Westside Beer Fest from the creators of the Oregon Brewers Festival
We may not have gotten an Oregon Brewers Festival this year, but that festival’s founders and chief organizer are bringing a brand new Westside Beer Fest to Hillsboro, OR this fall. Presented by Art Larrance, founder of the OBF, Cascade Brewing, and Portland Brewing, and Teddy Peetz, who has run the OBF for more than a decade will bring this new creation to the Wingspan Event Center at the Washington County Fairgrounds from September 24-26th, 2021.
The Westside Beer Fest is billed as a simple, joyful celebration of Oregon craft beer. Thirty independent craft brewers from the Willamette Valley, Oregon Coast, Columbia River Gorge, Central Oregon, Eastern Oregon, Southern Oregon, and the Portland Metro Area have been invited to participate in this inaugural event, which is designed to showcase the quality and variety of craft beers that the state has to offer. Two Oregon craft cideries will join the beer lineup; the full list of participating breweries and cideries will be unveiled in August.
“After the long months of lockdown, we are thrilled to welcome craft beer lovers to Hillsboro,” said festival co-founder Art Larrance. “We want to raise a glass and toast Oregon’s craft brewers by spotlighting a few dozen of the state’s best breweries in this beautiful new space.”
The festival will feature many never-before-seen brews along with some unique favorites from across Oregon. There will be food vendors and souvenir sales, as well as free, handcrafted root beer for designated drivers, courtesy of Crater Lake Soda.
Tickets will be sold online at www.westsidebeerfest.com starting later in August, and will also be available at the festival entrance. This event is exclusively for those 21 years old and older, but guests over 21 may enter without purchasing a ticket. In order to taste beer, attendees must purchase a souvenir tasting mug and drink tabs, which can each be exchanged for 14-ounce pours of beer. A mug and three tabs will be $25, and additional tabs can be purchased for $6 each, and mugs for $7 each. On-site ticket sales will be cash only, and there is an ATM located inside the Wingspan Event Center.
Event organizers are actively seeking volunteers to help pour beer and keep the festival running smoothly. Volunteers, who must be at least 21 years old, will each receive a festival t-shirt, souvenir tasting mug, and vouchers for beer as appreciation for their time commitment and hard work. The volunteer application will be on the festival website.
The Wingspan Event Center is a new, state-of-the-art facility located at Westside Commons, a multi-use campus that hosts the annual Washington County Fair in Hillsboro. TriMet’s MAX Light Rail Blue Line and bus #47 both stop adjacent to the campus, providing convenient transportation for festival goers. Parking is $8 per day, per car. The festival encourages responsible drinking, and requests visitors to make use of public transit, rideshare services, and designated drivers for the safety and enjoyment of everyone.
Doors open at 11:30 am daily, and taps are open from noon to 9 pm Friday and Saturday, and noon to 7 pm Sunday. For more information visit WestsideBeerFest.com or follow the festival on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.