The Oregon Brewers Festival Will Be Revived at the Rose Festival

Founder Art Larrance is curating a tap takeover inside CityFair.

Rose Festival midway. (Wesley Lapointe)
By Andi Prewitt

Three months after organizers pulled the plug on the Oregon Brewers Festival this summer due to a range of factors, they’ve announced that a smaller version of the event will be revived at Portland’s signature celebration.

The Rose Festival has teamed up with OBF to operate a tap takeover inside CityFair, the carnival that traditionally takes place every year at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. While many of the attractions throughout the midway, like games and rides, tend to cater to children, there has long been a beer tent accessible to adults 21 and over, where IDs are checked at the entrance. OBF founder Art Larrance will be curating the keg lineup for the mini version of the 35-year-old event.

“After 34 years of running the fest, I’m looking forward to the OBF taking a new shape in partnership with the Rose Festival,” Larrance stated in a press release. “I’m already working on selecting the beers that will be featured, and I can’t wait for this June—it’s going to be a great event. I hope that all of our OBF friends will stop by and have a beer with me!”

Access to OBF taps will be included with admission to CityFair, which costs $12 in advance or $15 at the gate. However, you’ll still need to purchase a tasting mug and 12-ounce pours separately once you’re in the beer garden. And don’t try to redeem tokens or tickets from previous years’ events. They will not be honored.

The Oregon Brewers Festival returned to Waterfront Park last July following a two-year pandemic absence, but conditions were not in its favor. A triple-digit heat wave coincided with the event, which hurt attendance. Organizers also cited high operating costs as another factor for canceling OBF in 2023.

Temperatures should not be as extreme when the fest pops up at the Rose Festival this spring. In fact, longtime Portlanders know that time of year often sees what’s been dubbed the “Rose Festival Low” since cooler weather patterns and rain often move across the area.

OBF will only take place during the second weekend of the Rose Festival: June 2-4.

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.