PHOTO: THE OREGON GARDEN
Beer Festivals
Oregon Garden Beer Festival — and more
T
hirty minutes east of Salem, the Oregon
Garden in Silverton hosts weddings, movie
screenings, seasonal events and, this year, a
weekend-long eclipse celebration in the
80-acre botanical garden. One of the
garden’s biggest annual celebrations is the
Oregon Garden Brewfest.
The scenic beerfest turned 13 this year, and the three-
day event featured 120 beers from 52 producers as well as
live music and food trucks tucked into the garden’s
Rediscovery Forest.
The garden itself was designed at the request of the
Oregon Association of Nurseries, and its wetlands were
constructed to recycle treated wastewater. Silverton needed
a way to cool its wastewater after treatment, and the wet-
lands accomplish that, says Sara Hammond with the
Oregon Garden.
The grounds opened in 2001 and consist of a water gar-
den, a Northwest garden, and a family- and pet-friendly
garden and wetlands.
The Oregon Garden Beer fest has car, RV and tent
camping options. Attendees can also stay at the Oregon
Garden Resort, located on the property. The rooms are spa-
cious and cozy and have views of the wide green expanses
and mountains.
“We’re always looking for new ways for guests to expe-
rience the Garden, and hope the camping will encourage
them to venture and explore more areas than they ever have
before,” Hammond says.
To kick off the beer festivities, the Oregon Garden
4 EUGENE WEEKLY’S STATE OF SUDS 2017
By Corinne Boyer
Resort hosts the Brewer’s Tasting Dinner — a six-course
meal prepared by the Oregon Garden restaurant staff paired
with special beers from selected brewfest participants. This
year’s dessert was a sweet lemon custard paired with a
raspberry cucumber beer with mint from Mazama Brewery
in Corvallis. EW got to sample the pairing thanks to an
invite to the Brewfest.
Natalie and Jonathan Weste of Keizer have attended
Brewfest for the past three years. Natalie Weste says she
enjoys the location. “It’s way more low-key than a lot of
the Portland brew fests, and it reminds me of the festivals
in California,” she says.
Jonathan Weste says he likes the fact that a lot of the
beers are local to Oregon and Washington.
Eugene-based Agrarian Ales is participating in the festi-
val for the first time this year. Located on a 25-acre farm,
its beers are brewed in a barn, so the end product some-
what varies, which is a good thing, Mike Naylor, with
Agarian Ales, says. Factors like humidity and temperature
can’t be totally controlled in the barn’s environment, but
“people like variety,” Naylor says.
“We grasp onto the fact that we’re consistent about
being inconsistent,” he says.
If you missed Brewfest, don’t worry: There are many
local beer events each year.
On Aug. 12, be sure to travel Highway 58 to Oakridge
and check out the ninth annual Oakridge Keg & Cask
Festival. Proceeds from the fest go to local nonprofits like
the Local Food Box and the Uptown Business &
Revitalization Association.
As the air begins to get crisp, check out the Sasquatch
Brewfest, created in memory of Glen Hay Falconer. This
year’s fest will be held on Sept. 30 in the Whiteaker. The
event showcases Northwest craft beer, and funds raised at
the beer fest support brewing education scholarships. The
Glen Falconer Foundation has awarded 38 scholarships so
far.
Eugene Beer Week was held June 5 through June 11 with
beer tastings, food-pairing dinners and several events at
Falling Sky, Hop Valley, Ninkasi, The Beer Garden and local
bottle shops. Put on to highlight the superb local breweries,
Beer Week was originally held alongside the Sasquatch
Brewfest to honor Falconer.
One of Eugene’s largest beer events is KLCC’s
Microbrew Festival. It began in 2002 and features dozens of
breweries with approximately 175 beers at the Lane Events
Center every February. Despite being held in the dead of the
Willamette Valley’s rainy winter, this brewfest offers collab-
oration beers crafted especially for the KLCC fest.
The event also hosts brewing competitions recognizing
the best people’s choice, sponsor’s choice and home-brew
beers. Designated drivers get in for a discounted price, and
volunteers are always needed to help put on the event.
Volunteers receive free tickets to the festival — when they
aren’t working a volunteer shift.
Whether you’re into upbeat events or chill, forested beer
tastings, Eugene and the surrounding areas are home to some
of the best brews in the country, and we’re not just saying
that because we live here.
Enjoy all beer fests to the fullest with a designated driver.
www.eugeneweekly.com