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(Courtesy Oregon Beer Festival)
With the pandemic well behind us, beer festival season is ON! And now comes word that the Oregon Brewers Festival will be returning this summer, but returning in a different way…
Oregon’s original craft beer celebration, the Oregon Brewers Festival, (affectionately referred to as the “OBF” by locals) got its start in July 1988. It was the brainchild of Art Larrance, founder of Portland Brewing Co. He’d been to Oktoberfest in Munich and wanted to create a similar atmosphere that would celebrate the region’s small brewers.
At Its height, the Oregon Brewers Festival attracted almost 50,000 beer lovers from all around the world. But in January founders Art and Alissa Lawrence announced that they were putting the event “on pause” for a number of reasons including increasing costs, declining attendance, and the lingering economic impact of the pandemic on hospitality industry.
But now the legendary festival has partnered with Portland Rose Festival in a more limited way and sponsoring a large beer garden when the Rose Festival CityFair returns to Portland, Oregon this summer.
“After 34 years of running the fest, I’m looking forward to the OBF taking a new shape in partnership with the Rose Festival,” said Larrance. “I’m already working on selecting the beers that will be featured, and I can’t wait for this June—it’s going to be a great event. I hope that all of our OBF friends will stop by and have a beer with me!”
Access to the Oregon Brewers Festival activities is included with CityFair admission. Attendees will be able to buy the 2023 Rose Festival edition Oregon Brewers Festival Mug and purchase a 12-ounce pour from a selection of OBF-curated beers on tap.
Cash and cards are accepted as payment, but OBF tokens will not be honored at this event.
“Our theme this year is ‘Focus on Fun,’ and the Rose Festival is very focused on helping bring fun back to downtown Portland,” says Marilyn Clint, Portland Rose Festival’s Chief Executive Officer…
“Portland is known as ‘Beervana’ for a reason, and combining these two waterfront traditions at CityFair was an easy decision.”
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