additionally, this year’s lineup also features some exciting new entries like the recently opened Bear Leek, Malinche Audiobar coming soon from Denver all-star, Jose Avila, and so many more!

Enjoy unlimited bites and drinks throughout the Grand Tasting taking place on Saturday, September 6, from 1- 4pm as a sampling of just how far the Denver food scene has evolved and continued to exceed expectations in recent years.

Grab your tickets to 2025 Denver Food + Wine

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