Portland's SheBrew Fest grows bigger, better for its 8th year
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland has long had a reputation for being one of the best American cities for beer lovers. And during Women’s History Month, one event will focus on the city’s female-owned beer and cider brands.
This Sunday, the SheBrew Festival is returning to Portland for the 8th annual celebration of women in the brewing industry.
The event serves as a fundraiser for LGBTQ+ civil rights organization Human Rights Campaign and has grown from its first year in the Q Center with about 50 attendees to having more than 1,000 attendees at the previous festival in Castaway Portland.
This year’s fest will be held in its biggest venue to date: The Redd located in Portland’s Central Eastside.
Shannon Scott, Jenn McPoland and Christine Garcia are the three women working behind the scenes to make SheBrew Fest a success every year. Even though the event is a celebration of female brewers, the organizers ensure that it will be an enjoyable experience for all genders and all ages.
“It has a very different vibe than your typical beer fest,” McPoland said. “It’s very family-friendly. It's super chill. It's not about going and drinking a bunch. It's about going and connecting and also just trying some amazing stuff.”
With more than 40 professional brewers and six homebrewers expected at the event, McPoland says there will be everything from classic strong ales and Pilsners, to unique rainbow sherbet sours and watermelon cream ales with glitter.
Garcia, who says McPoland introduced her to the "underworld of homebrewing," utilizes her background in graphic design and project management to serve as the fest’s Chief Creative Agent.
According to Garcia, some of the best parts of the event are the ones that don’t necessarily center the beer and ciders.
“I personally love watching people come in and their interactions with the brewers,” she said. “I love to set up lots of family-friendly activities. There's a photo booth, I have all my own wacky props and I love to see everyone gathered for that and then there’s lots of games… I love to see how dynamic it can really be as opposed to just beer-focused.”
Additionally, the event will feature local vendors and women-owned food carts. SheBrew Fest’s many offerings and activities are why it has become the nation’s second-largest HRC fundraiser.
Stop by the event from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 5 in The Redd at
831 SE Salmon St.
One $30 general admission ticket includes a tasting card for all homebrews, 10 tasting tickets for the pro-brews and an annual HRC membership. The $60 VIP ticket includes all of that plus an hour of early admission, a SheBrew or HRC t-shirt, participation in the homebrewers competition and a commemorative glass.
Pre-sale closes on Friday afternoon around 3 p.m., and tickets will be $5 more at the door on Sunday.