2024 Bend Brewfest Has Once Again Been Canceled
What was to take place from October 4 – 5 this year, the 2024 Bend Brewfest has been cancelled for the second consecutive year. Anyone that has purchased ticket packages will be automatically refunded within the next 30 days.
“It’s a heartbreaking decision,” said Beau Eastes, Marketing Director for the Old Mill District and Hayden Homes Amphitheater, in a prepared statement. “Supporting the craft beer industry over the years has been a major point of pride for us. We really wanted to bring Brewfest back in all its glory. Unfortunately, to be able to put on the festival to our standards, there were just too many hurdles.”
The Bend Brewfest was founded in 2003 and was held annually at the Hayden Homes Amphitheater every August through 2019. The three-day festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and a smaller, two-day version of the event was held on the east side of the Deschutes River in the Old Mill District in 2022. Last year the Brewfest was postponed, likely due to the hefty concert season at the venue, with the goal of bringing it back to the amphitheater in 2024.
“This isn’t a decision we take lightly,” stated Eastes. “We’ve put a significant amount of time and resources into trying to resurrect Brewfest following the pandemic. At this point of time, though, it’s just not feasible.”
Festival organizers remain hopeful that Brewfest, which has raised more than $150,000 for local non-profits since its inception, will return in some form in the future.
“We love this event, it’s something we’ve been honored to host over the past 20-plus years,” Eastes said. “And we’ll do everything in our power to see that it comes back in a safe, stable and sustainable form.”
About The Author
DJ
D.J. is a Portland, Oregon based writer that spent his formative years in the Midwest. With over 25 years under his belt of drinking beer at festivals across America and the world, he has developed a strong appreciation and understanding of craft beer and the industry that surrounds it. He can be found in any of the great breweries or beer bars that make Portland the best beer city in the world. His writing can also be found in the archives of Northwest Brewing News and can be followed on Twitter and Instagram at @hopapalooza.