Bugs & Brews

Colorado's Most Unique Beer Event

Bugs & Brews is Butterfly Pavilion's signature annual adult event, combining the best of Colorado's craft beer scene with the wonder of the invertebrate world. Now in its tenth year, this beloved evening brings together local breweries, live animal encounters, and behind-the-scenes access for an experience you will not find anywhere else.

What to Expect

Your Bugs & Brews ticket includes:

• Craft beer tastings - Sample offerings from 15+ Colorado craft breweries, including exclusive Bugs & Brews collaboration brews created just for this event
• Live animal encounters - Hold tarantulas, touch horseshoe crabs, and meet other invertebrate ambassadors with our animal care specialists
• Behind-the-scenes tours - Go where visitors do not usually get to go with guided tours of our animal care facilities and butterfly nursery
• Full exhibit access - Explore Wings of the Tropics, Survival, Water's Edge, and all exhibits after hours
• Live entertainment - Enjoy live music, lawn games, and a festive atmosphere throughout the evening
• Food trucks - Local food trucks on-site serving a variety of fare to pair with your brews

Featured Breweries

Each year, we partner with some of Colorado's most celebrated craft breweries. Past participants have included local favorites from Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, and the mountain communities. The full brewery lineup is announced four weeks before the event on our social media channels and email newsletter.

A Night for a Cause

Bugs & Brews is more than just a party. Proceeds from the event support Butterfly Pavilion's conservation and education programs, including pollinator habitat restoration in Colorado, invertebrate research, and free field trip access for Title I schools. When you raise a glass at Bugs & Brews, you are also raising support for the small creatures that sustain our planet.

Event Details

Bugs & Brews takes place outdoors and indoors on the Butterfly Pavilion campus. The event is held rain or shine. In the event of severe weather, all activities move indoors. Guests must be 21 years of age or older with valid photo identification. Designated driver tickets are available at a reduced rate.