Hillsbrew Fest spinoff of Oregon Brewers Festival is back for 2nd year
Hillsboro, Oregon now has their own big beer fest spun off from the recently canceled Oregon Brewers Festival. The Hillsbrew Fest was first held last year in 2022 and is returning February 24 - 26th 2023 to the Wingspan Event Center at the Washington County Fairgrounds.
More from a press release: The Hillsbrew Fest is designed to bring beer lovers together to enjoy pours of a wide variety of styles from approximately 40 independent craft brewers and cidermakers. The selection will vary over the three days, with up to 60 different beers on tap throughout the festival. The Fest celebrates craft beverages from every corner of the state, with this year’s participants representing the Willamette Valley, Oregon Coast, Columbia River Gorge, Central Oregon, Southern Oregon, and the Portland Metro Area, as well as at least ten breweries from Washington County, where the festival is located. Three Oregon craft cideries will join the lineup of breweries. The Hillsbrew Fest team will unveil the full list of participating breweries and cideries on the Hillsbrew Fest website in the first week of February.
“As a grad of Hillsboro High myself, I feel a special connection to this community, and to the fairgrounds where we displayed our 4-H woodworking projects in grade school,” said Festival Co-founder Art Larrance. “There are so many great brews coming out of Washington County right now, and we’re excited to welcome people to this festival to try a few dozen different ones.”
The festival will showcase some brand-new brews that have never been available anywhere, and some brewers’ choice favorites from across Oregon. Volunteers will be pouring up to two different beers from each brewery. Cider from three Oregon cidermakers will add fruity variety to the taplist, and one hard seltzer will round out the selection. The festival will also offer food sold on-site, as well as free, non-alcoholic beverages for non-drinkers and designated drivers.
Admission to the Hillsbrew Fest is $10, which includes a keepsake mug. Tasting packages are $30, and include a mug and ten tasting tickets. They are available for presale online at HillsbrewFest.com/Tickets, and mugs and tasting tickets will also be sold at the festival entrance. Additional tasting tickets may be purchased inside the venue. This event is exclusively for those 21 years old and older.
Event organizers are actively recruiting 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 tasting tickets for beer as appreciation for their time commitment and hard work. The volunteer application is linked 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 $10 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 a.m. daily, and taps are open from noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. For more information visit Hillsbrewfest.com, follow the festival on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
ABOUT HILLSBREW FEST
The Hillsbrew Fest was founded in 2022 to showcase Oregon’s independent craft brewing community and bring some cheer to the cold winter months. The festival is co-operated by Art Larrance and Teddy Peetz, the team behind the renowned Oregon Brewers Festival. The festival is returning for its second year to the state-of-the-art Wingspan Event Center at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Hillsboro, Oregon. For all the latest info about Hillsbrew, visit HillsbrewFest.com and follow @HillsbrewFest on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.