Yet another major beer industry event has been cancelled as event cancellations reach deeper into the summer and even into early fall. The Oregon Brewers Festival, slated for July 22-25 in Portland, Oregon, has been cancelled for 2020.
One of the oldest and largest beer festivals in the country, second only to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, the OBF draws about 50,000 visitors annually from all parts of the world.
With the OBF now cancelled and events in early September such as the California Craft Beer Summit cancelled, all eyes are on the Brewers Association to see if they will continue planning for the GABF, scheduled this year for September 24-26.
Hit the read more link to read the letter from the OBF team.
The following letter was issued yesterday by OBF leaders;
Dear Friends of the Oregon Brewers Festival,
We are devastated to share that we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Oregon Brewers Festival, originally scheduled for this July 22-25. This will be the first time in 33 years that the iconic July event will not take place.
This decision was not made lightly. At the onset of the COVID-19 virus, we were hopeful that the situation might resolve itself by late July. But the health and safety of our guests, vendors, staff and volunteers is our top priority, and we have decided the risk of holding the festival is too great. The Oregon Brewers Festival is attended by thousands of visitors from all over the world. The last thing we would want to do is hold an event that could contribute to the spread of the virus and potentially introduce a second wave of infections.
It’s important for us to make sure that when the festival returns next year, it does so in a way that’s safe and ensures our guests feel secure. We will spend this downtime carefully planning on how to hold a successful event in a post-pandemic world.
The Oregon Brewers Festival will return July 28-31, 2021. In the meantime, we urge you to support your local craft breweries and cidermakers; place orders for curbside pickup or delivery and follow them on social media for the latest news on how to help. It has been estimated that up to 46% of craft breweries may be forced to close due to the pandemic. The Oregon Brewers Festival is a celebration of craft beer, and we need to make sure our breweries are still standing when this crisis has passed.
Until then, stay safe, be kind, and wash your hands. Cheers!
— Founder Art Larrance and the entire Oregon Brewers Festival Team