Happy Star Wars Day and May the 4th be with you! Here’s some news in Oregon beer to kick off the weekend and to help you plan accordingly. As always I will be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news as I get it, so check back from time to time for updates.

The awards ceremony for the World Beer Cup took place last night in Nashville to finish out the Craft Brewers Conference, and a number of Oregon breweries brought home awards! The Oregon Brewers Guild has a PDF of the winners posted here; congrats to all who won, and in particular big kudos to Breakside Brewery for winning three medals (the most of any Oregon brewery), and to Breakside, Ecliptic, and Old Town for sweeping the English-style IPA category entirely. That’s a tough feat! And, the New School has a wrap up of the awards as well.

Friday, 5/4

The seventh annual Cinco de Micro Brewfest returns to Salem on Friday, taking place from 4 to 10pm on Friday and then on Saturday from 2 to 10pm. “This fun, casual atmosphere boasts over 100 beers and ciders on tap, ensuring there is something for everyone. Most breweries spotlight one of their new spring seasonal releases, so you’re sure to find many new options to try! The entrance fee into the event ($20) buys guests a souvenir mug and their first four beer tastes. Additional tastes are $1 per pour or $5 for a full mug.”

Bend’s Broken Top Bottle Shop is hosting the kick-off party for Ninkasi Brewing‘s Funds for Firefighters program, which benefits the City of Bend Fire Department by donating $20 from every keg of Ninkasi beer sold in Bend and Central Oregon. From 4 to 7pm Friday, “For every pint of Ninkasi Brewing sold between 4-7pm on 5/4, $1 will go directly to the Bend Fire Department! Help us support a great cause with great brews.”

Imperial Bottle Shop (Portland): Today the Division Street location is hosting Star Wars Beer Fest Episode V for Star Wars Day, all day long: “It’s almost time for our favorite holiday of the year, International Star Wars Day! OK, it’s not really our favorite holiday, but we sure do love to celebrate our favorite movie series on May the Fourth! And we mostly celebrate by drinking beer and dorking out, so if you’re into that sorta thing, you really should join us because we know how to throw a party. Star Wars Beer Fest Episode V will have all the usual fun: airing of the movies, costume contest, and a fun tap list of Star-Wars-themed brews.”

Ancestry Brewing (Tualatin) teamed up with Lightning Will Bar & Grill to brew up a summer collaboration, Hazy Jones, and the release party takes place Friday night: “Join us on May 4th at 9 PM to celebrate this delicious cure for the dog days. We’ve got Thunder and Steel (80’s acoustic covers) kicking off the tunes and 9 and Will Bradley bringing us home later in the evening. We’ll also have raffles, beer tastings, food pairings, and as always, no cover! Hazy Jones is a wheat pale ale base, with bright centennial and juicy citra hops, complimented by Blood Orange and Grapefruit puree for a juicy, hazy, balanced summer sipper. If you’re wondering where the name came from, it’s a play on the Grateful Dead tune, Casey Jones. This beer comes in a 5.6% ABV and 40 IBU for maximum drinkability.”

Saturday, 5/5 Cinco de Mayo!

McMenamins Fulton Pub (Portland) is hosting its limited-editon beer tasting, special as part of the Fulton’s 30th anniversary, on Saturday from 6 to 8pm, featuring Squirtie Pale: “It’s a bear! It’s a dog! No, it’s Squirtie! Whatever he is, Squirtie is most definitely the beloved mascot of the Fulton Pub. Then manager Paul Hehn sketched his likeness over twenty five years ago and he’s been coming around ever since to celebrate the Fulton’s anniversary on May 5th. Squirtie 2017 is a single hop Pale Ale chock full of Mosaic Hops from start to dry-hop! A malty body and assertive hoppiness carry this once a year offering into hop fueled bliss. This is a great beer to toast this year’s anniversary of the pub’s opening back in 1988.”

Great Notion Brewing (Portland): Each Saturday the brewery is aiming to host a can release at its new production brewery at noon; on the 5th the plan is to release both Juice Jr. and Ripe in cans. Be sure to read the rules on the event page so you know where to park and what to expect.

Silver Falls Brewery in Silverton is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its Ale House on Saturday! “We will be celebrating the Ale House’s 1 year anniversary! Join us and have some fun all day long and into the evening. We will have some amazing music, Food and drink. And we will have some dessert. Free T-shirts will be given out throughout the evening.” Look for new beers, T-shirts, cake, live music, and more.

Block 15 Brewery (Corvallis) is releasing The Audacity of Opacity in cans at the brewery’s Tap Room on Saturday: “Hopped to extract bright tropical character and gentle bitterness, this (clearly) juicy IPA features a fruity hop profile, soft body, and sparkling clarity. Trust your tastebuds and you won’t need a visual aid to appreciate vibrant hop notes of pineapple, mango, and tangelo.”

Astoria’s Fort George Brewery is releasing Space Fog IPA with Eugene’s 16 Tons on Saturday (at 16 Tons, of course): “Join us for Fort George / 16 Tons Space Fog IPA release Saturday May 5th! We’ll have limited crowlers available at our Bottleshop and Space Fog will be on tap at both 16 Tons’ locations. Brewer Dave Coyne designed this very drinkable hazy IPA dry hopped with Galaxy hops!”

Sunday, 5/6

The 13th annual FredFest returns to Hair of the Dog Brewing in Portland on Sunday, honoring the late Fred Eckhardt. “It started as an 80th birthday party for Fred Eckhardt, the Dean of American Beer Writers, and now we celebrate not only his birthday, but his life and the incredible role he played in today’s current beer landscape. Fred would have turned 92 this year, and in the spirit of giving as FredFest has always been intended, it will continue.” It starts at 2pm, and tickets are $85 and can be purchased from Hair of the Dog’s website, which ends at noon on Sunday (the page also has details on this year’s charities and more). What Would Fred Drink?