Great beers, great food, great volunteers! The Organic Beer Festival was a fantastic time sober and a lil' buzzed. The husband and I volunteered Saturday and revisited for drinking on Sunday. As a volunteer you get a free (cool) shirt, cup and many tokens. The leaders were very well organized and I always had support from my supervisor. He even kept my water bottle full for me during my entire shift! The atmosphere was super chill and fun. On Sunday we returned to use our tokens. So many beers! We wandered our way through the tents sampling fantastic brews. Overlook Park was very spacious and I never felt crowded, even though the crowd was large at times. Also, If you arrive by public transit, you get a free beer token! Score! I can't wait to return for a couple days next year! Cheers! read more

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Well this little festival sure has grown up! I went the first year, and it's definitely gotten bigger without suffering any noticeable growing pains that OBF seems to have. It's easily located on the MAX (with a discount with a valid ticket on the beer packages) - I recommend this not only because y'all avoid any undue and unadvised driving, but because parking is pretty bad in the neighborhood. Not helped by the porch nazi homeowners trying to "save" spaces with chairs/boxes/garbage cans. They sit outside and guard their "spots" with malice. Now to the festival - still reasonably priced, yay! No real glass or mug, you get one of those weird (made out of corn?) cups. That's okay, I have more of those plastic OBF/Holiday Fest cups than I can shake a stick at. There was plenty of beers to choose from - local, far away and I have no idea where they're from types. Pours were solid, lines were quick and the weather cooperated. Then rained. Then cooperated again! Since it's at Overlook park, the area to spread out is HUGE. That doesn't stop people from cramping the lines, but once you're full of beer it's all good. There's food, various vendors (some beer related and that poor smuck from PGE about wind power). Ace fest! read more

Keeps Portland beered. For that, I raise my reusable, compostable cornstarch glass to the Organic Brewers Festival. If you can ignore the alleged shady financial dealings of the festival's founder, Craig Nicholls (his email address is craig@naobf.org in case you can't), the Organic Brewfest would still take home the trophy for the most politically-minded, environmentally-conscious beer festival in the city. That trophy would logically be in the shape of a pint glass and brim with one of the many organic liquids concocted by craft brewers. Beyond the social inklings of the festival, I've always liked it because it signals that the warmest part of the year has finally broken past the clouds. This year, the Organic Brewfest came almost literally at the start of summer in Portland, and it includes all the things I associate favorably with the season. The festival includes live music, food, people-watching, and of course, beer here and there and here some more, all of which must be enjoyed under the sun. It also contains all the things I hate about summer, too. Every year, the NAOBF gets a little more crowded, and as a result the lines for certain brewers become ridiculous, labyrinthine affairs with oblivious drunks cutting through the queue. Plus, you see more poorly-planned tattoos because of all the sun and hops-buzzed clothes shedding. Seriously, if you ever think it might be fun to have a dragon inked all over your shoulder, back, and part of your chest, maybe you should stop by this festival and see this idea in action before committing to it. However you look at it, you get to drink tons of delicious beer under the sun, so even petition solicitors and bro-brahs on their way to the next Dave Matthews tour make it hard to stay away. And if you're not too hammered, remember to stop by the playground at Overlook Park, find an empty swing, and pump yourself as high as you can until the contents of your stomach beg you to stop. But don't knock out any little kidlets while you do this - the event is family-friendly. read more

Organic Beer Fest - Mmm, foot beer - Local Flavor Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I was trying to find this festival on my phone so I could "Check In", but there wasn't a page created for it yet and you can't do it on your phone...thanks to Kimberly V. for creating one and congrats on FTR! =) ::raises reusable & compostable cup too:: I came here with a couple friends on Friday evening and had a great time hanging out with them. I tried a few beers and can't remember most of them, but I do remember one that tasted kinda like half-tea, half-beer. I think it might've been the Siamese Twin Ale. The food carts were also pretty good, but definitely festival-priced (aka expensive). I had gyros with falafels and lamb for $8, which was pretty good. I'm pretty stoked that I'm here in Portland for the whole summer and will get to go to the Oregon Brewer's Festival at the end of July too. The first thing I learned about Portland when I got here is that Portlanders really enjoy their beer. ;) read more

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The temperature was over 90 & when it's this hot the last thing I want to do is eat. So instead of eating we met our other thirsty friends at Overlook Park & drank cold organic beer & cider until we couldn't stand being under the sun any longer. PROS: free admission $1 discount toward tasting cup with one of the following: a valid Tri-Met ticket, ticket from on-site Hopworks Bike Corral, or three cans of food (preferably organic) for the Oregon Food Bank reusable, compostable, cornstarch plastic cup nearly 60 organic beers / ciders from OR, WA, CA, UT, MN, MT, & Belgium free bike parking MAX stop directly across from Overlook Park family friendly (children are allowed all hours when accompanied by a parent) live music free root beer for children / DD food carts business vendors makeshift shower mist covered picnic tables porta-pottys ATMs on site CONS: $6 for a plastic cup pint glasses w/ NAOBF logo available for purchase but can't be used as a tasting glass no parking provided (will be ticketed if parked in Kaiser Permanente garage) animals are not allowed on site with the exception of ADA animals porta-pottys on a hot day cash only solicitors NAOBF is always held the last weekend in June. If you attend on a Sunday the lines are incredibly short, however, not all the beers may be available due to them running out the previous day(s). This is a delicious earth-friendly beer festival for all ages to enjoy. Just don't forget the sunblock. read more

This was my first time at the NAOBF. We have family visiting from LA-LA-Land and it was a great way to introduce them to some unique Portland culture. The first thing I like about this festival is--well, of course, the beer--but the next best thing is the easy access via MAX. It's nice to know you can imbibe to your limit (and beyond) with no worries about getting home in one piece. If you can stagger to the MAX platform, you'll eventually make it to your front porch. Lot's of tasty beers. The lines weren't too terribly long when we were there. We had a great time. My favorite thing was pedaling around on the rolling beer bar. There was plenty of space to sit on the grass, sip the beer and munch on a Kobe beef corndog from the Violetta truck. This was a good way to start the beer fest season, and I'll keep it on my calendar for next year. read more

Wrote to the official organizers of this well-reviewed event in anticipation of attending -- about handicap accessibility (there are no notes on ADA access in this park online....) **** Here's what I got -- good info, and exceptional access: **** "The event is located close to accessible public transportation (immediately on a MAX Light Rail stop on N Interstate Ave). An accessible paved route is available from the public transportation stop to the event; there is also accessible paved parking available with ADA tags on Fremont St - however, these are first come, first serve, so we cannot guarantee availability. There is an accessible paved route from the parking area to the activities. The event takes place in a grassy park with no pavement. There are accessible ADA restrooms available. For the beer, there is accessible ADA service available and marked at each of the beer trailers with beer runners provided to get beers. Food and other beverage options are located on an accessible route, and all self-service items are available from a seated position. We have accessible tables that provide knee space, and companion seating is available in the same area. There are no stairs or steps to navigate within the park." CAN'T WAIT! read more

Organic Brew, check! Local, check! =}{Welcome to North American Organic Brewers Festival}{= Pro's: Easy to get in- free admission for all on two legs food carts on site to offer summer treats and eats Thirsty you say: $6 for the drinking plastic cup 1$ off if you bring last years cup tokens get you beer Con's: Little to no shade, Zero parking so here's some other options: take public transportation- The yellow max line runs parallel to interstate and has a drop off right at Overlook Park, perfect! ride your bike -they have a huge bike parking lot if taking public transpo, or biking are not in the cards and you must drive, I recommend parking near Mississippi Ave and taking the pedestrian bridge on Failing street over the i5 to Overlook park, way easier! plus plenty of options to stuff your face following NWOBF! read more

:-D This was a really great time. I was frustrated that I got there on Sunday afternoon, so some of the taps were running dry. The nice part about this festival is that it is in a huge open space with lots of room to move. People do tend to congregate near the taps but otherwise the park is available. There is a large tent for shade with tables near the festival music stage. read more

My all time favorite festival in Oregon. Love all the beers especially their dark brews. Not too crowded and not full of obnoxious people like the other beer fests downtown. I also love the vegan food carts that come to the area to sell. Price is pretty cheap too. No long lines. One of my favorites I come here for every year is the Vegan philly cheesesteak. read more

It was hot - so thank you for the misters. I could not tell what order the beers were listed in and a map or diagram of the actual setup would have made finding the beers we wanted to try easier. But once we got the hang of it, it was fine. I liked that the beers were more experimental, but none of them were particularly amazing. A fun taster, but I wouldn't want to drink much more than a taster of anything I had. read more

The main event here is undoubtedly the beer, and the live music. I came here thinking only naturally that, BBQ would be the natural companion for such an event. I could not have been more wrong. The only bbq-like action I could ascertain was a single booth featuring pulled pork sliders. They were expensive for what they were, and served on cheap enriched flour buns. Then, insult to injury: they were fresh out of hot sauce, only their sickeningly sweet sauce remained. I will continue to support local events in No-Po, but I refuse to pretend they're something they're not. I can honestly say, w/o hesitation, that I did not recognize a single beer being featured at this year's fest, this is by no means is offered as an indictment, as I do not pretend to be an expert. Even in the late afternoon showers, there were a surprising number of festival-goers. They seemed to, in the main, be enjoying themselves completely, so who would I be, to utter any objection? Viva la NAOBF! read more

NAOBF is probably my second favorite beer festival in Portland. Overlook Park is a great venue for this event. Fresh grass. Cool breezes to cool down the hot days. Close to public transport. Oh and major plus for discounts when you lock up your bike there or show them a max/bus ticket. And plus for the compostable cups. Plus for all organic beers. I never really get into the music, but hey, props for live, local artists too. What I don't like is that kids are allowed. Beyond the fact that I just don't care much for the little mutants, it absolutely disgusts me to see drunk parents letting there mutants run wild. Seriously, if you want to drink beer, leave them at home. If you want to take them to a park, go to one without beer and without a bunch of intoxicated adults. *I do understand that this is not true of EVERY person that brings a child, I simply see it enough to consider it mentionable. Also what bums me out is that the puppies are not allowed. I don't have a puppy so I must live vicariously through other dog owners. Not at NAOBF. Luckily for me, a couple people still do bring their dogs in and from what I see, they aren't kicked out. Really though, ditch the infants and toddlers and play with the puppies! read more

Great selection of high quality beers. The food was amazing! The Urban German Grill is the best! The Schweinebraten was like heaven! The best! I recommend it. read more

It's definitely not as big as brewfest on the waterfront, but it's alright. My boyfriend and I steered clear of one of the tents because the beer was always lukewarm at best since they left the filled pitchers in the heat instead of only pouring into them a single serving at a time. Not a lot of people in attendance, so it was pretty quiet, but I appreciated having a few things explained to me by couple of the knowledgeable volunteers. Super nice people! read more

Best beer fest in Portland, hands down. No snobby people, no lines, and good beer! My only complaint is on Sunday several of the beers were out. OBF has an allotted amount of kegs every day so even if you go on Sunday you still get the good stuff! read more

This is one of my favorite beer festivals, I just wish it allowed dogs and not kids. Or both I guess. I love Overlook Park, there is so much space that it never feels crowded. The music they have is great, but sometimes too loud. This year they had misters, which was so nice, because it was so hot out! This fest is always a great time! read more

Love this fest, that's why I always volunteer time at it every year. I feel it is one of the best beer fests where everyone is happy and the crowds are completely manageable. Also feel it is a fest for the locals and still family friendly, as opposed to being inundated with tourists. Good times and always interesting beers! read more

I came both Friday and Saturday afternoon. On Friday, very few people were there which meant no lines and the kegs didn't run dry. But because it was so empty, the crowd wasn't nearly as boisterous as on Saturday. However, on Saturday parking was a nightmare and lines were long for the more popular beers. But from what I could tell, no one ran out of beer while I was there. The beers and brewery selection was very good. I got to try some very different beers (Bison Brewing's honey and basil). My one complaint, and it was a big one, is that you have to pay for your cup, like at all beerfests, but the cup at this one was a basic plastic, throw away cup. It cost $6 for a Solo cup!!! They couldn't spring for the plastic mugs that cost $.50 so we could leave with something? This is Portland, where we're very eco-conscious, and even though the cups were recyclable, most probably got thrown in the trash because no one wants to keep a Solo cup. A glass or a mug however, would be kept or donated to charity. That needs to change. read more