The 10th annual Oregon Garden Brewfest is taking place this weekend, and this is definitely one you are going to want to visit. I’ve attended the last two years (I’ve been fortunate to get a media pass) and I’m not missing this year’s either.

The venue is simply stunning: the Oregon Garden is an 80-acre botanical garden, featuring more than 20 specialty gardens showcasing an amazing variety of flora. You can spend hours roaming the gardens, and entry to the Garden is included with your Brewfest entry if you’re interested in checking it out. (You won’t be sorry.)

Here are the details for the Brewfest:

• Friday, April 25: noon to 11pm
• Saturday, April 26: noon to 11pm
• Sunday, April 27: noon to 5pm (minors welcome)

Advance admission (buy tickets online here):

• 1-Day Ticket: $15, includes admission on any single day, a tasting glass and 5 tasting tickets.
• 3-Day Ticket: $35, includes admission all 3 days, a tasting glass and 10 tasting tickets.
• VIP Ticket: $50, includes admission all 3 days, a tasting glass, 35 tasting tickets, a Brewfest T-shirt, and a voucher for one item at the Oregon Garden Resort food booth.

At the door:

• 1-Day Ticket (sold noon to 5pm Fri. & Sat., all day Sun.): $15, includes admission on any single day for all hours of the festival, a tasting glass and 5 tasting tickets. Must purchase before 5pm.
• 1-Evening Ticket (sold 5pm to 11pm Fri. & Sat.): $20, includes admission on any single evening, a tasting glass and 5 tasting tickets.
• 3-Day Ticket: $35, includes admission all 3 days, a tasting glass and 10 tasting tickets.
• Silverton Resident 3-Day Ticket: $25, includes admission all 3 days, a tasting glass and 10 tasting tickets. Must show proof of residency.
• VIP Ticket: $50, includes admission all 3 days, a tasting glass, 35 tasting tickets, a Brewfest T-shirt, and a voucher for one item at the Oregon Garden Resort food booth.
• Designated Drivers: $5 (includes a bottle of water)
• Minors: Anyone under 21 is not allowed on Friday or Saturday, but is allowed all day on Sunday (noon to 5pm). Minors are $5 on Sunday, and children 4 and under are free.
• Garden members receive a $3 discount on tickets purchased at the door. No discount is available online.

Tastes are one ticket each, with a full pour costing four tickets. You can buy additional tickets for $1 apiece (standard for brewfests).

There will be 65 breweries (as well as meaderies and cideries) offering some 130 different beers, ciders, and meads to sample. On top of that, they’ll have a “special” tap as well: “We will also have a rotating tap at the festival, presented by The Gallon House. Follow them on Facebook to find out what’s on tap throughout the festival!”

You can view the current beer list here (it’s a PDF); I’ll re-post that here soon, along with some suggestions to keep an eye out for. I don’t know what sort of beers will show up on this rotating tap, if they’re going to be something like the “X-Tap” that some festivals are using now, or what exactly. But worth keeping an eye on.

Keep an eye out for food, as well, an important part of any serious brewfesting. But remember, it is festival food, cart/booth style, with a limited variety of options so if you’re wanting something more substantial you can always head into Silverton and find a place to sit down for a meal as well (you have a number of good options just a few minutes away from the Garden). Here’s what they have listed for the fest:

• Adam’s Rib Smokehouse – BBQ & Pulled Pork Sandwiches
• Al Forno Ferruzza – Pizza
• Bakke Brothers Jerkey
• Cucajuba – Smoothies & Gyros
• Family Dogs Corn Dogs – Corn Dogs made with buffalo meat & organic cornmeal
• Northwest Cigars [Not food, but you’ll find this among them]
• Oregon Garden Resort – Poutine, Sausages & Smoothered Fries
• Perennial – Flatbreads
• Sweet Oregon Rain – Kettle Corn

Finally, Friday and Saturday there will be live entertainment, 12 bands in all across two stages:

Friday

• 5pm JSwift Band – Salem, Main Stage – A mix of modern country with alternative and classic rock influences
• 6pm Andrew Hussey & Marty Leeds of Jamalia – Eugene, Garden Stage – A unique blend of soul, wit and multi-layered harmonies
• 7:30pm Dead Wood Standing – Silverton, Main Stage – Loud, fast Americana with a slight garage rock/punk vibe
• 8pm The Great Hiatum – Eugene, Garden Stage – Dance rock collective
• 9:30pm Sassparilla – Portland, Main Stage – Indie Roots, Roots Punk, Americana
• 9:45pm Casey Neill & The Norway Rats – Portland, Garden Stage – Post-punk rock with elements of Scots/Irish tunefulness, feral abandon, and heartland rock

Saturday

• 5pm Melville – Portland, Main Stage – Indie rock founded on openness and a collaborative spirit
• 6pm Massy Ferguson – Seattle, Garden Stage – Americana that leans more toward rock than country
• 7:30pm Bike Thief – Portland, Main Stage – Indie Rock-Post Rock-Chamber
• 8pm Redwood Son – Portland, Garden Stage – West Coast Americana with hook-laden Roots-Rock and Alternative Country
• 9:30pm The Builders & The Butchers – Portland, Main Stage – Folk Rock
• 9:45pm Tango Alpha Tango – Portland, Garden Stage – A fusion of blues and rock with funky bass lines and psychedelic keys