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Most people know the Willamette Valley for its pinot noir, but there’s another kind of vine that grows in abundance and produces a key ingredient in one of Portland’s favorite beverages: beer. Drive along I-5 just past the Woodburn Premium Outlets this time of year, and you’ll see rows of hops in the distance. Known as bines, the plants grow upwards of 20 feet and produce pine cone-shaped flowers.
Crosby Hop Farm is a fifth-generation hop grower in Woodburn, and in 2020 its founder and CEO Blake Crosby hatched a crazy idea: What if they opened a beer garden right in the middle of a hop farm? Inspired by the rise of agritourism and the need to socially distance, TopWire Hop Project was born. Since then, TopWire has been a wildly popular destination with its expansive outdoor space, with a shipping container-turned-bar where beers (made using Crosby Hops, of course) are served, and a quintessentially Oregon backdrop of lush, towering hop bines that dance giddily at the faintest hint of a summer breeze.
While TopWire’s summer run usually comes to an end with harvest—who wants to sit in an empty field drinking beer?—this year, they are stretching out for the first annual Oregon Hop Festival, right in time for the start of fresh hop season. The festivities take place on Saturday, Sept. 7, with immersive activities, including guided tours of the hop fields and processing facilities to see firsthand how hops are cultivated and harvested, hop sensory experiences, and plenty of delicious beers.
“Hops are an essential part of brewing, but many beer enthusiasts never get to see where it all begins,” Crosby says. “By hosting the first annual Oregon Hop Festival, we’re creating an opportunity for people to experience the beauty of the hop fields and the work that goes into cultivating and harvesting.”
Crosby’s family has been doing this for over a century, and in past years have hosted the Crosby Hop Festival, an event specifically for industry insiders. The new Oregon Hop Festival is a chance to share their passion and hard work with a public increasingly interested in learning about the ingredients that go into the food and beverages they consume. “Growing up on the family farm and now leading it, the excitement and celebration around harvest continues to make it my favorite time of the year,” he says.
To complement the tours and enhance the experience at the inaugural festival, Crosby is debuting a collaboration beer with acclaimed California brewery Russian River called Growers Tribute IPA, featuring its estate-grown hops—Amarillo, Chinook and Comet. The beer will be among a wide selection from over 20 breweries (that hopefully includes some fresh hop beers). There will also be live music, a handful of food options, and kid- and pet-friendly hangouts.
For Crosby, the Oregon Hop Festival is about sharing that “sense of anticipation and excitement that builds all year,” he says. “When the hops are finally ready, all the hard work comes to fruition. The air is filled with the scent of fresh hops, and we work around the clock to bring in the harvest.”
SEE IT: Oregon Hop Festival at TopWire Hop Project, 8668 Crosby Road NE, Woodburn, topwirehp.com. Noon–6 pm Saturday Sept. 7. $25.