Why I’m not going to the OBF this year…
I’m a beer snob. Prefer to buy locally when I can. Helped organize a pubcrawl last week for 55 out-of-town conference-goers, to rave reviews. Won major brownie points with clients when I directed them to the best spots in town (and away from the tourist-y places.)
And yet, I’m absolutely, positively not going to the Oregon Brewer’s Festival this week - even while I lobby to get next year’s conference moved to coincide with the 2007 festival dates, no less.
Why? Three reasons:
- I hate crowds
- I hate lines
- In fact, I’m not too terrifically fond of people, if I’m really being truthful here
Sure, I’ve tried to go to the OBF, hoping against hope that my love of beer would make those factors more, uh, palatable. But after I almost passed out during one mid-90-degree session under a festival tent (with beery-breathed hordes pushing and shoving and sweating on me, no less), well - I’ve learned that it’s best to take a pass. Besides - I never manage to get to the front of the line to try the beers I’m really interested in before they run out, it seems.
But I have my backup plan - a nicely deserted air-conditioned bar, a glass or two of decent beer, my ever-reliable Wifi connection, and my RSS reader trained on this site: Jeff Alworth’s Beervana.
It’ll be just as good as being there I’m betting…
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That is exactly why I quit going to the OBF on Saturdays and Friday evenings. I’ve been religiously taking the Friday afternoon off from work for years and I’ve thoroughly enjoy the very small crowd. I typically get out of there on Friday around Happy hour when the crowd really starts to thicken.
Then it’s back on Sunday around noon. Downside to Sunday is some of the beers are out. But it’s a very mellow crowd at that time.
I’ve only ever missed OBF twice in its existence (the fest began fortuitously the year I turned 21): in 1991 for no apparently good reason I left town; and then in 2004 I was prepping for the bar exam the following Tuesday-Wednesday so I decided not to tempt myself.
Hmm…taking time off work? Hadn’t thought of *that* approach…!
That’s what I do as well. Take a 1/2 off from work on Friday, go to the OBF before the crowd arrives. Doesn’t get any better.
Go for it Betsy! My whole office shuts down on Friday to head over there. We could hang out! (:
I’m with you, Betsy, on all three reasons. But like Hilsy, I’ve been going since the early nineties, and I also always go on Friday at noon. It’s no longer the secret it once was–by threeish things are starting to get rowdy–but it’s still a great way to spend a Friday afternoon. If you play your cards right, by about three, you’ve had enough Pliny the Elder that the frat-boy scene doesn’t dispirit you beyond reason. As an inverterate bastard, I’m surprised to find myself hooting with the crowd.
Blame it on Pliny.
However, as if to abet your plan, I’ll mention that I plan to have video up of the fest sometime this weekend or early next week. Virtual beerfesting may be just as fun if done from a pub!
I too am not fond of crowds, lines, and sometimes people - but with the right planning OBF can still be great .
- We traditionally arrive at OBF right as the gates open on Sat at noon.
- We come with a cooler full of water and snacks.
- We come with boards games, decks of cards, bubbles, and whatever else strikes our fancy for the day.
- We snag a table on the edge of a tent, so that we’re under the shade, yet not in the sweaty throngs and you can get a breeze on occasion.
- We hit the popular beers first before the crowd really starts to swell around 3 or 4 pm - and we stay until the taps close.
Throughout the day we’ll have anywhere from two or three - up to 20+ friends at our table - but strangers are always welcome to sit down, become friends, and join us in a game of poker (for tokens of course.)
That being said - good frends have scheduled their wedding for Saturday, so we’ve all taken Friday off of work and will be setting up camp at noon on Friday instead. So if you decide on the Fri. option and happen to see a game of beer token poker going down stop by and say hello.
Especially now that I’ve given away all my secrets!
I went Saturday, early, hitting the entrance about 10 minutes before they started pouring. Not too crowded at that point, and had a chance to plot my route (and grab a quick bite) before starting the day’s odyssey.