This coming 
weekend is the North American Brewers Festival.
Venue – Overlook Park,Portland,Oregonat the intersection of N Fremont Street & Interstate Ave.
Dates – June 29, 30 and July 1st, 2012
Times – Noon to 9 p.m. Fri & Sat, and Noon to 5 p.m. Sun
Come on out Saturday and I will be there – Cheers – BrewDad.
Admission – Admission into the event is free. The purchase of a $6 reusable, compostable cornstarch glass is required for tasting beer, as are tokens, which sell for $1 apiece. A full glass of beer costs four tokens (more for select beers), and a four-ounce taste costs one token. Patrons receive a $1 discount toward the tasting glass with a validated MAXticket, a ticket from the onsite bike corral, or three cans of food for the Oregon Food Bank.
Description – Designed to raise awareness about organic beer and sustainable living, the NAOBF serves up more than 50 organic beers from around the nation. From summery Saison and Kolsch styles to rich and hearty stouts, the festival offers beers to please every palate. There’s also live music, organic food, sustainability-oriented vendors and non-profits, and a children’s area.
The festival goes beyond beer tasting by striving to be the most earth-friendly beer festival in North America. Festival attendees sample beer from reusable and compostable cornstarch glasses made from domestically grown corn by a zero-waste, solar-powered company. Onsite composting and recycling stations are provided for festival waste, and food vendors are required to use compostable cutlery and plates. Electricity needs are met with a combination of biodiesel and solar generators. Volunteers wear organic cotton and hemp t-shirts, and all event signage is reusable.
The NAOBF was established and organized by Craig Nicholls in 2003 at Port Halling Brewing Company in Gresham,Oregon. The festival then took a two-year hiatus, during which Nicholls founded and opened Roots Organic Brewing Co.,Oregon’s first certified all organic brewery. In 2006, Nicholls resurrected the NAOBF, now in its sixth straight year.
The NAOBF is a family friendly event, and minors are welcome with parents. The festival benefits the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and the Oregon Food Bank.
