First it was the Bite of Bend—canceled. Then it was SummerFest and Theatre in the Park. Then, Fall Festival. For Lay It Out Events, the producer of some of the region's largest gatherings, seeing one festival after the other hit the cutting room floor due to COVID-19 restrictions, has been a challenging experience.
With the Oregon Health Authority guidelines limiting gatherings for events to 250 people or fewer in Phase Two, putting on events on the scale of tens of thousands—as SummerFest and Fall Festival usually do—isn't really an option. So, like other event companies, Lay It Out has been looking to some of its smaller, niche events, like The Little Woody barrel-aged beer fest. While the company is not yet sure what the Little Woody will look like when it comes around at the end of the summer, organizers are moving ahead with some type of offering.
"We are very excited about the opportunity to still produce a version of The Little Woody this year. With the current regulations around large gatherings, it makes sense to partner with businesses and breweries to spread people around and yet still offer a unique wood-casked beer, cider, and whiskey experience," said Luke Larson, event director. "Beer lovers will have to wait until we work out the final details but the Festival must go on! Expect to see a full list of participating breweries and businesses on our website in the coming weeks."
(Disclosure: Lay It Out Events is the sister company of the Source Weekly.)
Little Woody Barrel-Aged Brew Fest
thelittlewoody.com
