Oregon Brewers Festival
Oregon Brewers Festival (OBF) is a four-day craft beer festival held annually since 1988 at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland, Oregon, except 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic caused it to be cancelled.[1] OBF has become the most popular outdoor beer festival in North America, based on attendance.[3]
Oregon Brewers Festival | |
---|---|
The festival in 2007 | |
Begins | Thursday before last full weekend in July[1] |
Ends | Last Sunday in July |
Frequency | Annual |
Location(s) | Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon |
Years active | 1988–2019, 2021– |
Participants | 85,000 (2014)[2] |
Admission is free, but to sample the festival's beers, attendees, provided they're at least 21, must purchase that year's OBF tasting glass as well as $1 beer tokens— each token is good for a sample that has varied in volume over the years,[4] while a "full pour" costs 4 tokens.[1][5]
Each brewery brings one beer.[1] OBF also features a root beer garden, which offers free root beer for designated drivers and minors, besides anyone loathing alcohol; the latter must be accompanied by a parent.[5]
History
Year | Sample size[4] |
---|---|
1991 | 6 oz |
1994 | 6 oz |
1996 | 5 oz |
1997 | 6 oz |
2001 | 5 oz |
2002 | 4 oz |
2003 | 6 oz |
2005 | 4 oz |
2007 | 4 oz |
2010 | 4 oz |
2012 | 4 oz |
2013 | 3 oz |
2014[6] | 3 oz |
Live music was introduced in 2001.[7]
In 2005, OBF expanded from a three-day schedule (Friday to Sunday) to four, adding Thursday.[8]
The 2011 Oregon Brewers Festival featured 85 craft beers from 14 states; it attracted 80,000 people over four days.[9] Nearly 2,000 volunteers worked at the festival, selling tokens and pouring beer, among other tasks.[9]
In 2013, OBF added a fifth day, moving the opening to Wednesday; they also replaced the annual plastic mug, which had been used since the festival's beginning, with a tasting glass, which for 2013 costs $7.[8] The previous year's 14-US-fluid-ounce (410 ml) mug was replaced by a 12.8-US-fluid-ounce (380 ml) glass, which reduced the size of a full pour.[4] For 2014, there are 88 beers available, in 30 styles; that does not include the more than 100 available separately in OBF's Specialty Tent.[10]
After two years with tasting glasses made of glass, for 2015, OBF switched to a polycarbonate tasting glass;[2] the change was in response to safety concerns raised by the Portland Police.
In 2018, OBF changed back to a four-day festival, moving the opening to Thursday. That same year, the festival added two hard ciders to the lineup, and four wines –– 2 red and 2 white –– for the first time in the festival's history.
In 2020, the event was cancelled for the first time in history caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; the 33rd was deferred to 2021.
Related events
In recent years OBF has anchored a month of beer-related festivals in Portland, including the North American Organic Brewers Festival, the Portland International Beerfest, and the Great American Distillers Festival.[11]
See also
- Portland International Beerfest
- Oregon breweries
References
- "FAQ". Oregon Brewers Festival. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
- Hale, Jamie (April 17, 2015). "Oregon Brewers Festival will stop using glass after Portland police cite safety concerns". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
- Foyston, John (July 23, 2014). "Beer begins flowing at 'America's Oktoberfest'". CNN. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
- Dunlop, Pete (July 21, 2013). "What's Up with OBF Pour Sizes, Anyway?". BeervanaBuzz.com. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
- Perry, Douglas (July 24, 2008). "Brewers Fest FAQ: What you need to know". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
- Cheney, Cathy (July 14, 2014). "Oregon Brewers Festival fans: It's that time again". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 2014-07-21.
- Miller, Trisha; Schrag, John (July 11, 2001). "Beer Wars". News Buzz. Willamette Week. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
- Foyston, John (February 5, 2013). "Wednesday is the new Thursday: Oregon Brewers Festival will grow to five days this year". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2013-05-03.
- Culverwell, Wendy (August 2, 2011). "Brew Fest breaks attendance record". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
- Harrison, Lacey. "Hopped Up Eugene – The Oregon Brewers Festival". EugeneDailyNews.com. Retrieved 2014-07-21.
- Watts, Joseph (June 25, 2008). "Brew Fest breaks attendance record". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2011-10-14.