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First the Oregon Brewers Festival called it quits for 2023, and now organizers of the region’s second-largest craft beer celebration are pulling the plug.
Today, Bend Brewfest announced on its social media accounts that it is pushing pause this year. However, unlike OBF, which cited higher costs, lower attendance and extreme weather as reasons for canceling, the Central Oregon event says that construction is behind its break.
The festival has traditionally been held in Hayden Homes Amphitheater, just across the Deschutes River from the Old Mill District. But that venue is scheduled to begin a third phase of upgrades this winter, and the project is expected to last through spring. The festival was slated to take place May 13-14, which means work would likely still be underway—making it impossible to host thousands of drinkers.
Last year, organizers moved Bend Brewfest to the east side of the river in the Old Mill District, raising more than $15,000 for nonprofits. However, they’re choosing not to give the event another go there, or reschedule for later 2023.
“The amphitheater space is a more enjoyable experience for all parties involved,” the festival statement read on social media, “and organizers want to wait until Brewfest can return to where it had been held annually since 2002.”
So mark your calendars for May 2024 and cross your fingers that Oregon doesn’t lose more of its beloved beer festivals anytime soon.