LA GRANDE — The Eastern Oregon Beer Festival is back for its ninth year on Saturday, Aug. 19, at the Union County fairgrounds.

La Grande Main Street Downtown is bringing a new energy to Beer Fest with Stephanie Hansen as the Beer Festival Committee Chair, according to Executive Director Monica

McLaughlin.

“We’re making it bigger and better,” McLaughlin said.

This year marks the first time there has been a Beer Festival Committee Chair. In the past, either the executive director or LGMSD President Mary Ann Miesner would spearhead organizing the festival along with the Beer Fest Committee.

McLaughlin said that Hansen stepped up after the conclusion of last year’s festival and offered to take the reins.

She started volunteering with LGMSD in 2018 as a pourer at Beer Fest before obtaining her liquor license, so that she could be a beer captain. Beer captains oversee shifts during the festival and ensure things are running smoothly.

Hansen, along with the committee, has been working diligently since October 2022 to plan and organize Beer Fest, McLaughlin said.

The Eastern Oregon Beer Festival is only open to age 21 or older. The main event will run from 2 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 19.

This year there will be more vendors and live music, according to McLaughlin. The Wasteland Kings will open, followed by Stacy Collins.

McLaughlin expects dozens of beers and ciders to be available at this year’s festival.

They currently have 14 breweries from Oregon, Washington and Idaho confirmed — more than double last year’s seven — and Miesner is hopeful even more will sign on before the festival.

All three of last year’s Taster’s Choice winners will return — John Day’s 1188 Brewing, La Grande’s local brewpub Side A Brewing, and Boise-based Sockeye Brewing.

Other breweries include: Terminal Gravity, Buoy Beer, M. Crow, Spring Creek Brewing, Tiger Town Brewing, Fort George Brewery, Ordnance Brewing, Queen Orchard Cider, Beervalley, Georgetown Brewing Company and Fremont Brewing.

This year there will be a Taster’s Choice award for both beer and cider, McLaughlin said. Kevin Boylan of Birddog Glass will be creating the awards.

In addition to more breweries, Beer Fest will feature more food and craft vendors as well.

Tourism and bringing dollars downtown

McLaughlin noted that the event also serves as a great opportunity for the city and county to bring in tourism dollars. While the main bulk of ticket sales are coming from Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California,

McLaughlin said that tickets have been purchased from all across the country.

Even though the event itself is not located downtown, McLaughlin said that all of the proceeds go toward supporting the downtown community through business development, community events and beautification

projects.

“It’s our biggest fundraiser for the organization,” she said.

Looking toward the future

Both McLaughlin and Miesner agree — it would be nice to bring Beer Fest downtown.

Moving the event downtown is something that La Grande Main Street Downtown is considering for the future, maybe as early as 2024, but nothing is yet set in stone.

There would need to be a lot of conversations with La Grande Police Chief Gary Bell, as well as the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission.

However, the organization would like to be able to get restaurants and businesses more involved with the festival.

Miesner said it would be important to keep key elements from the festival, but that some things would have to be adapted to work downtown and they might have to get a little more creative.

She suggested that they could close off a designated area — such as a side street off of Adams Avenue, Max Square or the covered parking lot at Jefferson Avenue and Depot Street — for a beer garden and live music.

They could also set up breweries with spots in local businesses where patrons could sip on a beer while

pursuing the goods.

“The committee is very excited about it,” Miesner said.

Tickets are available prior to Beer Fest for $40 either online or in person at Side A Brewing, Market Place Fresh Foods, Tap That Growlers or Benchwarmers Pub and Grill. They can be purchased at the gate for $50 the day of the festival.

Ticket holders will get a 12 ounce metal glass with a 4 ounce pour line for tasting beers at the festival.

There are also non-drinking passes available at a discounted price of $5 for designated drivers. Loveland Safe Ride will also be providing free rides.

VIP tickets are also available for $50. They include access to a special event from 6 to 9 p.m. with the brewers on the rooftop of Market Place Fresh Foods on Friday, Aug. 18. There will be a beer choir with Irish drinking songs and a food menu. There are also exclusive beers available at the VIP night.

Additionally, VIP ticket holders can enter the festival an hour before the fairgrounds open to the public on Aug. 19.