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About 20 breweries are tapping into their talents to pull out their best for this year's Steamboat Brewers' Festival.

Saturday's fest will include brewers from across the state, and beer masters from Oregon and Wyoming have hopped onto the wagon this year, festival director Jody Anagnos said. Library Sports Grille & Brewery from Laramie, Wyo., is scheduled to offer its wares at the tasting.

"We just took over the business in February, and we kind of wanted to get out there," Library owner Nate Jorgenson said. "We pretty much revamped all the beers we used to brew, so pretty much everything's brand new."

The Library will present its Rattlesnake Rye Pale Ale and Devil's Tower Honey Ale at the fest, a tamer incarnation of what Anagnos said once was a chaotic event. This is the second year for Steamboat Springs' more relaxed festival, she said.

Anagnos, who runs Blue Dog Events, said she loved the revamped style.

"I brought it back last year with a different format," she said. "It was exactly what I wanted. It was an older crowd. It was a beer tasting. People were enjoying it. They were talking; they weren't getting wasted."

The event will be largely the same as last year's, though Anagnos has dropped the VIP tent. For the $25 or $30 cost of admission, participants get six tokens good for 5 ounces of beer each. Visitors can buy additional tokens for $1 each, Anagnos said. Nondrinkers and children get in free.

"What makes Steamboat's event really different is that ours is more about a beer tasting," she said. The idea, at least for Anagnos, is to sample a selection of brews and find a new favorite.

Safety is crucial, she added, encouraging participants to ride the free bus to the event. Anagnos also noted that dogs are not allowed.

The other out-of-state participant, Deschutes Brewery, is coming all the way from Bend, Ore. Deschutes hits a good segment of Colorado's festival circuit, Marketing Manager Jason Randles said.

"Colorado's a great market for us," Randles said. "You've got a lot of beer drinkers out there, kind of like in Oregon and Washington. There's also a weird Bend and Steamboat Springs connection."

Randles said his brewery is happy to be part of the mix.

Saturday's festivities will include two bluegrass bands, Steamboat's Missed the Boat and Fort Collins' WhiteWater Ramble. Participants also can vote for the best brewery, a title that went to Wolf Rock Brewing Co., of Keystone, last year.

Denver-based Flying Dog Brewery is one of several returning beer vendors. Vice President of Sales Rich Graham said his brewery enjoys heading to Steamboat. Flying Dog hits 16 state festivals each year, he said.

"We always try to knock out a good festival, especially a good one like that one," Graham said.

He said Flying Dog's staff looks forward to spending time in Steamboat.

"The town is just wonderful," Graham said. "It's the right size; people are always friendly."

Several breweries, however, are skipping this year's festival. Several factors played into Colorado Springs-based Bristol Brewing Co.'s decision to stay home, company "beerocrat" Laura Long said.

"It's kind of a far drive, and right now I'm not sure we have any beer up there," Long said. "It was hard to find someone to go. We don't pay people for those; it's all volunteer."

Long added that Bristol has no beef with Steamboat's event.

"Keep us on the list," she said. "We definitely hope to make it in the future."

Anagnos said the event also is a fundraiser for the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association's ambassador program. She encouraged people to support the cause and to come out with blankets and lawn chairs to spend the afternoon at the brewers' fest.

"The whole idea is to do one last hurrah for the locals, getting everybody together," Anagnos said.