America's economy may be in a downturn,
but the effects didn't show at the 21st annual Oregon Brewers
Festival (OBF). The nation's largest outdoor craft
beer festival witnessed record attendance with 70,000 people,
a 15 percent increase over last year's all time high. Beer
sales followed suit, also showing a 15 percent increase. The
four-day event concluded on July 27th at Tom McCall Waterfront
Park.
"We weren't sure what to expect for attendance and sales
given the economic situation, but we were prepared to take
a hit," explained festival director and founder Art Larrance.
"Instead, rising gas prices seemed to have helped us.
People are staying home this summer, and many chose to partake
of our city's mass transit and explore festivals taking place
in their own backyard."
Larrance added that perfect beer drinking weather in the 70s
and low 80s also played a large role in the increase.
Despite rising keg costs, the OBF chose to stay the course
with its pricing, offering a four-ounce taste for $1 or 14-ounces
for $4.
The event kicked off on July 24th with a one-mile parade by
brewers and beer lovers on the city's sidewalks, led by Portland
Mayor Tom Potter and accompanied by a small marching band.
Upon arrival at the venue, Mayor Potter swung a wooden mallet
to drive the brass tap into the official first keg of the
festival, presented by Widmer Brothers Brewing Co.
The OBF served 73 different craft beers from 18 states across
the country. The top selling product for the third year running
was Cascade Brewing's Razberry Wheat out of Southwest Portland.
Another light, refreshing fruit beer to sell out early was
Hell or High Watermelon by San Francisco's 21st Amendment
Brewery. Portland's Widmer Brothers Brewing sold a large quantity
of its Full Nelson, an Imperial IPA brewed specifically for
the OBF.
Beer lovers came from every state in the nation, and many
countries around the world, to join in the celebration. The
festival generated an economic impact of more than $1.5 million
for the state.
Minors and designated drivers received access to the Crater
Lake Rootbeer Garden, which served up complimentary cups of
handcrafted rootbeer. Staff from the Wallowa Valley Together
Project provided education on the potential dangers, risks,
and unhealthy community norms associated with underage drinking;
they were joined by high-school students of Teens Against
Drugs & Alcohol, who promoted their "None before
21" campaign.
The Oregon Brewers Festival was founded in 1988 as an opportunity
to expose the public to microbrews at a time when the craft
brewing industry was just getting off the ground. Today, that
industry has succeeded, especially in Oregon, where 60 brewing
companies operate 90 brewing facilities. There are 30 breweries
operating within the Portland city limits, more than any other
city in the world; the Portland metro area boasts 38 breweries,
more than any other metro area in the world. In fact, the
Portland metro area is the largest craft brewing market in
the United States, even though Portland ranks 23rd in population
for metro areas in the nation.
The Oregon Brewers Festival always takes place the last full
weekend in July. The 2009 dates are July 23rd through 26th.
For more information, visit www.oregonbrewfest.com.
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