Portland International Beerfest

they are great aand fun to go to try out diffrent kinds of beer…

My favorite pdx beer fest just got better by moving to Holliday Park! Better crowd, easier transportation, triple the room, and a great layout led to a stellar weekend of amazing grown up beer and conversation. Can’t wait for next year!

I’ll just come right out and say it, this is my favorite beer festival. In a city where you can’t throw a rock during the summer without hitting a beer festival this is high praise!
I was skeptical about the venue change this year, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Holladay park doesn’t look like much generally, but it really made for a relaxing, shady venue. Shady being one of the key words here. It’s nice to have refuge from the direct sun while you enjoy beers from all over. Holladay is pretty sprawling in comparison with the old location in the park blocks. You feel more like you’re hanging out at the park that just so happens to have a ton of beers and less like you’re smushed up against your neighbor waiting for your next beer sample. Free parking and close proximity to the max are added bonuses.
The crowd is generally made up of beer connoisseurs drawn in by the impressive tasting list. This is a bit of a contrast from other beer fests where people just wanna drink hella beers! Don’t get me wrong, people come here to do some serious beer drinking, it just seems a bit more calm.
Lastly, but in no way the least PIB is a benefit for Pet Cross and they allow dogs! The few times I’ve gone they’ve always had a puppy petting zoo which is heartbreakingly adorable. My heart skips a beat when I think of the tiny corgi I had to talk myself out of jail breaking. Craft beers and puppy snuggles, for me that’s a done deal.
If you only make one beer festival, let PIB be the one!

PIB is about to surpass OBF for best brewfest in Oregon. Why? Cause they’re the chameleon of the beer festivals in that they ADAPT!
Back in the day, PIB was in the park blocks. Nice location, but it outgrew itself. The recent years were ass-​to-​ankles type busy-​ness. Instead of trying to continue to smoosh people over the years, PIB did something smart. They moved to a bigger locale in 2014. And the result? EXCELLENT.
There are a ton of beer choices here — more than OBF for sure. Many are more unique or things you may not have heard about. And they surely have brews you are familiar with! The tickets range from 1 – 7 tickets, though most are in the lower amount. Enjoy, splurge and it’s all a great time.
Let me go back to one thing — they moved to Holladay Park — right by the MAX/​LLoyd Center and the general consensus? Great! Larger space for absolutely everything! And easier parking/​easier transit travel/​nice space= win.
Honestly, this is becoming my fav beer fest. OBF was good, but they don’t give a shiz about anyone’s opinion (which is how they blow kegs daily so quick) and clearly PIB listened! I will give any beer fest 10 gold stars for listening, and improving on their status quo.
*Sidenote: The cost in 2010 was $ 25. The cost in 2014 is $ 25 for the same thing.

I’m getting too eld for beer fests and crowds anymore.
But this is oneof the better one in Portland.
No Kids allowed, but Doggies are welcome.
Great, rare int’l. beers that you can’t really find. People, Lines, not cheap, but it’s a funn’er festival.
Some live music, sunshine, and nice bank of porta potties. Oh, and if you keep your wristband on you can return the next day, just have to buy tickets for beer.
Cool collector beer glass. It’s small and cute.

BEERVANA
Every Oregonian knows that July = Beer Month. The Portland International Beerfest (PIB) is held every year on the second to the last weekend in July on the North Park Blocks in downtown PDX. I would have to say this is one of the top Beer Festivals that Portland has to offer!
PERKS
+ Cute 4 oz. glass for tastings
+ Prices are decent (see FYI)
+ Dogs are welcome
+ Decent selection of food carts/​vendors
+ Variety (lagers, IPAs, ciders, you name it!)
DIRTS
— They get more popular every year (sorry it’s not a secret)
— If you get here too late, they can run out of beer
— Prime times are on the late-​afternoons on the weekends (it’ll be a zoo)
FYI =
*Purchase your tickets online for a deal ($ 20 for a glass and 10 tokens; $ 35 for a glass and 30 tokens)
*Doggie kissing booth and animal adoption center
*Check out UnilocalTalk for a chance to win free tickets (my friend won tickets for two — 2 glasses and 20 tickets EACH)
*Parking on street (metered)
*Abundant porta-​pottys (which are surprisingly clean)
*4 ounce tastings range between 1 ticket to 7 tickets (depends on the vendor)
WORTH CHECKING OUT
Unilocal 2013 100+ Reviews Challenge (going for 200!) — Review #157

This is one of my top 3 beer festivals in PDX.
I come every year, but this year was comped by Unilocal,which made it even better. Nice tasting glass and 10 tickets to start off (we needed about 20 more between the two of us to taste everything we wanted)
Lots of old favorites and some great new beers to put on the list.
Went down on Friday night. lines were not short but not long, and we had the chance to meet lots of nice new people and discuss beers while waiting in line.
This year there were a TON of fruit beers in the lineup, some were great and some were so so, based on our sampling.
All in all, this is a great beer festival, not quite as big or crowded as some of the others and a great way to try some new beers you may not otherwise have the chance to.
Agree with the «Less Bro’s» comment.

Made in the shade.
Love:
— Even though it’s hot, there’s plenty of shade to cool down
— Quality musical entertainment
— Great international beer selection
— Good prices
— Not too big
— Way less bro’s than the Waterfront fests
Gripes:
— Totally jealous of the men’s «standing room only» port-​o-​potty (not the PIB’s fault: God’s mostly, or whoever)
— Gets busier every year
— They run out of some beer too soon (if you always run out early, why not just BRING MORE)
— Finding seating is tough, so prepare to stand
I love the PIB. It is my favorite of all of the fests of beer.

I love this beer festival. I love the little glasses, the great selection of beers, how intimate it is, and that it allows dogs! It’s a great spot for a beer festival that allows dogs, because there are so many trees, you get a lot of shade. This year they had live music for the first time which was awesome! We got there around 4:45pm on Friday and it was already packed to where we couldn’t find a table to sit at, but the beer lines weren’t long, so that was great! The bathrooms were also really clean and there were no lines there. Finally, a nearby table packed up to leave and we got it. They also gave us some of their extra tickets. We got a shady table that was near the stage. It was great! Our dog had fun, too!

I only paid $ 20, online and that covered my admission + glass and 10 drink tickets. I thought it was a great deal! My group and I arrived early (4:30pm) on Friday and we were able to taste a crap load of beer before the real rush of people arrived. There were no lines and the porta potty’s were still clean! After a couple hours, i had more than enough to drink and i found myself kissing puppies in their little booth. Did anyone else go to the puppy kissing booth? HAHA. The food selection was a little wack, except for the KOI truck of course. The parking was easy, the location was great, the only complaint i have is that it was way too small for me. We were kind of just walking in circles after our first round of beer’s. Also, the «3 ticket/​dollar» pint’s were the best deal of the weekend!

Great things come in tiny packages. This beerfest is small but awesome with a great location (parking was super easy), a top flight selection of beers and some very cool jazz bands. The venue is dog friendly including providing a drinking station for the dogs (water no beer). The folks that run the event and the vendors pouring the beer were all friendly. The vibe is very much Portland with a mix of ages although tending more to the 30 somethings than the older folks like myself. Make sure you are on public transportation or have a DD to take you home. I was more than a bit inebriated so the DD came in handy. I can drink a whole bunch but 10 to 12 beers (even though they are small) in the hot sun will do you in.

I really enjoy going to this festival. Honestly, I haven’t met a beer festival I didn’t enjoy. My husband and I like to plan for our festival admission ahead of time. We usually get the VIP admission for the PIB. $ 40 per person but you get 30 tickets, glass, and early entry. Also, if you keep checking sites like Livingsocial, you can often find admission deals to fests including this one.
The North Park Blocks are a great location for this festival because of all the shade trees. The festival doesn’t seem overcrowded but we get there early and I’m usually having a grand olé time by the time the masses arrive anyway. I have noticed with every passing year there seems to be more and more interest in craft beer, so I expect more and more people to flock to events such as this one. After all, all the cool kids are doing it… Didn’t you know? :)

I gotta admit, the $ 25 price of admission hurt a bit more this year than last. Lots of beers priced in the 3 to 5 ticket range, too. Ouch! Round two of the depression/​recession is coming, folks. Doncha read the papers? How about giving fellow beer lovers a f**king price break?
Nevertheless, we had a great time. I got way too buzzed. Getting off the bus near home, I asked my wife to get the wheelbarrow and tote me the rest of the way. She declined. Drat.
Lots of unique, never before tasted brews at this festival. Friendly yet semi-​serious beer drinking crowd. Not too crowded, with more than navigable lines at the taps.
i’ll definitely go again next year, as long as I have fiddy bucks to spare.

It’s no Oregon Brewers Fest but this laid back, pet friendly party in the Park Blocks it a good time had by all.
A sister festival to the Seattle version, the same beers (for the most part) pour at both about a week or two apart. The Portland version is in a smaller, but more shaded area and the vibe is all Portland.
Like with other beer gatherings, plan ahead and get there early if there’s a specific offering you want to try. You’ll find some limited brews that will go fast. Bottle or keg, there’s some good stuff here that maybe your old favorite or a new discovery. Branch out and try something new.
Food and games also fill the park along will full pour options from a limited selection. The trees keep the temp down but it can get warm. Dress accordingly with comfortable shoes. Yes there are tables but they fill up fast. Expect to be standing all day.
If you’re serious about drinking beer, you’re want to add the Portland International Beerfest to your list of events this summer. It’s not biggest but it’s well worth it. A wonderful time in the park and with dogs
Cheers!