Happy Friday, though it’s a mixed-blessing day—today is the last full day of Summer, so crack open a summertime beer before you swing in to the various harvest beers (even though those have already been hitting the taps). Here’s the news in Oregon beer for Friday the 21st and the weekend; as usual I will 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.

Tonight at 16 Tons in Eugene, Ninkasi Brewing and Elysian Brewing are teaming up for a special pumpkin beer release and tasting tasting featuring the (first ever?) pumpkin IPA collaboration beer from the two breweries, Hop Squash IPA! In addition, Elysian’s new Apocalypse series beer, Blight Pumpkin Ale, will be on tap as well. Here’s the description of the two beers: “Blight is an ale of pumpkin, brown sugar and a fiery jolt of Vietnamese hot cinnamon.  Hop Squash IPA is brewed by Elysian/Ninkasi with pumpkin, Sorachi Ace and Motueka hops.” The fun lasts from 6 to 9pm tonight and there will be plenty of other special beers on tap too, so you’ll definitely want to be a part of this!

Seven Brides Brewing (Silverton) has their annual Septoberfest Fresh Hop Beer Festival tomorrow, Saturday the 22nd at their brewery, all day from 11 to 11—the first fresh hop fest of the season! With 15+ breweries, live music, great food, and more, it’s going to be a fun day with plenty of fresh hops abounding. Cost is $5 to enter plus $10 for the tasting glass and 4 tickets (additional are $1 each), and all the proceeds are benefiting the non-profit Brides Against Breast Cancer, as does the “wedding dress drive” Seven Brides is holding as well: “Anyone that has a wedding dress to donate that meets the donation requirements will be given complimentary entry and a special gift from Seven Brides.”

Saturday is also the day of the (sold out) Fresh Hop Workshop taking place in Portland at Saraveza, presented by Portland Beer Week: featuring four of the first fresh hop beers of the season with the brewers on hand to talk about the beer and brewing with wet hops. The workshop is very interactive, bringing the essence of hops to the attendees, and other specials guests will be on hand to talk lupulin. It starts at 6pm and if you’ve got tickets, it should be a very interesting experience!

And speaking of fresh hops, next Saturday, the 29th, Sisters is holding its Fresh Hop Festival and they are still looking for volunteers, as Three Creeks Brewing posted yesterday: “Hey TCBC Fans, just a little reminder that the Sisters Chamber of Commerce is looking for a few more volunteers to pour at the 3rd annual Fresh Hop Festival. Sign up before Monday and take part in the official beer training for volunteers at the pub Monday night at 6 p.m. You’ll probably learn a thing or two about beer, and fresh hop brews in particular.” If you’re interesting in volunteering, you should be able to contact jeri@sisterscountry.com or call 541-549-0251 to get in on that.

More fresh hops! Today is the official release day for McMenamins‘ Thundercone Fresh Hop Ale! All the the participating McMenamins breweries coordinate their efforts on this to release at all locations on the same day, which might seem a bit daunting when you realize how many different breweries are actually involved: “Throwing caution to the wind, 30 pounds of fresh Cascade hops are frantically delivered to over 22 McMenamins Breweries all over Washington and Oregon.  Each and every batch of  Thundercone is brewed within hours of the hops being picked off of the vine.  This is a daunting task but one that our brewers feel is well worth the monumental coordination involved.”  The beer itself is essentially a fresh hop pale ale that weighs in at 6.19% abv. Go get some!

Belmont Station (Portland) is celebrating Oktoberfest all this weekend (and in fact, tomorrow is the official first of Oktoberfest), and it’s going to be a party: “Throw on your lederhosen and kick off Oktoberfest with Belmont Station, an all weekend event with DAS BOOT! and special keg tappings. Drafts will include Heater Allen Bobtoberfest, Warsteiner Oktoberfest, Weihenstephaner Festbier, Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest, and Bayern Oktoberfest. Enjoy a flight of all five, or if you’re really feeling German have an Underberg and DAS BOOT!”

Burnside Brewing (Portland) is doing a tap takeover tomorrow (Saturday) at the Landmark Saloon in Portland from 2 until 10pm and they’re planning a great tap list: “We’re breaking out some killer Burnside Brews including our new Fresh Hop Sterling Pub Draught & Plum Gose, in addition to the super rare Rum Barrel Aged Red Light District.”

Pelican Pub & Brewery (Pacific City) is looking to expand with a second brewery, and the news came out today (as well as on the Pelican blog) that they have selected the brewery site in the city of Tillamook, 25 miles up the coast. “The owners of Pelican Brewing Co. … have entered into an agreement with Star Distributors, Inc. of Tillamook to lease the Star Distributor building on Stillwell between Front & First Ave. No restaurant is planned for this site, but a tasting room may become part of the plan in the future. The production brewery will initially double the brewing capacity of the Pacific City based business, to about 9,000 barrels per year, with plenty of room for growth in the coming years.” Tentative target opening date is June 1 of next year.