North American Organic Brewers Festival celebrates 10th anniversary

More than 15,000 beer lovers, music fans and supporters of sustainable living will come together at the North American Organic Brewers Festival (NAOBF) the last weekend of June to “Drink Organic, Save the Planet, One Beer at a Time.” The 10th annual event will take place June 26 through June 29 at Overlook Park in North Portland. Admission into the festival is free. (Pictures by Timothy Horn: Impressions from the last festival)
 
Designed to raise awareness about organic beer and sustainable living, the NAOBF typically serves up more than 50 organic beers and ciders from nearly 40 different breweries. Most of the breweries brew an organic beer specifically for the event. There's also live local music, organic food and sustainability-oriented vendors and non-profits. The NAOBF is a family friendly event, and minors are welcome with parents. The Chipotle Kids’ Zone will offer free activity books, grow pots and Chipotle kids’ meal cards, plus face painting and a root beer garden with complimentary Crater Lake Root Beer for minors and designated drivers. 
 
Festival attendees sample beer from reusable and compostable cornstarch cups made from domestically grown corn by a zero-waste, solar-powered company. Electricity needs are met with biodiesel generators. Volunteers receive organic cotton t-shirts (returning volunteers can wear past T shirts and get extra tokens instead). Food vendors are required to use compostable cutlery and plates and employ sustainable practices, and onsite composting and recycling stations are provided for festival waste and are supervised by recycling czars. Last year’s event recycled and composted 92% of the total waste, marking the second year in a row that more than 90% of the event’s waste was diverted from the landfill. More information is available from NAOBF.