Happy Friday, and happy last day of February! Here’s the news in Oregon beer for the weekend going into March. I may be away from the computer much of today, so whether I’m able to update this post frequently or not is an open question, but check back occasionally just in case. If you have news to share, please contact me and I’ll see about getting that posted as well.

Earlier in the week I reported on the Lucky Lab‘s Barleywine fest and mistakenly said it was Saturday only. Not so! The Lab’s 15th Annual Invitational Barley Wine and Big Beer Tastival runs today and tomorrow, and features a lineup of some of the best big beers you can imagine in one location! It runs from noon to 10pm each day. “We have a total of over 50 beers so far! We will have about 25 on tap at any one time and we rotate through as the event progresses. An event glass and two tasting tokens are just $10 and extra tickets are $1.75 each (you’ll need double tickets for special rare beers).” This is definitely one of the best events going on this weekend, bar none!

Migration Brewing (Portland) has a special release today starting at 4pm for their Renewable Hoptions Kolsch: “Migration Brewing is excited to be partnering with the Renewable Northwest Project to bring you a special collaboration ale we’re calling “Renewable Hoptions: Cures Watt Ales You.” Renewable Northwest Project is celebrating 20 years of advocacy for more renewable energy across the northwest. 20 years ago, we had zero megawatts of renewable energy in the region. Today, because of the work of RNP, we have over 7,600 megawatts. That’s enough to serve over 2 MILLION homes. And that’s worth celebrating. This kolsch-style ale features donated knapweed honey from Montana and wheat and rye berries from here in Oregon. So please join us in celebrating this wonderful organization, taste the amazing new Kolsch made with Pacific NW ingredients and meet the talented folks from Renewable Northwest Project.”

Saturday is The Green Dragon‘s 7th annual Firkin Fest taking place from 11am until 6pm—another great Portland festival! “The event will feature firkin beers from 30 of Oregon’s top breweries – Firkin beers are unpasteurized, unfiltered, naturally carbonated in the cask and served at cellar temperature. Artisan cheeses, chocolates, meats, and snacks will accompany.There will be an AM and a PM session as in previous years: Session 1 runs from 11am to 2pm, and Session 2 runs from 3pm to 6pm. The VIF (Very Impressive Firkin) Session runs from 2pm to 4pm. VIF will include 2 unique firkins and will take place in the Barrel Room adjacent to Buckman Botanical Brewery and will also include barbecue oysters, Olympic Provisions Rogue Sausages and more. Tickets for VIF also include admission to Session 2 of the general event.” Purchase tickets online here.

Golden Valley Brewery (Beaverton) has their epic Brewers Dinner taking place tomorrow at their Beaverton Pub—seven courses and 10 beers, starting at 7pm and all for only $45 per person. If you want in (and you should), call 503-972-1599 to find out about reservations.

Portland U-Brew & Pub (Portland): They’ve got a single-hop tapping event going on all day tomorrow: “We brewed three single hop IPAs made with Mosaic, Falconers Flight, and Galaxy hops. Three 4 oz samples for $4.00 and possible music planned.”

N.W.I.P.A. (Portland) is putting on their own fest tomorrow: a Triple IPA Fest! “Pulling out all the stops for this one! Barley Browns Super Slapper, Boneyard’s Notorious, Beer Valley H.P.F.M, Moylan’s Hop Craic and Six Points Hi Res!” If you’re looking for big hop bombs tomorrow, that’s the place to be.

Block 15 Brewery (Corvallis) is celebrating their 6th anniversary tomorrow! Talk about sneaking under the radar! For the day they’ve “put together food and beer specials highlighting the local bounty that influences and inspires” them. Look for a special edition of their Sticky Hands with locally-grown hops, and their Chardonnay Wild Ale, a Brett-infused farmhouse beer aged in oak barrels with Chardonnay grapes. If you’re in the Willamette Valley tomorrow be sure to swing by Block 15 if you can to help them commemorate 6 great years.

Harvester Brewing (Portland): They posted some news on upcoming beers appearing soon, which will include “a batch of IPA No. 2 made with fresh pineapple and a pale ale spontaneously fermented in the brewery office.” Definitely some bold beers coming from Oregon’s only all-gluten-free brewery!

The Bier Stein (Eugene) tomorrow is hosting a four-year vertical tasting of Firestone Walker‘s Sucaba barleywine: “Our Style of the Month for March is Barleywine, and what better way to kick it off than with four years of a barrel-aged big one? Savor the complexity of malt and barrel, and taste the flow of time; barleywines are one of the few styles that will age well for many years. Sucaba (formerly known as Abacus) is no exception; the beer is carefully crafted with aging in mind. We’ll have the Sucaba flights and several more Firestone beers on tap all day! Be sure to check out our March Pairing Menu, which will also be making its debut.”

Worthy Brewing (Bend): Today’s Firkin Friday beer (which starting pouring at 4pm) is “Imperial IPA with Wakatu and Kohatu hops from New Zealand” served up in a firkin cask all evening long until cask is blown. Oh and pints off the firkin are only $3!

The Mountain Jug (Sunriver) is celebrating their first anniversary this Sunday, March 2nd! To commemorate the occasion they will offer what I believe is the first non-Central-Oregon beer on tap: “We will be celebrating with a Salted Carmel Stout guest tap from Breakside Brewery in Portland. Also, Suge Knite Imperial Stout from Boneyard Beer will be available for growler fills until the keg is finished.” The Mountain Jug has been doing a great job offering up great beer in Sunriver, so if you can be sure to show them some love this Sunday.

Santiam Brewing (Salem): They have a new beer release tomorrow: “Tomorrow, is the first Saturday of the month and therefore a beer release day. We enjoin you to try our newest creation, Union Pinot Porter, a union of grapes and barley. 6.3% ABV 27 IBU. Malty with a hint of acidity and beautifully balanced. Don’t forget this is the only day of the month that we sell pint punchcards, so if you don’t get down here tomorrow and get one don’t say you weren’t warned.”