This year’s artwork, designed by local artist Kirsten Karkanen, honors longtime friend of the Festival, Richard Frank, who passed away on January 28, 2017.
On Friday afternoon I spent some time at the Oregon Brewers Festival, which celebrates its 30th year this summer. I attended last year with family and we all had a blast, so I was definitely looking forward to it again this year. It did not disappoint (full disclosure: I was provided with a mug and tokens by the Festival organizers). I also learned something about my own current beer preferences—it took having a feast of tasting opportunities at my fingertips to see where my inclinations are these days. Spoiler: it’s beer brewed with or flavored with fruit.
The Oregon Brewers Festival, according to the organizers, is “one of the oldest and best-loved craft beer festivals in the world” and attracts tens of thousands of attendees each year (about 80,000). It takes place at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. There are four entrances: SW Oak Street, SW Pine Street, under the Morrison Street Bridge and along the sea wall at Pine; it takes up about the space of six blocks.
The festival is free to enter, but to taste you must buy a commemorative mug for $7 and tokens (wooden pogs) for a dollar apiece. Each token gets you a generous sample, and five tokens gets you a full mug of beer. Personally, I find five tastes to be preferable to a whole mug, since this is a fantastic opportunity to try out a whole slew of different beers. Root beer costs $1 or one token. Continue reading “Good Times at the 2017 Oregon Brewers Festival”
