Hood River announces this year's breweries at Hood River Hop Fest, October 7th

UPDATE: In light of the Eagle Creek fire the organizers have ssued this statement.

Organizers are hopeful that I-84 will reopen by new date

Hood River, Ore. – September 14, 2017 – The Hood River County Chamber of Commerce has announced that it is moving the 2017 Hood River Hops Fest to Saturday, October 7. The annual festival was originally scheduled for September 23, 2017.

The change is due to the ongoing closure of I-84 and firefighting activity around the Eagle Creek fire. Although Hood River is currently accessible via WA-14 and Highways 26 and 35, I-84 is the most commonly used route for out-of-town visitors. Parts of Hood River County are also currently under a Level 2 evacuation warning, with residents being advised to be ready to evacuate.

“We want the Hood River Hops Fest experience to be optimal, and we think giving firefighters and the Oregon Department of Transportation a couple more weeks before we draw a large number of visitors to the area for this event is the best course of action,” said Mike Glover, President/CEO of the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce. “Come October, we are looking forward to welcoming beer lovers to Hood River, and we invite people to make a long weekend of it and support local restaurants, hotels, museums, orchards, and other businesses, which have been greatly impacted by the fire.”

Press Release

Hood River, Ore. – August 24, 2017 – On Saturday, September 23, downtown Hood River, Oregon, will again become the epicenter for fresh-hop beers with the return of Hood River Hops Fest, produced by the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce and presented by CH2M. This one-day festival, now in its 14th year, brings together more than 50 Pacific Northwest breweries to debut their seasonal fresh-hop beers. With over 60 unique varieties available for tasting, the Hood River Hops Fest boasts one of the largest fresh-hop selections in the nation.

This year’s line-up includes 11 breweries that are new to Hood River Hops Fest, including Cascade Lakes Brewing Company (Redmond, OR), Mt. Hood Brewing Company (Government Camp, OR), Sedition Brewing Co.(The Dalles, OR), and Mother Earth Brew Co. (Nampa, ID).

Numerous Hood River breweries, including Double Mountain Brewery, Full Sail Brewing and pFriem Family Brewers, are once again participating in the festival and showcasing their 2017 fresh-hop ales, alongside other regional heavyweights. A small selection of local hop ciders will also be on tap, along with select wines from Naked Winery.

New for 2017 is the Sodbuster Farms’ Lupulus Award, an interactive judging experience for festival attendees. Attendees will be able to vote for their favorite variety, and the people’s choice winner will be named at the end of the festival. This year, Hood River Hops Fest is also partnering with zero-waste event-management company Emerald Systems to up the festival’s eco-friendliness quotient. The festival will reduce waste by composting and recycling to less than 2 percent, and will work with vendors and attendees to sort, separate and recycle/compost all waste associated with the event.

“The Pacific Northwest is known for its abundance of fresh hops, giving local and regional brewers the fun challenge of getting creative each year. The resulting varieties are both unpredictable and limited in quantity, luring festival goers back year after year,” said Mike Glover, CEO of the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce, host of the event. “We look forward to welcoming people to Hood River, where they can get both a taste of our brews, plus experience everything else that makes our area so special, including spectacular Gorge and alpine hikes, a downtown art walk and fun shopping area, and the Hood River County Fruit Loop, when the fall foliage is at its colorful peak.”

Hood River Hops Fest features local cuisine, arts and crafts vendors, and live music. Children are welcome throughout the afternoon. The venue is open to adults only from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Fall in Love with Hood River Over a Long Weekend

Hood River Hops Fest takes place during autumn, one of Hood River’s showcase seasons. The summer crowds have dissipated, fall harvest is in full swing, and the trees in the Gorge and Hood River Valley are turning beautiful fall colors. Visitors can easily turn Hood River Hops Fest into a long vacation weekend by going apple-picking along the Hood River County Fruit Loop, biking the scenic Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail, exploring the Mt. Hood Scenic Byway by car, and feasting on farm-to-table dinners at local restaurants.

Beer lovers who want to go to the source can visit 12 independent breweries on both sides of the Columbia River. Breweries in the Gorge (BIG) offers a map and passport on its website,breweriesinthegorge.com. For a suggested three-day itinerary that Hood River visitors can use to explore the local beer scene any time, check outThree Hoppy Days in Hood River. For more top Hood River autumn activities, go to hoodriver.org/hood-rivers-top-fall-activities/. For lodging options, go to HoodRiver.org.

2017 Hood River Hops Fest Breweries

*New breweries are noted by an asterisk

54°40' Brewing Company               Washougal, WA

Alameda Brewing Co.                      Portland, OR

Allegory Brewing*                            McMinnville, OR

Backwoods Brewing  Company      Carson, WA

Baerlic Brewing                               Portland, OR

Beer Valley Brewing                       Ontario, OR

Big Horse Brew Pub                       Hood River, OR

Breakside Brewery                         Portland, OR

BridgePort Brewing                       Portland, OR

Buoy Beer Co.                               Astoria, OR

Burnside Brewing Co.                   Portland, OR

Cascade Lakes Brewing Co.*       Redmond, OR

Coalition Brewing                        Portland, OR

Crux Fermentation Program       Bend, OR

Culmination Brewing*                 Portland, OR

Deschutes Brewery                     Bend, OR

Double Mountain Brewery          Hood River, OR

Everybody's Brewing Company White Salmon, WA

Fort George Brewery                  Astoria, OR

Freebridge Brewing                   The Dalles, OR

Full Sail Brewing Company       Hood River, OR

Georgetown Brewing Co.          Seattle, WA

Gigantic Brewing Company      Portland, OR

GoodLife Brewing Co.               Bend, OR

Hopworks Urban Brewery        Portland, OR

Lagunitas Brewing Company   Petaluma, CA

Loowit Brewing Company*      Vancouver, WA

Lucky Labrador Brewing Co.*  Portland, OR

Mazama Brewing*                    Corvallis, OR

Migration Brewing                   Portland, OR

Mother Earth Brew Co.*          Nampa, ID

Mt. Hood Brewing Company*  Government Camp, OR

Ordnance Brewing                  Boardman, OR

Payette Brewing                     Boise, ID

Pelican Brewing Co.               Pacific City, OR

pFriem Family Brewers          Hood River, OR

PINTS Brewing Co                 Portland, OR

RiverBend Brewing*              Bend, OR

Royale Brewing Co.*             Portland, OR

Sedition Brewing Co.*          The Dalles, OR

Slopeswell Cider Co.*           Hood River, OR

Solera Brewery                     Parkdale, OR

Stickmen Brewing Company Lake Oswego, OR

StormBreaker Brewing        Portland, OR

Sunriver Brewing Co.           Sunriver, OR

Three Creeks Brewing Co.   Sisters, OR

Thunder Island Brewing Co.  Cascade Locks, OR

Walking Man Brewing        Stevenson, WA

Wild Ride Brewing             Redmond, OR

Worthy Brewing                Bend, OR

Zoiglhaus Brewing Company Portland, OR

2017 Hood River Hops Fest Details

WHEN
Saturday, September 23, 2017. Open to all ages from 12-5 p.m., and adults ages 21 and over from 5-8 p.m.

WHERE
Downtown Hood River, Oregon, in the Columbia Parking Lot (between Fifth and Seventh Streets and Cascade Avenue and Columbia Street).

TICKETS

• 21+ Entry-Only Ticket: $10
• 21+ Beer Garden Ticket: $15 presale; $20 day-of. Includes entry, commemorative glass mug and five 3.5 oz. taste tokens
• Under 21: Free admission. Note: The venue is open to adults only from 5 p.m. until closing at 8 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at hoodriver.org/hops-fest, or at the entrance the day of the event.

MUSICAL LINE-UP

• 12-1:05 p.m. – The Antonyms (Hood River)
• 1:25-2:30 p.m. – Oakenfir (Hood River)
• 2:50-4:20 p.m. – Kris Deelane & The Hurt (Portland)
• 4:40-6:10 p.m. – pigWar (Portland)
• 6:30-8 p.m. – Hillstomp (Portland)

MORE INFORMATION
Call the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce at (541) 386-2000 or visit the official Hood River Hops Fest websiteand Facebook page.

2017 SPONSORS

About Hood River Hops Fest

Hosted annually by the Hood River Chamber of Commerce, Hood River Hops Fest is a beer lover's dream. The event showcases more than 60 fresh-hop brews from throughout the Northwest, as well as favorites from Hood River County's own microbreweries. It received the silver medal for Best Beer Festival from the 2015 Willamette WeekOregon Beer Awards, and was named Best Event of the Gorge for 2010-2013.

About Hood River, Oregon

Located at the crossroads of the spectacular Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and the magnificent Cascade Range and just an hour from Portland, Hood River is wildly gorge-ous, offering outdoor recreation, dramatic vistas, historic landmarks, bountiful fruit, and fantastic food, wine, beer and cider. With accommodations ranging from luxury hotels to historic B&Bs, Hood River is a four-season destination for families, outdoor enthusiasts, weddings, corporate events and more. It was named a Top 10 Wine Destination for 2017 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and 2015 Best Adventure Town in the West by Sunset magazine. 

The Hood River County Chamber of Commerce supports economic and tourism development in Hood River, Cascade Locks, Mosier, Odell, Parkdale, Pine Grove, and Mount Hood. hoodriver.org