North American Organic Brewers Festival celebrates
10th year of drinking organic, saving the planet
Eco-conscience beer festival will serve up more than 50 organic beers and ciders with very little waste
PORTLAND, ORE – More than 15,000 beer lovers, music fans and supporters of sustainable living will come together at the North American Organic Brewers Festival (NAOBF) the last weekend of June to “Drink Organic, Save the Planet, One Beer at a Time.” The 10th annual event will take place June 26 through June 29 at Overlook Park in North Portland. Event hours are Noon to 9pm Thursday through Saturday and Noon to 5pm Sunday.
Admission into the event is free. The purchase of a $6 reusable, compostable cornstarch cup is required for tasting beer, as are tokens, which sell for $1 apiece. A full cup of beer or cider costs four tokens and a four-ounce taste costs one token; select beers cost extra tokens.
Designed to raise awareness about organic beer and sustainable living, the NAOBF typically serves up more than 50 organic beers and ciders from nearly 40 different breweries. Most of the breweries brew an organic beer specifically for the event. Styles run the gamut from goldens to porters, with a bit of everything in-between. There's also live local music, organic food and sustainability-oriented vendors and non-profits. The NAOBF is a family friendly event, and minors are welcome with parents. The Chipotle Kids’ Zone will offer free activity books, grow pots and Chipotle kids’ meal cards, plus face painting and a root beer garden with complimentary
The NAOBF encourages responsible drinking and urges patrons
to take advantage of the Tri-Met MAX Light Rail; the Yellow Line
“Overlook Park” Station stops directly across from the festival.
Attendees can also take advantage of the Hopworks Bike Corral, where
volunteers from Rotary Club of Portland–Westside’s Cycling 2 Serve
Fellowship will watch over bikes for free (donations will benefit
Rotary International’s “End Polio Now” efforts to eradicate polio
worldwide). Patrons receive a $1 discount toward the tasting glass with a
validated Tri-Met ticket or a ticket from the Hopworks Bike Corral (one
discount per person).
The NAOBF is known as the most earth-friendly beer festival on
the planet. Festival attendees sample beer from reusable and
compostable cornstarch cups made from domestically grown corn by
a zero-waste, solar-powered company. Electricity needs are met with
biodiesel generators. Volunteers receive organic cotton t-shirts
(returning volunteers can wear past T shirts and get extra tokens
instead). Food vendors are required to use compostable cutlery and
plates and employ sustainable practices, and onsite composting and
recycling stations are provided for festival waste and are supervised by
recycling czars. Last year’s event recycled and composted 92% of the
total waste, marking the second year in a row that more than 90% of the
event’s waste was diverted from the landfill.
Why an organic beer festival? Studies show that
the world's population currently consumes 30% more natural resources
than the Earth's ecosystems can replenish. According to the
Environmental Protection Agency, commercial agriculture is accountable
for 70% of the pollution in our country's rivers and
streams. Genetically modified ingredients can be found in nearly every
grocery store. The NAOBF believes that education and exposure lead to
awareness, and awareness can translate to passion. If everyone
becomes passionate about sustainability, as a whole we can make the
planet a cleaner and healthier place for all of us to inhabit. For more
information visit naobf.org.
