Happy Arbor Day! While not directly related to beer, this tree-planting holiday is worth raising a beer to both for the environment and for the fact that the wood in barrels your favorite big beer was aged in comes from trees. (Yes, that was a bit of an obvious stretch!) Here’s the news for this final weekend of April, the 26th through 28th, which I’ll be updating periodically throughout the day Friday. So check back in from time to time for the latest and to hopefully help you plan your weekend.

Friday, April 26

The Nano Beer Fest kicks off on Friday and runs all weekend! Taking place at John’s Marketplace in Portland, the cost is $20 for the glass and 10 tasting tickets. “Started in 2008 at Max’s Fanno Creek, the Nano Beer Fest was created to celebrate smaller breweries from the region. More than 10 years in, the interest in small batch beer is stronger than ever as beer drinkers are always looking for “What’s New.” They can certainly find the newest beer and brewers at the Nano Beer Fest! With strong community support from home brewing clubs and supply companies like F.H. Steinbart, PDX Brewers Club and The Oregon Brew Crew, the Nano Beer Fest will continue to welcome new breweries every year. This year we have several new breweries joining the event and the NBF will again feature 50+ beers, made by some of the newest members of the local craft beer industry! This year, Loyal Legion is sponsoring a “People’s Choice,” where attendees vote for their top picks and Loyal Legion will bring in the top 10 on tap in May!” The beer list is online here, and looks like a fun lineup to enjoy this weekend.

The Ecliptic Brewing anniversary beer release with Firestone Walker comes to Eugene, with The Bier Stein hosting the party Friday from 5 to 8pm: “Meet Matt Brynildson from Firestone Walker and Brixton Apon from Ecliptic Brewing on Friday, April 26th! We are tapping Ecliptic’s newest collaboration with Firestone Walker – a Hazy Double IPA brewed with Galaxy hops – in addition to other favorites from these award winning breweries.”

Belmont Station (Portland) is hosting a going away party for Captain Neil Friday at 5pm: “Captain Neil is throwing in his well-worn hat after 12 awesome years at Belmont Station. Neil has picked 12 beers for 12 years to put on tap for the party! The draft list is still in the works, so keep an eye on the LIVE DRAFT LIST and plan to come help send off our Captain in style!”

Beachcrest Brewing (Gleneden Beach) is releasing a new beer on Friday, Sunshine Wheat, dropping at 2pm: “Everybody loves the sunshine and we brewed this wheat ale with that in mind. Whether you’re chilling out on your patio, kicking back in a beach chair with your toes in the sand, or catching some rays on the deck at BCBC, this easy drinker is sure to fit the occasion. We added coriander, bitter orange peel and sweet orange peel to a 50% wheat malt bill while keeping the hops subtle, so this one feels like it’s been kissed by the sun. Enjoy it with a fresh slice of orange and enjoy your life in the sunshine.”

Saturday, April 27

Nano Beer Fest continues from noon to 10pm.

ColdFire Brewing (Eugene) is hosting a beer education event and wants you to Evaluate Beer Like A Pro on Saturday: “Learn to evaluate beer with a critical palate and provide Sensory Data for the brewery. Walk through the steps professional beer judges take and learn to accurately describe taste and flavor using common sensory vocabulary. Learn to use a Profile Wheel while evaluating a beer. Part One: Learning how to taste a beer professionally. Part Two: Evaluating 3 brews using a Beer Profile. Only 15 seats, get your ticket now!” Tickets are available online here.

McMenamins 23rd Avenue Bottle Shop (Portland) is hosting a tasting of 2 Towns Cider and SeekOut Hard Seltzer on Saturday from 2 to 4pm. “2 Towns Cider is headed to the Bottle shop to pour a selection of their amazing ciders & the new SeekOut Hard Seltzers. Join us and check out this fun new product!”

Sunday, April 28

The Nano Brew Fest continues from noon to 5pm and it’s Family Day for all-ages access.

General News

The Oregonian reports that Mikkeller Brewery will be opening a beer bar in the former Burnside Brewing space in Portland. From the article: “[Mikkel Borg Bjergso’s] Danish brewery Mikkeller, maker of some of the globe’s most sought-after craft beers, will take over the former home of Burnside Brewing, opening a pop-up beer bar alongside a pop-up restaurant — a placeholder while the partnership explores the possibility of a permanent bar, restaurant and Mikkeller brewery at the site. The Copehagen-based Mikkeller is teaming with Portland restaurant group Chefstable to open Mikkeller Portland by June 1 and operate the pop-ups through the end of the year, featuring at least 23 Mikkeller taps alongside a menu of Japanese noodles and rice dishes. The partners will then shut down the pop-ups as they pursue the feasibility of a permanent establishment.”