When Corvallis Beer Week launched in 2011, Jacob Oliver remembers the fun of it all. At the time, he worked for the locally owned Block 15 Brewing and would take the whole week off work so he could bounce between tap takeovers, game nights hosted by local brewpubs, and other fun events that celebrated the community’s burgeoning craft beer scene. "It was something we looked forward to every year," he says. "It was such a fun kind of community focused around craft beer."
The COVID-19 pandemic forced Corvallis Beer Week to take a break, but Oliver never forgot how much fun he’d had before the world shut down in 2020. In early 2021, he and his wife opened Common Fields—a food cart pod, beer bar, and event space housed in a former auto shop just south of downtown Corvallis—and began dreaming up the return of the vaunted celebration.
This summer, it’s happening: Common Fields took over organizing the long-standing celebration, and Corvallis Beer Week will return with more than a dozen events between August 25 and Sept. 2, 2023. Taking place across two weekends, the fun will include beer pairings, an outdoor movie, innovative drink specials, and a pair of festivals to showcase the region’s acclaimed craft beers. “If we're gonna do Beer Week, we want it to feel special,” says Oliver, co-owner of Common Fields and Corvallis Beer Week organizer. “We want people to look at each one of our events and say, ‘Oh, I wanna go to that.’”
So as you make plans to attend Corvallis Beer Week this summer, here’s a look at some of those events—and what to expect from the proceedings.
Corvallis Beer Week began in 2011 as a celebration of the area’s ground-breaking craft breweries—from the historic Oregon Trail Brewery (a local stalwart since 1987) to the buzzy Block 15 Brewing (which produces a wide-ranging lineup of creative ales and lagers). The fun typically included tap takeovers, festivals, games, and other fun events throughout Corvallis.
The onset of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 put a kibosh on large, indoor gatherings—traditionally the backbone of Corvallis Beer Week—and the annual event was put on hold until the hospitality industry could rebuild and it was safe to congregate.
After opening Common Fields in early 2021, Oliver took over Corvallis Beer Week and is officially bringing it back from August 25 to Sept. 2, 2023.
Whether you’re familiar with past Beer Weeks or are new to the fun, you may notice plenty of changes in 2023. Here’s a rundown of what’s new for Corvallis Beer Week this year:
Overlapping events: Oliver intentionally curated the Corvallis Beer Week schedule so none of the 14 events directly overlap—which means craft beer fans don’t have to miss a minute of the fun.
Types of events: In developing the week-long schedule, Oliver noticed that tap takeovers seemed to be popular at other Beer Weeks throughout the region and across the United States. (For the uninitiated, tap takeovers are when a single brewery occupies many, if not all, of the taps at a specific pub on a single night; these are occasionally accommodated by drink specials and prize giveaways.) Oliver wanted to give visitors a bit more variety, however, which is why you can enjoy beer floats one night, tour a local brewery the next evening, follow that up with a six-course dinner, and even take part in a cribbage tournament.
Festivals: Septembeerfest, put on by the Heart of the Valley Homebrewers club, has long been a mainstay of Corvallis Beer Week—and will remain so, taking place on August 26, 2023. Joining the fun this year will be the Oktoberfest celebration at Common Fields; the two-day affair, happening Sept. 1-2, 2023, will feature German-inspired beers from regional producers, live music, and even a stein-holding competition.
In all, more than a dozen events will take place over nine busy days. We couldn’t begin to list them all, but here are a few fun highlights:
Festival kickoff: Celebrate the return of Corvallis Beer Week on August 25, 2023, with a parade around downtown Corvallis and a kickoff party at Common Fields.
Behind-the-scenes tours: Oregon State University's Fermentation Science program has produced some of the region's best brewers—and on August 28, visitors can learn about the surprising science behind their favorite beer with exclusive facility tours. Later that evening, tours of Block 15 Brewery will be offered—along with casual beer tastings—for a fun look at Corvallis’ biggest brewery.
Cocktails: On August 30, enjoy creative cocktails made with craft beer—yes, you read that correctly—at Kingfish Lounge, mere steps from the Willamette River in downtown Corvallis.
Ready to attend? Check out VisitCorvallis.com or the Corvallis Beer Week Facebook page for updates, a full list of events, and other news as the festivities approach.
Article by Matthew Wastradowski. Photo by Molly Burmea (@frizzstudio). Keep up with Corvallis news, events and happenings by signing up for our email newsletter.
