As summer bleeds into fall, so does festival season. Why not add in a hop celebration before everything pumpkin and grapes begins?
That was the line of thought by the team at TopWire Hop Project, located in Woodburn. The popular beer garden’s first annual Oregon Hop Festival is scheduled at the premises on Sept. 7, from noon to 6 p.m. This family and dog-friendly event is expected to give folks a chance to bring together hop and craft beer enthusiasts while enjoying the beer garden.
It’s a celebration that invites the community to explore the heritage of hop farming in Oregon, especially as Crosby Hop Farm is a fifth-generation farm, said Christine Clair, vice president of marketing.
Hops are harvested once a year, for about 30 days, and the festival will be happening right in the middle of this period. This year’s harvest session begins Aug. 21 and once it is over, the hops will be processed into pellets through the winter.
Guests to the event can enjoy guided tours of the hop fields and processing facilities and sensory experience to smell and touch the freshly harvested hops. There will also be a curated beer list including the first fresh hop beers of the season and a special collaboration beer. Crosby Hop Farm has partnered with Russian River Brewing to debut an exclusive brew called Growers’ Tribute IPA, made exclusively with Crosby Hops. All guests will also receive a commemorative glass.