22nd Annual Gorge Blues & Brews Festival

Stevenson’s signature event returns for its 22nd year. Mark your calendars now for Friday and Saturday, June 26-27 when Gorge Blues & Brews Festival hits the Skamania County Fairgrounds in Stevenson, Washington. We will celebrate 22 years of musical genius, award-winning craft brews and fabulous food in the spectacular setting of the Columbia River Gorge.

Start your weekend off right on Friday night when we feature all things local from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Walking Man Brewery, Backwoods Brewing and Thunder Island Brewing will be pouring their tasty brews and there will be a nice selection of local wine. Tasty barbecue will be available, hot off the grill, from the Stevenson Eagles Lodge and Stevenson High School Senior Parents. Bring your boogie shoes because some of the best of our home grown musicians, Johnny Lyle Dodds and Skamaniaxe, will have you on your feet all evening. Admission is free! Camping is available onsite so plan to come early and stay late. Campsites can be reserved in advance via http://www.tickettomato.com/event_group.php?gid=56.

On Saturday, the festival is packed with excitement from noon until 10:00 pm. It is a well known fact that the best brews in the Northwest can be sampled at this festival so choose carefully – you will run out of room long before you run out of choices. 16 regional craft breweries will be onsite from the well known Walking Man and Full Sail Ale to the brand new Beerded Brothers. If it is wine that you prefer, five of the best regional wineries will be pouring. In 2015, Stevenson’s brand new Jester & Judge Cider will join us and locally made whiskey may be sampled from Skunk Brothers Spirits.

Along with our traditional summertime barbecue entrees, we will have a multitude of phenomenal flavors to mix and match with your beverages including Greek gyros and baklava, gourmet burgers, exotic sausages, homemade pies and of course, barbecue.

Continuous live blues music will fill the air with bands on two stages and this year’s line-up is impressive. Headlining is Patrick Lamb and the Funkified Band. The day will be filled with the sounds of Lloyd Jones and the Struggle, Jimmy Lloyd Rea and the SwitchMasters, Bill Rhoades and the Party Kings/Queens featuring D.K. Stewart, The Bottle Neck Blues Band featuring Robbie Laws, Rae Gordon and Big Monti. Closing the night with true boogie music is J.R. Sims. In between the sets on Riverview Community Bank main stage, local musicians and bands will perform on the Big River Grill stage.

Admission is open to those 21 years and over only on both Friday and Saturday, no minors will be allowed on the festival grounds. The cost for admission on Saturday is $20 per person and includes a commemorative beer mug or wine glass. Drink tokens are available for purchase at $1.00 each for tasting or to fill your glass. Cash only will be accepted at the gate with two ATMS onsite.  Purchase your tickets in advance to avoid waiting in line and we will throw in five free drink tokens! Go to www.gorgebluesandbrews.com. No coolers or dogs on the event site please.

Gorge Blues & Brews Festival is organized by the Stevenson Business Association. Sponsors include Riverview Community Bank, iQ Credit Union, McCoy-Holliston Insurance, Best Western PLUS Columbia River Inn, Columbia River Disposal, Big River Grill, Bi-Coastal Media, Timberlake Campground & RV Park, Skamania County and the City of Stevenson. Volunteers are still needed so call 509-427-8911 or e-mail info@skamania.org to schedule a two-hour shift now. Volunteer positions include pouring beer or wine or cashiering and gain you free admission, five drink tokens and our undying gratitude.

Call the Skamania County Chamber of Commerce at 800-989-9178 with more questions. For camping information, call Skamania County General Services at 509-427-3980. We look forward to seeing you in the most scenic venue in the Gorge, the Skamania County Fairgrounds, 650 SW Rock Creek Drive in Stevenson, Washington on June 26 and 27!