The Bend Brewfest will not be returning this year.
Organizers posted an announcement on their Facebook page Monday, announcing the cancellation of the gathering which had been slated for Oct. 4-5 at Hayden Homes Amphitheater.
They noted that, “after much deliberation and effort to overcome various challenges,” they made the “difficult decision to cancel Brewfest.”
The festival was billed as the second-largest craft beer festival in the Pacific Northwest. Organizers say it was founded in 2003 and was a popular event each year through 2019. The pandemic forced the cancellation in 2020 and 2021. When it returned in 2022, a smaller version was held on the east side of the Deschutes River at the Old Mill District. It was canceled again in 2023, citing a “pause” until the event could return to the Hayden Homes Amphitheater.
Tickets for this year’s event went on sale in March and refunds are being issued.
Bend Brewfest donated part of their profits to local nonprofits.
Organizers say they remain hopeful the festival will return in the future.
It's at least the second cancellation of a Brewfest in Oregon this year. The KLCC Brewfest had been typically held in February in Eugene and served as a fundraiser for the station. KLCC cited "rising costs and recent market trends hitting the beer industry" as factors in its decision.
