Happy Friday! It’s the start of Labor Day weekend as well as the end of August, so I hope you have some fun beer plans for the holiday—I plan to hit up Bend’s Little Woody! Here’s the news for Friday and the weekend. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so check back often for the latest news. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated as well.

Of course Bend’s Little Woody Barrel-Aged Brew & Whiskey Festival starts today and runs through tomorrow: one of Central Oregon’s best beer events, featuring 19 mostly-local breweries offering up specialty beers all aged in wood in some way—and there’s also a special whiskey tasting to complement the wooded beers. It takes place at downtown Bend’s Des Chutes Historical Museum from 5 to 10pm today, and noon to 10pm Saturday (tomorrow), and in addition to beers will feature live music, a special tug-of-war tournament, food, and more. Go here to buy tickets or it’s $7 ($15 for a package) at the door. This is definitely a premier event to attend so if you can get to Bend you have to go!

1188 Brewing (John Day): Today is their first official day open to the public! 1188 is a small brewpub/nanobrewery located right on the main drag through Eastern Oregon’s John Day, on Highway 26, and I believe it could be the first brewery ever there (though I’d have to check my books to know for sure)—it’s certainly the first one in our modern brewery revival era. Not to mention now officially the newest brewery in Oregon! (By my tally anyway.) I’m looking forward to visiting them sometime!

Portland U-Brew & Pub is having a Fresh Hop Harvest & Brewing Party tomorrow (Saturday) at their SE Milwaukee location in Portland, all day from 11:30 to 8pm: “We will be harvesting 6 hop plants that we grew out back (donated from Papa Paul). Also we will be harvesting John Foyston’s hops from his back yard. Come smell the freshness!” This could make for a fun day, and I’m sure Foyston will write about it in his Oregonian column.

If you can’t make it to Bend for The Little Woody, check out Roscoe’s in Portland today and tomorrow: it’s their Sour Beer Summit this weekend, featuring 14 sour/wild beers on tap! “Some of the breweries (and beers) that will make you pucker will include: The Commons (Beer Royale), Solera, EvilTwin (Justin Blabaer), Russian River, Bear Republic, Tilquin, Degarde, 10 Barrel (Apricot Sour), Bridgeport (2009 Cherry Sour), and more! Just so we don’t leave out the hop-heads we will also be tapping kegs of Bear Republic Cafe Racer 15 and AleSmith IPA.” You’ll be able to get individual glasses as well as taster trays.

The Wet Dog Café / Astoria Brewing (Astoria) has a new canned beer now available: “World famous artist…Don Nesbitt …labeling… TROLLEY STOP STOUT, honoring 100 year old “Old 300″ Astoria Riverfront Trolley.” Handsome looking labels, fairly unique among canned beers from what I’ve seen.

Fresh Hop Watch™: Got a few more sightings today!

• Portland Brewing (Portland) visited Goschie Farms for their hops: “We took a ride to Silverton to pick up 75 pounds of fresh, whole cone Cascade hops for this year’s batch of Mac’s Wet Hop Amber Ale.”
• Ninkasi Brewing (Eugene): They also hit up Goschie Farms in Silverton: “We just left Goschie Farms with 500lbs of fresh Sterling hops. They are going straight into the lauter tun! Time to release the fresh hopped goodness.”