Holiday Ale Festival: Go by bus & let TriMet do the driving

Beer lovers, rejoice! It’s time for the 19th annual Holiday Ale Festival. Craft breweries from near and far come together for this celebration, boasting over 50 different holiday ales. Whether you like porter, red ale, IPA, or stout, there’s something here for everyone. And because the event is located in the heart of downtown Portland at Pioneer Courthouse Square, it’s also easy for everyone to get there using public transportation.

Tasting packages can be purchased at the door for $35 (CASH ONLY), and include a souvenir mug and 12 beer tickets. Additional beer tickets can be purchased for $1 each. One beer ticket gets you a 4oz “taster” size pour of beer, and a few limited release and special tapping beers require two tickets. You can get a full mug of beer for four tickets, however some limited release and special tappings may not be available in full mug pours, or may require double tickets. On-site food will be available for purchase and will be provided by Urban German Grill and Bunk Sandwiches. Check out the complete event program that includes the names of breweries and beers they will be sampling.

Getting downtown by bus is easy, and there are many bus, MAX train, and streetcar stops within walking distance of the event. In fact, too many to list here, so please use this link to view all the nearby stops. Make sure you take advantage of TriMet’s trip planner for a personalized trip itinerary. Just enter your starting location, ending location of Pioneer Courthouse Square (701 SW 6th Ave.), and the time/date you wish to depart/arrive. Expert tip: plan the reverse trip in advance to make sure the bus you need is still running at the time you’ll be leaving the festival.

The Holiday Ale Festival schedule for 2014:
• Wednesday, December 3rd 2014 (11am-10pm)
• Thursday, December 4th 2014 (11am-10pm)
• Friday, December 5th 2014 (11am-10pm)
• Saturday, December 6th 2014 (11am-10pm)
• Sunday, December 7th 2014 (11am-5pm)

The Holiday Ale Festival Vintage Pinup Girls have become an annual tradition, beginning back in 2009. Each year they create a different holiday girl to represent the festival. This year, in honor of the many carols sung while drinking winter ales, they have created Carol. “Carol is a huge fan of Begian-Style Sours and Golden Ales, and finds unique Holiday Blends quite exquisite. You can get one of her official posters at the festival or if you are more of a digital collector, or want to send them to friends, she has a poster available for download.” For additional event information, please visit the Holiday Ale Festival website. Enjoy!