Oregon Brewer’s Festival

Yes, there is some beer festival or other going on in Portland every weekend from June through September. But the biggest beer festival is still the Oregon Brewer’s Festival- it is the largest outdoor beer festival in the US. Many people I know in Portland actually avoid the OBF as it tends to be hot and crowded. I, however, still love it. So I went not once, but twice over the weekend.

My first OBF stint was Thursday evening. I volunteered as a beer server. The shift was a long one- I was pouring beer from 4:30 PM to the close of the festival at 9 PM. The weather was mild (chilly even after dark) and the festival was not overly crowded. I poured for Rogue, which was one of the more popular beers on the north side of the festival. Many people came back for two and three full mugs.

I have to say, I like volunteering at the beer festivals in Portland. You basically talk to interesting people and make them happy. The people watching is great. And you get to meet your co-volunteers who are typically a fun group. Oh, and you get free beer. For the OBF, volunteers receive a festival mug ($6 value) and eight beer tokens. Plus, since we closed down the festival on Thursday, we were given a free beer or two before leaving.

A word to those who attend the festivals from a volunteer’s perspective. Lines like “this is my last token” and “oh, I thought a full mug was only three tokens” are not unique. Save them.

I went back to the festival as a patron on Saturday afternoon with some friends in town from Austin. The scene was a little different. There were lines at most of the taps and it was HOT! We were, however, able to find a table in the shade without too much difficulty. I’m not a huge fan of lines so I ended up doing something I never do and splurged on a full mug after my first few tastes. We enjoyed trying some new beers (most local breweries release a special beer for the festival) and participating in impromptu cheers with the rest of the crowd. Hopworks Red was my favorite beer I had at the festival.

This weekend I’m checking out the Alberta Rose Theatre and hanging out in NE. I’ll try to get another post in before that however.