“DOH!”
The Homer Simpson is screaming inside you right now because another famous Washington State beer festival was just canceled!
Washington State Beer Festival Canceled
Fathers all over the northwest have looked forward to this yearly beer festival that happens around Father’s Day for the last 25 years. The event has been held yearly by the Washington Beer Commission.
It has helped make hundreds of Washington State beers get notoriety, some becoming Award Winners. It has been a big part of why Washington State beers have never been more popular than they are today.
The 2023 Washington Brewers Festival Canceled
The Washington Brewers Festival has been held on Father’s Day weekend in Marymoor Park in Redmond, Washington for the last 25 years.
Two years had to be canceled because of the pandemic, but last year it made its return. Now one year later, the yearly event is canceled for completely different reasons.
Why Was the Washington Brewers Festival Canceled?
According to a report by the Washington Beer blog, the event was unusual because it was actually run by the Washington State Beer Commission.
The event was set up to “showcase” Washington’s beers, not really to make money at the event.
The Commission is out of money because the event they count on for funds was poorly attended last year, mostly because of the weather.
It only made about 40% of the needed money, causing the Washington State Beer Commission to run out of funds.
Will the Washington Brewers Festival Return in 2024?
The Washington State Beer Commission says that they will bring back the event next year, although it could be different in structure.
I am guessing from the report that they will be making the switch to a model that allows for more profit to stop this from happening again.
That means when it returns next year it will probably be slightly more expensive to your beer budget. As the famous Homer Simpson would say, Doh!
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