Hood River Hops Fest 2013

Hood River Hops Fest Goes All Fresh-Hops for 2013

     Hood River, OR—Fresh-hopped beer will be the main attraction at this year’s 10^th annual Hood River Hops Fest on Saturday, September 28, 2013. And this year for the first time all the festival beers will be from fresh hops—with 44 breweries participating, showcasing 65 fresh-hop beers.  (See brewery list here.) An expanded menu of local culinary favorites, a host of arts and crafts vendors, a great selection of Gorge wines, a children’s play area, and a day-long lineup of live music guarantees fun for the entire family.

     The Hood River Hops Fest runs from Noon- 9pm and is situated in downtown Hood River, Oregon between 5^th and 7^th streets and Cascade and Columbia streets. Visitors can supplement their beer tasting with great local cuisine, from wood-fired pizza to American pub fare to vegetarian dishes. This year’s musical lineup features The Poor Sports, Tess Barr Band, Big City Wind Down, and Tony Smiley. 

    Those 21 and over are invited to enter two contests offering VIP passes to the Hood River Hops Fest, along with other goodies. One contest features a recipe sweepstakes and the other is a simple Facebook sign-up to win contest.                                                              

        NEW THIS YEAR, attendees may pre-purchase tickets at Brown Paper Tickets to secure quicker entry into the event. Also new is the VIP TICKET, which allows entry at 11pm for an early preview of the beers. 

      “Hops Fest started as a tribute to the great, fresh-hopped microbrews of the Pacific Northwest, and that still is the reason that thousands of people attend,” said Ashley Huckabee, Event Coordinator of the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce, which puts on the event.

Admission is as follows:

·         21 and over:

o    $10 General Admission includes beer-tasting stein and 4 taste tokens

o    $20 VIP Admission allows early (11am) entry into the event to preview the beers, and includes a beer-tasting stein and 8 taste tokens

o    $1 each for additional taste tokens

·         Wine drinkers and designated drivers: $4.00

·         20 and under: Free and welcome until 5pm

NOTE: Children are welcome throughout the afternoon until 5pm. The venue is open to adults only from 5pm until closing at 9pm.

“Hops Fest in Hood River has become a well-loved annual tradition for beer lovers, both local and from around the world,” said Huckaby. “It’s an event that brings a great group of people to downtown Hood River, and one the Chamber looks forward to every year.”

For information about beer vendors and event updates as they occur, follow the event on the Hood River Hops Fest Facebook page, #HRHops13 on Twitter, or visit the Hood River Hops Fest website.  

The Hood River County Chamber supports economic and tourism development for the region and provides promotional programs to its 430 members. As a county-wide organization, it supports businesses, organizations, and governmental agencies in Cascade Locks, Hood River, Parkdale, Odell, Pine Grove, and Mount Hood-Parkdale.