Ska Toasts To 30 Years of Characters Brewing Beer With Character

Ska Brewing will celebrate 30 years in business this weekend at their World Headquarters in Durango, Colorado. The weekend will include an Art Show & Pop Up Shop with music by guest DJ Chuck Wren of JUMP UP RECORDS on Friday, and the sold out anniversary invitational with the long awaited headliner Less Than Jake on Saturday. 

In true Ska fashion, the brewery has been toasting this milestone all year with Forgotten Flagship Fridays, bringing back fan favorite recipes like Steel Toe Stout, Buster Nut Brown, and Moral Panic. These beers sold out immediately, and built the hype among locals for the celebration ahead. This 30th anniversary weekend is the culmination of the brewery’s alignment with the ska music and art industries over its remarkable 30 year run, and counting. 

On Friday, September 5 from 4-7 p.m., all are welcome at the Nan Coffey Art Show & Pop Up Shop with music by guest DJ Chuck Wren of JUMP UP RECORDS. Nan Coffey is a contemporary artist based out of San Diego, CA known for her punk rock/ska collaborations with bands like Rancid, Fishbone, Less Than Jake, and Horace Panter of The Specials, just to name a few. DJ Chuck Wren founded JUMP UP RECORDS back in 1993, and he’s coming all the way from Chicago to play the show. Also at this event, Ska will release a very limited special brew commemorating 30 years. 

On Saturday, September 6 from 4-9 p.m., Less Than Jake will headline the sold out Anniversary Party & Brewer’s Invitational that will feature pours from 30 of Ska’s brewery brethren from all over the country. Special guests The Pietasters, Bite Me Bambi, and DJ Chuck Wren will also dazzle the crowd. This annual celebration at Ska has become one of Durango’s hallmark events, and one of the Four Corners area’s sought-out showcases of ska music. 

“I love making beer; I’ve done it now for more than half of my life, and every September I look forward to celebrating another year,” says Ska Brewing Co-Founder Dave Thibodeau. “But it isn’t about me, it’s about thanking the community who’ve been there for us all along–30 years! Whodathunk it? This’ll be a group toast I’ll never forget!”

From comic book to brewery to craft beer institution, the now 30-year Ska Brewing story continues to be written. Guests at the 2025 Great American Beer Festival should mark their calendars for another Ska 30th anniversary shindig featuring The Nuns of Brixton at Larimer Lounge on Saturday, October 11.