Here is the news in beer from around Oregon for the week of April 21st. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the week, with general news first then broken out by day—so check back from time to time for updates. If you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

The Oregon Garden Brewfest kicks off this weekend in Silverton at the Oregon Garden—their 10th annual edition of this picturesque beer festival! It runs from noon to 11pm Friday and Saturday, and noon to 5pm Sunday. Admission is $15 for one day which gets you the tasting glass plus five tickets, and there are various price tiers if you’re planning on attending longer (and you can pre-purchase here). This is a great festival you’ll want to attend if you can. Keep watching the blog, I will be posting additional articles on the fest throughout this week.

Changes are in store for this year’s FredFest, taking place Sunday, May 4 at Hair of the Dog Brewing in Portland. The primary change is the splitting up the day into two sessions, the first from 1 to 4:30pm and the second from 5:30 to 9pm. The beers will be the same for both, and there is a limit of 300 tickets available for each, which cost $60 (available here). And from the press release: “While it started as a surprise 80th birthday party for the world-renowned Portland beer writer, FredFest has become a significant fundraiser for the nonprofit organizations that FredFest selects each year. This year’s fundraising recipients include:The Hair of the Dog “house” charity, Guide Dogs for the Blind; International Medical Corps, in memory of Mark Wilson, the husband of Hair of the Dog’s Wendy Sprints, and the Oregon Brew Crew’s OSU Bob McCracken Scholarship, for Fermentation Sciences students.” Get your tickets now if you want to attend!

Ninkasi Brewing (Eugene) is releasing the next beer in their Prismatic Lager Series to follow up their Pravda Bohemian-Style Pilsner: Lux German-Style Helles Lager. From the press release: “Known as Bavaria’s national beer, Helles Lagers define drinkability to the people of Munich. Brewed in the traditional German-style, this lager has a lightly-toasted, clean malt profile balanced by the addition of Noble German hops. After brewing, the beer is allowed to lager for eight weeks in Ninkasi’s cellar until it has reached optimal drinkability. The result is a crisp and defined lager.” It will be available in 12-ounce bottles and on draft from May through August.

Gresham’s 4th Street Brewing is closing their doors! Brewpublic broke the news yesterday and 4th Street confirmed it on Facebook. Their last day will be next Wednesday, April 30. Their statement: “Next Wednesday, April 30th will be our last day. We have truly enjoyed being a part of this great Historic Downtown Gresham community and want to thank all of you for your patronage and support over the years from the days of Main Street Ale House to the present day 4th Street Brewing Company. A new restaurant called “Senoritas” will be taking over the spot as of May 1st. Please come out and join us this Friday, April 25th from 4-9pm as we have a customer appreciation celebration with giveaways and happy hour prices all night long.”

Mazama Brewing (Corvallis) has a new beer available: Wizard Island Wit. It’s on tap at their taproom, a Belgian-style Witbier named after the island in the caldera of Crater Lake.

Wild River Brewing (Grants Pass) has a bottled beer available: “We bottled the Imperial IPA today in 22oz. bottles. Don’t think they’ll last long so get em while you can.”

Monday, 4/21

Belmont Station (Portland): From 5 to 7pm they are hosting San Francisco’s 21st Amendment Brewery for a tasting of the brewery’s Monk’s Blood: “After a break in 2013 where the Monk went into seclusion, 21st Amendment’s Monk’s Blood is back and we have a rare opportunity to taste this year’s version alongside the 2012 release. Both are on draft and will be pouring in the Biercafé. We will be offering a flight of both 2012 and 2014 Monk’s Blood along with Sneak Attack Saison (dry-hopped with whole organic cardamom pods) and Bitter American, a sessioni ale with a lot of hoppiness. Rep Sabrina Durham promises to offer some pretty cool swag, too!”

Tuesday, 4/22

Belmont Station has a tasting of Moonlight Mead from 5 to 8pm: “These luscious meads are guaranteed to turn heads. In the bottle shop, we will be tasting Kurt’s Apple, made from local apple cider with Madagascar-bourbon vanilla and Vietnamese cinnamon spice added; Sensual, a wildflower mead with a lasting finish; Desire, their flagship mead, a complex blend of blueberries, black cherries and black currants; and Wild, made from unprocessed wildflower honey and wild mountain blueberries.”

Cascade Brewing (Portland): Their Tap It Tuesday event at the Barrel House at 6pm is featuring “Live” Regina Cherry. “This NW style sour double red ale was barrel aged 18 months before additionally aging on 150 pounds of fresh Regina cherries for an additional nine months. Aromas of dark cherries and red wine are noticed up front. Bright oak and cherry skins combine on the palate and lead to a finish of rich dark cherry with a smooth lingering oak note. 9.3% | $8 Glass | $3 Taster”

Thursday, 4/24

McMenamins Highland Pub & Brewery (Gresham) has a special tasting and meet the brewer starting at 5pm featuring Highlander Wheat. “If you’re going to drink beer from McMenamin’s Highland Brewery it should have something from the old country in it. Here you have a delicious wheat ale infused with heather tips all the way from Scotland. A nice, light brew with a unique floral aroma you won’t get from hops, it’s sure to complement your spring afternoon. Feel free to wear your kilt with the pint, but please do not use it as an excuse to wield a broadsword in public.”

The Bier Stein (Eugene) is featuring an all-day community benefit: “Drink a beer, support the Washington Jefferson Skatepark! It’s that easy, as we’ll kickflip the proceeds of Caldera Pils and IPA to the Eugene Parks Foundation, which is raising funds for programs at the skatepark, such as summer camps and other events. The new skate park is pretty much complete at this point, and it looks super rad. The EPF is trying to keep the park safe by keeping it active!”

Belmont Station is holding an Original Sin cider tasting from 5 to 8pm: “In the bottle shop, we will be offering tastes of the new Cherry Tree plus the original Pear and maybe even a couple of surprises.”

Worthy Brewing (Bend) is releasing a new Triple IPA today: “Chad Kennedy, AKA “The Perfectionist,” is holding The Contender Triple IPA… to properly present the biggest, baddest IPA this brewery has ever seen. Keep an eye out for this pub-exclusive on April 24th.” Read more about it here.

Saturday, 4/26

The Bier Stein is hosting a beer pairing dinner with California’s Anderson Valley Brewing starting at 6pm. “It’s about time for another fabulous Back Bar Dinner, this time with Anderson Valley, and their brewer Fal Allen! Tickets are quite limited; you can buy them at the register. $60 including gratuity.” They are featuring six courses which sound fabulous; the menu is posted here.

Belmont Station: From noon to 2pm, they are holding Dutch King’s Day Celebration & Tasting with Artisanal Imports: “On April 30, 2013, the Netherlands will welcome its first male monarch since 1890: King Willem-Alexander! … We are going to be bright orange and barmy as well, with free orange giveaways from Artisanal Imports plus a tasting of several Dutch beers in the bottle shop and a couple on draft in the Biercafe as well. Come get your orange on and celebrate with the Dutch!”