Beer Lovers Welcome Summer, Celebrate Dad, by Sipping Beer in the woods at the Oregon Garden Brewfest

Courtsey of Oregon Garden Brewfest

SILVERTON, Ore. — Attendees at last weekend’s 12th annual Oregon Garden Brewfest celebrated both the arrival of summer and Father’s Day by enjoying 120 handcrafted beers, ciders and meads amongst the natural beauty of The Oregon Garden.

This marked the first year the festival moved from an indoor pavilion out into the forest, where breweries were set up in quaint cottages dotted throughout the woods, underneath the warm glow of bistro lights. Already regarded as the Willamette Valley’s most scenic beer festival, the move into the forest fully embraced the Oregon spirit.

“Our visitors kept saying tasting beer in the forest was the most Oregon thing they’ve ever seen," said Brittney Hatteberg, marketing director for The Oregon Garden. “Honestly, people loved it. The weather on Saturday morning was crazy, but it created this amazing community spirit – people were laughing, posting photos on social media and running from booth to booth, trying new beers. Once the storm ended, everyone enjoyed sunshine and great beer the rest of the weekend!”

More than 7,400 guests attended the event this year, where they were encouraged to explore the 80 acres of botanical gardens with drinks in hand. Crowds enjoyed the music of a dozen regional bands on Friday and Saturday evenings, including

headliners Dead Wood Standing and Sassparilla.

The People’s Choice – determined by votes cast at the festival – was Worthy Brewing's Coeur de la Peche, a traditional Saison that incorporates fresh peaches from Oregon Fruit Products. Styles at the event ranged from ambers and Belgians to pales and porters, offering something for every palate.

On Sunday, families celebrated Father’s Day with root beer from Crater Lake Soda, while laying on blankets in the sun, making craft projects for dad, playing in the Children’s Garden and enjoying games, including shuffleboard, skee-ball and foosball, all set up in the Garden.

Many attendees wisely took advantage of overnight Brewfest packages at the Oregon Garden Resort located immediately above the festival grounds. A Moonstone Hotel property, the Oregon Garden Resort offers 103 hotel rooms overlooking The Oregon Garden and is only a short walk from the festival venue. Overnight stays are available to book for next year’s festival, June 16-19, 2017, just visit: oregongardenresort.com.

The Oregon Garden Brewfest was generously presented by Venti’s Café and sponsored by Country Financial, the Oregon Lottery, Renewal by Andersen, Screamin’ Sicilian Pizza Co., T-Mobile, Goschie Farms, Imperial Bottle Shop, Craft QA, Oregon Beer Growler and the Oregonian. To stay informed for next year’s event, visit www.oregongarden.org/events/brewfest/.