The Bend Brewfest, the tastiest time of the year, kicks off Aug. 15 at 4 p.m.

To ensure you have THE best time possible, here’s some tips before you head down to the Les Schwab Amphitheater for three days of craft beer bliss, Aug. 15-17.

(Note, the 2019 Brewfest runs from 4 to 11 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15 and from noon to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 16 and 17. The Bend Brewfest is family-friendly until 5 p.m. each day, after which time it’s 21 and over.)

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. If you forget to bring a hydration vessel or want an awesome Brewfest souvenir, head to the merch tent and purchase a sweet stainless steel Fifty/Fifty Brewfest water bottle.

2) Study the 2019 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 fantastic 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. We’d also recommend just about anything on the menu at Boxwood Kitchen. 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) Prepare to be active. This is a brewfest in Bend after all, so be ready to do more than just sit around and drink beer. The Recharge Sport Family Activity Zone will be the home to corn hole and other lawn games, as well as 15-minute beer yoga at 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Our friends at 10 Barrel will host their annual Stein Hoisting Competition on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. – signups start at 12:30 p.m. at the 10 Barrel tent – and the uber-popular Buddy Bar Challenge crew will be back again this year.

Oh, and we’ll have axe throwing. No, we’re not kidding.

6) Have a plan to get home.  We’re stoked to have Lyft on again as a partner this year, who’s offering 10 percent off a ride to or from Brewfest. Use the promo code “BENDBREWFEST” any time between 13 p.m.. and 11:59 p.m., Thursday through Saturday. Lyft, the preferred ridesharing service of the Bend Brewfest, is the official sponsor of our covered Pick-Up/Drop-Off station on the west side of the Deschutes River, in front of the Hampton Inn.

Also, the Ride Bend Shuttle offers FREE shuttle rides every day of Brewfest from noon to 9 p.m. to select locations in Bend.

That’s it. Make sure to hydrate, have a plan, get some grub in your belly, be prepared to toss some corn hole bags and/or axes, and for the love of God, don’t drink and drive.

See you at Brewfest 2019! #bendbrewfest