Festival Preview: OR: 8/15–8/17 Bend Brewfest celebrates 10th year with 60+ breweries & 140+ beers
It’s not hard to imagine many things when someone speaks of Bend, Oregon. In your you can’t help but think of horseback rides, white water rafting, biking along some dirt trail, or snowboarding on a nearby mountain.
For many Oregonian's Bend is their Aspen, their Telluride, their Whistler. For those of us not inoculated against knocks and bruises that come with ‘outdoor activity’ we settle for knowing Bend as one of the best brewery destinations in the country. From Deschutes to 10 Barrel and from Crux Fermentation to Boneyard, Bend provides an outstretched tap for those who wish to drink from it many breweries.
Which makes Bend the optimal location to host a brewery festival. And since 2003 the Bend Brewfest has been doing just that.
Held in the Old Mill District’s Les Schwab Ampitheater, the Bend Brewfest brings over 50 breweries together to benefit charities both local and nationally recognized.
“The Bend Brewfest is a celebration of craft beer. Beer lovers can come down and meet the folks behind the breweries that make their favorite beer, discover new breweries, and sample some pretty amazing beer,” said Marney Smith, director of the Bend Brewfest. “Over the past decade of hosting the event, we’ve seen tremendous growth in the industry. We’re excited to celebrate that growth with more breweries and beers than ever before.”
Tips the scales at over 60 breweries, you would assume this to be an exclusive Oregon-affiliated event. In fact the Brewfest anticipates 39 breweries from out of the state to participate. A complete list of breweries and beverages can be found on the festival website at http://www.bendbrewfest.com/brews.html.
Not a drinker? Not a problem since the festival is looking for volunteers.
“The Bend Brewfest is volunteer-powered,” said Chelsea Woodmansee, Volunteer Coordinator for the Brewfest, which give proceeds to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Oregon and Neighbor Impact. “We have the greatest volunteers on the planet. This year with the expanded beer selection we will need over 1000 volunteers to make the event work. No experience is necessary. “We will teach you anything you don’t already know about pouring beer, and we’ll all have fun in the process.” If you’re interested in volunteering for the Bend Brewfest, please visit http://bendbrewfest.com/volunteer.html .
Despite the calendar being shy of Mid-June we wanted to take this opportunity to remind you that it’s not too late to pack the car, get a reservation at a nearby hotel, and make the trip to Bend for the 10th Annual Bend Brewfest.
A quick reminder. The festival starts on Thursday and Friday from 3:00pm to 11:00pm and noon to 11:00pm on Saturday. Pets and children are welcome, but only till 7pm each night. Admission is free to all. However if you wish to drink at the event you will need to purchase a festival mug for $12.
See you there.
About the photo’s author Matt Wiater
States lived in: IL, CA, NJ, NY, PA, SC, OR. Jobs held: Certified Produce Professional, Photographer, Pizza Delivery Driver, Newspaper Delivery Bicyclist, Furniture Mover, Web Developer, University Instructor, Screenwriter.