Happy Eclipse Weekend Friday! I may or may not be online Monday so here is the news in Oregon beer for the weekend of August 18. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news, so check back often. And if you have news to share, please let me know and I can get that updated as well.

Here are the beer festivals taking place this weekend:

The inaugural Redmond Brewfest kicks off Friday the 18th and runs through Saturday the 19th. Going with an eclipse theme, this fest is featuring over 75 breweries and cideries pouring over 300 beers and ciders. It’s sure to be busy with the influx of eclipse tourists to the region, and if you haven’t picked up tickets yet, it costs $30 at the door which gets you the mug and five tasting tokens. Look for the specially-brewed eclipse beers!

The fourth annual Eastern Oregon Beer Festival takes place in La Grande on Saturday the 19th, starting at noon. “We will feature beers from breweries across Eastern Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, and beyond!! Live music, local crafts, great food and Q&A’s with brewers are all part of the biggest and best craft beer festival of Eastern Oregon. Everyone who purchases a General Admission (GA) or VIP tasting pass receives a commemorative glass tasting mug. Proceeds from this event will go towards community and business development, community events, and beautification projects.” $25 pre-sale and $35 at the gate. They will have about 30 breweries pouring with a nice eastern representation.

Portland U-Brew & Pub has their sixth annual Westmoreland/Sellwood Eclipse Beer Fest on Saturday, a family and dog friendly fest that takes place from noon to 10pm with local beer and live music. They’ve posted the tap list here, and the $20 entry includes the tasting glass and ten pours.

It’s not a brewfest per se, but Silverton’s Seven Brides Brewing is throwing their own “Eclipsefest” all weekend long and they have a bunch of events lined up, including “Drunk History,” brewery tours, a bloody mary breakfast and more.

Friday, 8/18

McMenamins Bagdad Theater (Portland) has their Feature Before the Film beer tasting from 5 to 8pm, featuring Miami Weisse from the Edgefield brewery: “Miami Weisse is a light, sour, German-style Wheat Beer with a South Beach twist. Pineapple puree and pineapple juice make this kettle soured Berliner Weisse tart, fruity and flavorful.”

McMenamins Old St. Francis School (Bend) has their O’Kanes Garage Series beer tasting, featuring throwback McMenamins recipes brewed as an homage to past influential McMenamins beers. Friday is White Tiger IPA: “The White Tiger IPA was first brewed at the Fulton Brewery in 1993 by longtime McMenamins employee John Richen, and it got some stellar reviews. By today’s standards this recipe is closer to an English IPA, complete with a spicy, floral bitterness and solid malt flavor. A plethora of Perle Hops were implored to give this beer great hop aroma and flavor. Enjoy the Tiger of today!” It takes place from 5 to 8pm.

Worthy Brewing (Bend): Their Worthy Eclipse Week continues through the weekend. Their Friday speaker is Scott Fisher PhD.: “Darkness in Daytime – the Upcoming Total Solar Eclipse” at 7:00pm: “Dr. Fisher will be giving a public-level talk about the eclipse in conjunction with the Worthy Garden Club and the Hopservatory. In this fun and informative talk Dr. Fisher will explain how eclipses occur, describe what we should expect to see, and talk about how to view the eclipse safely.” Good one to attend if you’re planning on watching the eclipse and need safety advice!

Wolf Tree Brewery (Seal Rock) is opening a tap room in South Beach (just south of Newport) and Friday is their grand opening! “Come join us for our opening weekend! Open Monday-Saturday 2-10pm, Sunday 12-8pm!! More information on hours, location and contact info can be found on our website under “Taproom Info.” Hope to see you all there! Cheers!”

Baerlic Brewing (Portland): Today they are releasing their Dark Thoughts Black IPA (which I believe I’d reported (incorrectly?) for the other day): “Seeing as this is one of our favorite beers AND it medaled at the Oregon Beer Awards this year, we decided to roll the dice and enter it into GABF 2017! So, that means that we get to release it out of season in Draft only. Come and drink it all really fast so you can convince us to brew this beer year-round! ABOUT THE BEER: Dark Thoughts Black IPA – 6.66% ABV and 66.6 IBUs of evil radness! Dryhopped with .666 lbs/BBL each of Columbus and Mosaic hops!”

Agrarian Ales (Eugene) is hosting a “Helping with Hops” fundraiser Friday from 5 to 8pm: “Join us at Agrarian Ales for farm fresh brews, food and soda all while supporting our local cancer patients! $1.00 from each pint of beer sold will benefit Oregon Cancer Foundation. Agrarian Ales is a family-friendly Hop Farm Brewery featuring seasonal beer, food, and fun. A true “table on the farm” experience.” You know what to do!

Rogue Ales (Newport): At their Bayfront Public House in Newport, Rogue is hosting a “Total Blackout” tapping and meet the brewer starting at 5pm: “Join us as we celebrate the impending splendor of TOTALITY on the Oregon Coast. Newport is our home and our inspiration for this Once in a Lifetime Brew. Which came directly from our unique geographic placement and the timing the upcoming Total Eclipse. Not for the faint of heart, Total Blackout is a blend of the strongest malty flavors you’ll taste on the Coast this year. Our BrewMaster, John Maier, called upon his homebrew pals from near & far to help create this one & done Strong Ale. Dedicated to the sun worshippers in all of us. Come raise a pint with us where it all began in Newport; at our Pub on historic Bay Blvd. Cheers!”

Saturday, 8/19

McMenamins 23rd Avenue Bottle Shop (Portland) is hosting a Ciders of Spain Sampling on Saturday from 2 to 4pm: “James Asbel, Ciders of Spain Importer and Distributor, will be on hand to introduce you to the company’s portfolio. Join us and you just might find a new favorite from the fruits of España!” Recommended to learn about some classic European ciders.

Worthy‘s Eclipse Week continues with two speakers: Joann Eisberg PhD., “Science in the Moon’s Shadow – a Brief History of the Science of Solar Eclipses” at 6:30-7:15pm, and Brad Hughes PhD., “The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence” at 7:30-8:15pm.

Sunday, 8/20

Worthy‘s Eclipse Week concludes with speaker Grant Tandy with two presentations: Sunday Solar 12-4pm and Starhop Night 9-11pm. “Grant’s love for astronomy began with his innate curiosity of the natural world, wondering how things work and why. Once discovering the vastness and wonder of astronomy it quickly became a passion for him, leading to a career in teaching public astronomy programs. Grant will lead a telescopic journey starting with our Sun for Solar viewing Sunday at Noon. Grant will also be offering a special open house viewing Sunday night, no need to register for this. Just show up the night of and take the stairs directly to the 3rd floor Hopservatory. Suggested $5 donation for visitors aged 7 and over. Kids free.”