Arguably Portland’s greatest beer festival, the Oregon Brewer’s Festival is returning to celebrate 30 years from Wednesday July 26 through July 30. A predicted 80,000 guests will visit Tom McCall park over the three five, trying beers from 91 independent breweries. While the festival still primarily celebrates Oregon beer, breweries from 13 different states will be in attendance, as well as one from The Netherlands.
Each brewery in the main event will be serving a single beer, with over two dozen styles present, from sour beers to dark stouts, refreshing radlers to the classic Oregon IPA. Tastes generally take a single token ($1) while a full serving will cost 5. Other beers may cost additional tokens, like the ninety or so beers in the specialty tent. There’s no cost to enter the event, though a $7 mug must be purchased to taste beers. Tokens are available for cash only throughout the park.
The OBF also features live music,
food booths (most of which are cash only), craft vendors, and homebrew demonstrations. The event begins at noon and ends at 9:00 PM Wednesday July 26th through Saturday July 29th, and from noon to 7:00 PM on Sunday, July 29th. Minors are welcome at all times, and will receive a complimentary Crater Lake Soda.
The Oregon Brewers Festival’s top priority is the safety of its attendees, so it has partnered with
Great Western Malting, Portland Bureau of Transportation, Portland Police Bureau, Radio Cab, SmartPark, and Vision Zero to encourage guests to get a Safe Ride Home. The Safe Ride Home program offers up to $18 in discounts for getting home safely. Attendees who park in a SmartPark garage can leave their car overnight and receive a $5 parking voucher, redeemable from 9 AM to noon the day after attendance, making the overnight parking free. Attendees can also take a Radio Cab home and get a $13 discount off their fare. Patrons are also encouraged to take Tri-Met, as the MAX Light Rail has a station one block from the main festival entrance.
Photo via the Oregon Brewers Festival
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