TGIF, happy Friday, and all that good stuff—there’s beer at the end of the tunnel! Here’s the news and happenings for the first weekend of October. 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.

It’s a fresh hop weekend! At Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, the 12th annual Portland Fresh Hop Fest is taking place today and tomorrow (October 2 and 3), offering free admission though you’ll need to purchase a glass and tickets to sample the many beers available. (You can pre-purchase tickets online here.) They’ve got the program with beer list and descriptions online (PDF) and it looks great; and on Saturday there will also be a homebrewing demo with Portland U-Brew. It’s a great weekend to be in Portland!

If you’re down in the Eugene/Springfield area on Saturday, be sure to check out the inaugural Springfield Fresh Hops Festival, put on by Claim 52 Brewing and Plank Town Brewing. “The Springfield Fresh Hop Festival will be from noon – 9 pm @ Sprout!, at the corner of 4th and A streets in downtown Springfield, just two blocks from the bus station. Lane Transit District is offering FREE BUSS PASS coupons to make it easy and safe for attendees to get to and from the festival. Admission is $10 for a special event glass and three taster tickets. Live music, great food from local food vendors and on-site screen printing of t-shirts will make for a fun-filled day. 21 and over please.” They will have 24 craft breweries and cideries represented.

Ecliptic Brewing (Portland) issued a press release yesterday about their collaboration beer with Cigar City Brewing, Ellipsing the Sun, which was released this week: “The full-flavored ale was brewed with peaches, apricot, lemon and juniper, and aged in white wine barrels. Harris and Cigar City Brewing’s Wambles previously collaborated in 2013 on Illuminating the Path, which was brewed and released in Cigar City Brewing’s hometown. During the 2015 Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) in Portland, Ore., Harris and Wambles got started on the creation of Ellipsing the Sun. The aged ale combines the delectable flavors of citrus, peach, apricot and juniper and the aroma of white wine. ABV: 9%” Keep an eye out for this one!

Oh, and today is apparently the second anniversary of Ecliptic’s first official brew! Congrats!

Hopworks Urban Brewery (Portland): Their winter beer, Organic Abominable Winter Ale, is back and being release this weekend at the Handmade Bike & Beer Festival taking place Saturday and Sunday at Hub! Abominable is a seasonal favorite, and in addition to it there will be several other related releases this weekend: “HUB will also tap Abominable variations including: Cinnabom, an Imperial Abominable aged on Cinnamon, and an Imperial Abominable aged on Cedar.” And you’ll want to check out the Bike & Beer fest as well, described as: “The festival features over thirty custom bike frame and parts builders showcasing their handmade bicycles, local brewers pouring refreshing hand-crafted beer, along with bike performances, live music, fun and games for all.”

Block 15 Brewery (Corvallis): Fans of Block 15’s Sticky Hands IPA series rejoice: they are releasing this beer in cans, starting this weekend! “Our canned Sticky Hands line is dropping this weekend! Cans will be available at the tap room on Saturday, and both locations on Sunday. $3.25 per can, $13 per 4-pack. Limit of 12 cans per person.” Plus they will now be releasing Sticky Hands every two weeks or so, not just once a month.

Portland’s the Willamette Week alt-weekly is hosting their 3rd annual Willamette Week Beer Pro/Am event on Saturday the 3rd; here’s the details from the New School: “Homebrewers and pro brewers have collaborated to attempt to win the public and critics votes as the best beer of the fest. Tickets are now on sale for the biggest year yet of the Pro/Am now, which is moving to a better location at the former Metalcraft Fabrication warehouse (home of the annual springtime Cheers to Belgian Beers festival) at 723 N. Tillamook Street nearby Widmer Brothers and Upright Brewing and right on the MAX transit line. Wristbands are $27 and are all inclusive, which means you get a sample of each of the 20 beers, a Chipotle burrito and commemorative Pro/Am pint glass.” Purchase tickets here.