The Bend Brewfest, the tastiest time of the year, is soon upon us.

To ensure you have THE best time possible Aug. 16-18, here’s some tips before you head down to the Les Schwab Amphitheater for three days of craft beer bliss.

1) Bring a water bottle. We don’t want you stumbling out of the starting blocks. Plan to hydrate with H2O before, during and after just about every tasting. We’ll have multiple water-filling stations where you can fill up for free.

2) Study the 2018 Brewfest guide. Either grab one around town or download it here. Know what beers and breweries you want to hit and don’t wast valuable time and stomach space on beers you’re not that excited about.

3) Download the Untappd app. All our our beers are loaded and searchable on our Bend Brewfest Untappd page. This is a phenomenal way to sort beers by style, location and ranking. You’ll also see if your friends have raved about a certain beer at Brewfest and you can easily search for brews you haven’t tried before or just look for your favorite breweries.

4) Eat. Don’t just pre-funk before the Brewfest, but pre-feast. Grab a bite at Greg’s Grill on the Deschutes or Anthony’s, both of which sit right across from the Les Schwab Amphitheater and have fabulous outdoor seating and great happy hours. Dive into a burger and unlimited fries at Red Robin, order up a Yumm bowl and a beer at Cafe Yumm! or devour the best pizza this side of southern Italy at Flatbread Neapolitan Pizzeria. Not to worry, if you’re so excited to get to Brewfest – we’ve all been there – that you forget to eat, we’ve got a small village of food trucks that’ll satisfy any craving.

5) Have a plan to get home.  We’re stoked to have Lyft on as a partner this year, who’s offering 25 percent off of TWO rides to or from Brewfest. Use the promo code “BENDBREW” any time between 10 a.m. and 11:59 p.m., Thursday through Saturday. The Brewfest has a dedicated Pickup and Dropoff Zone just outside the Amphitheater on Shevlin-Hixon Drive. Shevlin-Hixon is closed to all traffic except for ride share drivers like Lyft and local cab companies. Also, the Ride Bend Shuttle offers FREE bus rides every day of Brewfest from noon to 10 p.m.

That’s it. Make sure to hydrate, have a plan, get some grub in your belly and for the love of God, don’t drive home.

See you at Brewfest 2018! #bendbrewfest