Festival Preview: OR: 7/26 – 7/29 Oregon Brewers Festival, Part One: What you need to know!
It’s Wednesday and for those in Oregon it’s nearing the end of what has been lovingly called Oregon Beer Month. What started as a week long celebration has turned into a cornucopia of events for all types of craft beer drinkers.
From tastings to dinners, to festivals; Oregon Beer Month will no doubt go down as another month enjoyed.
Which is why we are reminding about an event that some might see as the crescendo to Oregon Beer Month, the Oregon Brewers Festival.
Located in Downtown Portland at Tom McCall Park, the Oregon Brewers Festival celebrates its 25th year.
For those that have no idea what ‘OBF’ is, the event was started by Portland Brewing Co. founder Art Larrence, Dick & Nanci Ponzi (Bridgeport Brewing Co.), and Kurt & Rob Widmer (Widmer Brothers Brewing). The event when it was first conceived was to celebrate craft beer in the Northwest. Despite the lack of breweries in the region, the festival succeeded in its first year back in 1988.
Today there are almost 2000 craft breweries producing over 128 different categories of beer. And while the number seems daunting it’s a quantity to see where beer was in 1988 compared to where it is today.
Which is why we are happy to support the Oregon Brewers Festival and its 82 breweries (featuring over 30 styles) at this, 25th annual event.
July 26th, 2012 11:00 AM –
Oregon Brewers Festival march from Cascade Barrel House to Festival
939 Southeast Belmont Street Portland, OR
Get up early for this one as the organizers will be making a march from Cascade Brewing after the Oregon Brewers Brunch to Tom McCall Park. Those who have tickets to the OB Brunch will receive a wristband and entrance during the parade. Those without a ticket or wristband will be asked to wait outside the grounds to have ID confirmed, before receipt.
Recognizing that there are some that didn’t get a ticket to the Brunch, there will be security associated with the Oregon Brewers Festival posted at SE 9th & Belmont St. beginning at 11 am until the parade leaves.
July 26th, 2012 thru July 28th, 2012 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Oregon Brewers Festival
Tom McCall Park Portland, OR
Tokens and Mug Sales stop 30 minutes prior to taps ‘closing’
Admission into the festival grounds is free. In order to consume beer, purchase of a 2012 souvenir mug is required and costs $6. Mugs from previous years will not be filled. Beer is purchased with wooden tokens.
Tokens cost $1 apiece. Patrons pay four tokens for a full mug of beer, or one token for a taste. The festival is cash only; there are ATMs on-site.
July 29th, 2012 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Oregon Brewers Festival
Tom McCall Park Portland, OR
Tokens and Mug Sales stop 30 minutes prior to taps ‘closing’
Admission into the festival grounds is free. In order to consume beer, purchase of a 2012 souvenir mug is required and costs $6. Mugs from previous years will not be filled. Beer is purchased with wooden tokens.
Tokens cost $1 apiece. Patrons pay four tokens for a full mug of beer, or one token for a taste. The festival is cash only; there are ATMs on-site.
More on the beers next Wednesday before Day 1 (Thursday July 26th).
Cheers
About the photo’s author
"Matt Wiater is a photographer covering the Portland beer scene for portlandbeer.org."