“On a sun soaked July afternoon, there’s no better place to sip suds with friends [than] along the banks of the Willamette River, with the Portland skyline as a backdrop to the west and Mt. Hood towering in the east.” It’s hard to argue with that logic. Hot on the heels of an excellent Washington Brewer’s Festival, Oregon is throwing its own shindig: the Oregon Brewer’s Festival, happening July 24-28 at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland.
Besides Oregon breweries, producers from across the country will be well-represented: who wouldn’t jump at an excuse to spend a sunny long weekend in the Rose City? The OBF, 26 years old and in its prime, was created not only to celebrate those men and women – both brewer and enthusiast – that put and keep Oregon at the cutting edge of the craft beer industry, but also to bring new and unusual beers to the tasting glasses of Portlanders. Many brewers concoct batches specifically for the festival, and these plus rare and international offerings are expected to draw 80,000 visitors and $23.2 million to the area. That makes the OBF the largest outdoor festival on the West Coast, beating major music festivals and other brew-fest events alike.
Says event founder Art Larrance, who is also familiar with the world-famous braufests of Munich, “I never anticipated the OBF would grow to the magnitude of popularity and international recognition that it currently experiences.” This year’s event expands to five days, and could be the largest in OBF history.
Admission is free, with the purchase of a $7 commemorative tasting glass required for sampling. Tasting tickets are $1 apiece, with four tastes to a glass. Come out for the beer, the seventeen live bands, exhibits by homebrewers, beer writers, brew collectors, hop growers are more — or preferably, all the above.
Wednesday, July 24—Sunday, July 28 || 12-9pm Wed-Sat, 12-7pm Sun || Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Ore. || Free admission, tasting requires OBF glass ($7). $1/taste
