The 2020 edition of Vancouver Craft Beer Week – which was scheduled for June – was postponed yesterday afternoon with new dates pending. Here’s the official announcement:

Given the global situation with COVID-19, and in light of recent announcements from the Prime Minister and B.C.’s Ministry of Health, and in the best interest of our attendees, staff, vendors, volunteers and partners, we have made the decision to postpone Vancouver Craft Beer Week and the VCBW festival.

Thank you for your patience while we continue to monitor the situation, regroup and confirm new details as soon as possible. Please visit our website for more information.

In the meantime, while you’re out there stocking up, be sure to visit your local brewery—they can use our support right now. Stay safe and check in with one another—our beer community is strong and we will get through this together.

To get an idea as where you might stock up on local brews and help your local brewery and their staff through this difficult time, check the Craft Beer Atlas of Vancouver. Here’s the concise postponement FAQ text in full, copied from the VCBW website:

VCBW Festival Postponement FAQs

Is Vancouver Craft Beer Week/the VCBW Festival being cancelled or postponed?

POSTPONED! We are not cancelling Vancouver Craft Beer Week or the festival, but looking to confirm new dates later this year, when we can be sure that large gatherings are healthy for everyone.

Will tickets purchased for the postponed VCBW festival dates be valid for the new rescheduled dates?

Absolutely. All tickets will be honoured for the new dates. Please be patient as we work out the details with Eventbrite.

When will you announce new dates for the VCBW Festival?

As soon as we’re able! We are working with our partners to confirm new dates as soon as possible, and we will be closely monitoring the current situation – know that the health and safety of our attendees, staff and partners is of utmost importance.

Will the VCBW festival still be held at Concord Community Park?

Yes. We are working with them to confirm potential new dates.

Why did you make the decision to postpone the VCBW festival when it isn’t scheduled until June?

Although, a lot of work has already gone into planning for VCBW 2020, we were only just starting to involve more staff, suppliers and partners. For the safety of everyone involved, we made this difficult decision to do our part to help keep everyone safe and healthy.

We also want to give ourselves adequate time to adapt to the current climate and implement more precautionary measures as recommended by BC Health and beyond to ensure the safety of our attendees.

Can I get a refund?

As we are not cancelling the VCBW Festival, just postponing until later in the year, we ask that refunds are not requested at this time – all current tickets will be honoured for the festival’s new dates. Our policy has always been no refunds, but as this an unprecedented situation beyond anyone’s control, we realize that some may not be able to attend on the new dates. When we announce our new dates and tickets go on sale, if you are unable to attend, we will have an option to refund tickets through point of purchase.

Will there still be events leading up to the VCBW Festival?

We hope so! We will make a decision regarding programming for citywide events closer to festival, once new dates have been announced.

How will this affect your annual collaboration beer release?

Our annual collaboration beer was scheduled to start brewing on March 20. We decided it was in the best interest of the hosting brewery and everyone involved that we postpone. We have three great breweries collaborating this year, and a wonderfully deserving beneficiary that we want to give them the best opportunity we can to raise money for their cause. We will be postponing our VCBW Collaboration Beer release to coincide with the new VCBW Festival dates. Stay tuned!