Tips to make this Bend Brewfest the best one yet!

The Bend Brewfest returns August 18 – 20th just in time to put an exclamation point on your summer fun. Now in its 14th year, the Brewfest is a three day celebration of crafted bliss with representation of over 70 local and regional breweries.

As the migration of beer lovers toward the Les Schwab Amphitheater begins, we’re sharing insider tips to improve your festival happiness.

The Basics

Admission is free with tasting packages offered at $20 which includes a 2016 souvenir mug and 5 tasting tokens. Additional tokens cost $1 per token, sold in packets of five. Each token gets you one 4 ounce taste with the exception of the X-Taps which are 2 tokens per 4ounce taste. Full 12 ounce pours are available for 4 tokens. We highly recommend that you bring cash, however credit cards are accepted. ATMs are on site.

All ages are welcome every day until 7p with a parent/guardian in attendance. Bring your I.D. as it’s required.  Please leave your furry friends at home. Only service dogs will be allowed into the Bend Brewfest.

Walk, Bike or Get a Ride

Locals know that getting to the Les Schwab Amphitheater is easy breezy on a bike. Walking is also an option, we’ve seen skateboarding and other alternative modes of transportation adding to the fun factor. The main thing is to keep it safe. At the end of the day, make sure there is a designated driver if you’re driving and remember – you can always call for a cab ride home. Find numbers and details in the Brewfest guide. 

Prepare for Fun and Sun and Remember to Eat!

Wear your sunscreen and remember to hydrate with water. Free water fill stations are available. FiftyFifty made us some beautiful canteens with the Bend Brewfest Hop Mandala logo on them. We will be selling them at the merch tent in addition to other snazzy gear. We have favorable weather forecasted, but remember, you are at elevation and out in the elements–water is your friend.

We’ve rounded up some of the tastiest options in town to meet appetites of all stripes including gluten free, vegan, vegetarian and meat loving options. Greek Street, Island Noodles, Curb BBQ, New York City Sub Shop, The Rogue Chef Mobile Kitchen to name just a few. 

Fest Practices

Show your tastebuds a great time by consulting the Brewfest guide. Navigate by brewery or style. The guide includes an alphabetized list of the 75 brewers from around the state and region. Be sure to hone in on the X-Tap offerings. These include the coveted and beloved low-volume brews that aren’t readily available otherwise.

The Brewtality Tent houses the X-Tap beers and connects beer admirers with beer makers. It’s a geek out opportunity for the hopheads and beer academics among you. Here’s a sneak peek at the 2016 X-Tap schedule. 

Central Oregon Homebrewers Organization will be hosting the Brewtality tent and brewing beer live at the fest as they always do. Their shirts say “Ask Me About Beer” for a reason – go talk to them and ask them anything you have ever wanted to know about beer and home brewing! They even have staff that have passed the Certified Beer Judge Exam. These guys are the real nerdy deal. We love them.

Be Friendly

It takes a village to make a beer festival fun and we hope that you’ll bring a smile to this one. Be sure to thank the  volunteers pouring your drinks. They are likely representing local businesses and organizations doing good with their time. Honor the brewers by asking questions in the Brewtality tent and high fiving when the time is right.

Scratch the surface and you’re also likely to find beer curious tourists from all over the world. Share your favorite beer recommendation (or your second favorite beer recommendation). Who knows? You may end up witnessing a Brewfest wedding ceremony! It’s been known to happen.

We are grateful to have three nonprofit beneficiaries, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Neighbor Impact and Deschutes River Conservancy. Do say hello to the folks at Deschutes River Conservancy who will be giving away concerts tickets, Deschutes Brewery pints, local swag and goodies! Share your River Selfie using the #WeTheRiver hashtag and meet Otto the Otter who will give canal safety talks each day from 4-6pm.

Speaking of hashtags, we encourage everyone to use the #BBF16 and #BendBrewfest when sharing to social media. Show us your happy faces!

Late Night Dance Party & Contests

It’s true that the vibe changes when the sun goes down. The word on the street is that the Bend Brewfest is Central Oregon’s best outdoor dance party of the season.

New this year, 10 Barrel Brewing is hosting a Beer Stein Hoisting competition on Saturday, August 20th. There will be qualifying rounds at 4pm and 5pm with finals at 6pm for a chance to win an adventure at the Great American Brewfest in Denver, Colorado.

There’s much more to be discovered, but given this list, you’ll be off to a great start.