Happy Friday! It’s the last day of June and we are kicking off the holiday weekend with the news from around Oregon. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news, so check back often. If you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

This weekend is the start of Oregon Craft Beer Month, which takes place all of July. The Oregon Brewers Guild organizes OCBM and according to the press release: “This year’s OCBM is chock-full, with 31 beer-filled days of over 450 beer-related events statewide. July is all about celebrating Oregon beer culture and supporting the state’s amazing breweries.” That’s a lot of events! You can look at the Guild’s list of events in this Google Doc, and plan accordingly.

The Portland Craft Beer Festival kicks off this Friday, June 30, and runs through the weekend to be the first big event of OCBM! This one takes place at Fields Neighborhood Park and costs $25 for the mug and 10 tasting tickets (which you can buy in advance online) with $1 per ticket afterward; the wristband and mug are good for the weekend if you keep them. The brewery (and cidery) list looks like a pretty representative example of many (most?) of Portland’s breweries, and includes breweries from the Columbia River Gorge this year.

Friday, 6/30

Silver Moon Brewing (Bend) is across the state today for their F* Cancer fundraising, at both Broken Top Bottle Shop in Bend and at The Bier Stein in Eugene. Here are the respective events:

• At Broken Top Bottle Shop, the fundraiser event runs from 5 to 7pm: “Help us raise money for the American Cancer Society by drinking beer! Because F* cancer! We’ll have Silver Moon Brewing’s F* Cancer IPA on tap, in the bottle, and merchandise with the F* Cancer logo on it. $1 of every beer goes to the ACS! Plus, we’ll have Silver Moon’s Tropical Zombie White IPA and Chapter 2 Casual Ale on tap. FREE samples of these from 5-8pm!”
• At the Bier Stein, the event is from 5 to 8pm: “Join us this evening to support the American Cancer Society and the Relay for Life in Eugene/Springfield! Silver Moon Brewing is donating $25 per keg and $1 per bottle of its F*Cancer IPA to the ACS Western Region. The Bier Stein will donate 100% of the net profits from the kegs of F*Cancer and an additional dollar per bottle sold to the Relay for Life in Eugene/Springfield. Representatives from the ACS will be selling F*Cancer glasses; those that purchase a glass will receive $1 off a half-liter of F*Cancer on tap! Our Silver Moon rep, Keenan, will be here slinging samples as well.”

Belmont Station (Portland) is welcoming Perennial Artisan Ales along with Fremont Brewing for a Perennial night from 5 to 8pm Friday evening: “Meet owners/founders Emily and Phil Wymore of Perennial and help them release their collaboration with Fremont Brewing: Barrel Aged Unicorn Tears Imperial Oatmeal Milk Stout with tart and sweet cherries. We will have Unicorn Tears on tap and bottles of it for sale starting at 5 p.m.”

Saturday, 7/1

Breakside Brewery (Portland) is celebrating Reds, Whites & Brews at their new Slabtown brewpub with a two-day party kicking off Saturday! “Summer is coming! So come down to Breakside’s new Slabtown brewpub for a Patriotic Block Party featuring our favorite friends in the beverage industry! Live music from the Kinky Brothers coupled with great refreshments: Reds, Whites & Brews is an unofficial showcase of what the great state of Oregon has to offer. This neighborhood block party is FREE to the public; while supporting two great charities in the Children’s Cancer Association & New Avenues for Youth. We’re excited to kick-off summer festivities while celebrating the birth of a nation. All ages welcome. Commemorative glassware +5 drink tickets: $15; Additional drink tickets are sold 5 for $10”

Rock Bottom Brewery (Portland) has $3 pints of Blueberry Ale for the 4th of July weekend: “Cheers to America! We are celebrating with $3 Blueberry Ale Pints all weekend long until the 4th of July. Hit the Blues Festival on the Waterfront and hop on up 2 blocks for your Blueberry Ale.”

Chetco Brewing (Brookings) will be at the Dog Days of Summer Brewfest in Brookings on Saturday: “Join us for the inaugrual Dog Days of Summer Brewfest! Craft Beer! Rescue Dogs! Food! Artisan Market! Craft Beer! Brew judging from Rock the Chetco! Dog games & fun! And did we mention there will be CRAFT BEER!? Proceeds benefit Wild Rivers Animal Rescue!”

Get on down to Block 15 Brewery in Corvallis on Saturday, for their Red, White & BOOM! + Summer Shortcake Release: “Join us at Block 15 Brewery & Tap Room on Saturday, July 1, for the release of two packaged beers—Red, White & BOOM! and Summer Shortcake. Both release beers will be available to purchase when the Tap Room doors open at 11:30am.”