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Oregon Brewers Festival

Festival Overview

Hailed by many as the nation's finest craft beer festival, the Oregon Brewers Festival celebrates the growth of North American craft brewing while showcasing some of the finest beers in the industry. Held the last full weekend of July, the Oregon Brewers Festival attracts 50,000 beer enthusiasts to Portland's Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Beer lovers from around the world visit Portland to sample 72 local and national craft brews.

Although admission to the event is free, there is a charge for a souvenir mug and an additional fee for beer tokens, which are required for sampling brews. Festival-goers complement their thirst for beer with light meals and snacks available at the booths run by local restaurants. Live music lends just the right touch to this frothy fest.

The Oregon Brewers Festival is designed to promote the independent brewers of North America in a fun and educational fashion. In addition to beer-tasting, the event includes an educational tent where patrons can learn more about beer through industry exhibits by hop growers, maltsters, home brewers and national beer writers.

For more information on the Oregon Brewers Festival, call its hotline at 503.778.5917 or visit www.oregonbrewfest.com.

Festival History

The weather was unbearably hot, an unexpected 15,000 people showed up, and the main attraction – the beer – was foamy due to refrigeration problems. Despite these few glitches and challenges, the first Oregon Brewers Festival in 1988 was a success. The dream of Art Larrance, co-founder of Portland Brewing Company, had been realized.

Prior to organizing the festival, Larrance had experienced Oktoberfest in Munich and visited a variety of beer festivals around the United States. Knowing “what a big beer party was like,” he hoped to create something similar. His festival, however, would place a distinct emphasis on the enjoyment and exposure of craft brews rather than on the competition for the best beer.

With this goal in mind, Larrance set out to form the Oregon Brewers Association, along with Nancy Ponzi of BridgePort Brewing Company and Kurt Widmer of Widmer Brothers Brewing Company. Together, the “Big Three” developed what would become the first non-judging beer event in the nation for craft brews. The fact that the event was organized by fellow brewers, as opposed to outside promoters, added to its credibility and increased the desire of craft brewers to participate.

Oregon Brewers Festival Resources

Art Larrance, Director
Oregon Brewers Festival
5019 S.W. Lowell St.
Portland, OR 97221-2053
503.297.3150
art@oregonbrewfest.com
www.oregonbrewfest.com

Chris Crabb, Brewer & Media Relations
Crabbsoup Public Relations
4906 N.E. Siskiyou St.
Portland, OR 97213
503.314.7583
chrisc@oregonbrewfest.com
www.oregonbrewfest.com

Oregon Brewers Guild
2000 N.E. 42nd Ave.
Portland, OR 97213
503.288.BREW (2739)
info@oregonbeer.org
www.oregonbeer.org

More Beer Events & Festivals

Spring Beer & Wine Fest (April)
Oregon Convention Center
503.246.4503
www.springbeerfest.com
Handcrafted beers, wines, meads and ciders. Live music and food.

Mt. Angel Oktoberfest (September)
Mt. Angel, OR (about 35 minutes southeast of Portland)
503.845.9440
www.oktoberfest.org
Oregon’s largest Oktoberfest features a beer garden, a wine garden, live music, kids’ activities, Bavarian food court, and arts and crafts.

Edelweiss Oktoberfest (September)
Oaks Amusement Park, Portland
503.233.5777
www.oakspark.com
Enjoy a family friendly atmosphere. Rides, German music, food and beer.

Holiday Ale Festival (December)
Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland
503.274.0019
www.holidayale.com
Features seasonal brews produced by top local and regional brewers, holiday music, food and craft booths.