What's the age policy?

The Hop & Heritage Festival is all-ages. Under-21 attendees are welcome throughout the entire festival, including inside the Fresh Hop Fiesta at Parallel 45. Drinking-age guests get a wristband at check-in, so staff can pour beer to wristbanded guests while kids and families stay together. The Downtown Passport, vendor marketplace, live music, and cornhole tournament are all open to every age.

When and where is the festival?

Saturday, September 26, 2026, across Downtown Independence, Oregon. The Downtown Passport, live music, and vendor marketplace run from 12 PM to 4 PM. The Fresh Hop Fiesta at Parallel 45 runs from 12 PM to 6 PM (VIP admission at 11 AM). When the festival wraps, Independence and Monmouth restaurants and bars stay open for dinner and drinks.

Parking details will be posted closer to festival day. Downtown Independence is walkable, and the free MI Trolley runs between Monmouth and Independence throughout the day.

Is the festival accessible?

Yes. The festival runs across walkable downtown streets and accessible venues, including Parallel 45 Brewing's paved lot and indoor event space. Specific accessibility details will be posted closer to festival day. If you have access needs or questions in advance, email info@downtownindependence.com.

The Fresh Hop Fiesta runs rain or shine. Parallel 45 Brewing has both indoor and covered outdoor space. Downtown passport stops are inside participating businesses. Outdoor programming may be adjusted in severe weather.

What is fresh hop beer?

Fresh hop beer is brewed with hops harvested within hours of the brew. Never dried, never stored. The hop harvest in Oregon runs roughly from mid-August through mid-September, which is why fresh hop season lasts only a few weeks a year. The beers you'll taste at the Fresh Hop Fiesta literally cannot be produced any other weekend.

What's the difference between fresh hop and wet hop beer?

The terms are often used interchangeably. Most brewers and drinkers treat 'fresh hop' and 'wet hop' as the same thing: hops used within a day of being picked off the bine. 'Dry hop,' by contrast, refers to adding dried hops to beer during or after fermentation, and can be done any time of year with hops harvested months or even a year earlier.

When is Oregon's hop harvest?

Oregon's hop harvest runs from roughly mid-August through mid-September, depending on variety and weather. Independence, Oregon sits in the Willamette Valley, the heart of the commercial Oregon hop-growing region.

What's the refund policy?

All ticket sales are final. No refunds. The Fresh Hop Fiesta runs rain or shine, so tickets aren't refundable for weather. If the festival itself is cancelled, we'll post refund instructions here and email ticket holders directly.

25th Annual

Hop & Heritage Festival

Fresh hop beer and the 25th annual harvest celebration in the historic Hop Capital of the World.

Saturday, September 26, 2026
·
Downtown Independence, Oregon
·
All ages welcome

A community fundraiser organized by the Independence Downtown Association, a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

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Presented by

Independence, Oregon • September 26, 2026 • Fresh Hop Fiesta at Parallel 45 • All ages welcome

The festival

One day. Many ways to celebrate.

Saturday, September 26, 2026. The Hop & Heritage Festival runs all day across downtown Independence. The Fresh Hop Fiesta at Parallel 45 is the headline beer event. Around it, a full afternoon of reasons to spend the day downtown. Most of it free, all of it open to every age.

Headline event

The Fresh Hop Fiesta.

at Parallel 45 Brewing.

Saturday, September 26, 2026. Pacific Northwest breweries pouring fresh hop beers you can only drink this weekend of the year.

Fresh hop beers are brewed with hops picked within hours of the brew. Never dried, never stored. The window to make them is a few weeks in September, and the window to drink them at peak is shorter still. This is the only weekend in Oregon they pour all in one place, in the town that grew them.

Where: Parallel 45 Brewing
When: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
(VIP admission at 11:00 AM)
Who: 21+ for beer service.
Under-21 welcome throughout the entire festival. Wristbands mark drinking-age guests, so kids are welcome inside the Fresh Hop Fiesta too.

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Fresh Hop Fiesta at Parallel 45 Brewing, Independence Oregon

The rest of the day

Downtown Passport

Your way to wander downtown Independence at your own pace, collecting stamps and goodies from participating businesses as you go. Each stop has something for you. The passport is included with any Passport + Tasting Package or First Pour VIP ticket. Pick yours up at festival check-in, then start exploring.

Where: Participating downtown businesses; Announcing soon
When: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Participating businesses announcing soon.

Vendor Marketplace

Local makers, artisans, and food vendors line C Street for the afternoon. Shop small, grab a bite, and find something special to take home.

Where: C Street; Announcing soon
When: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Apply to be a vendor

Buskers on the Street

Live music floats across downtown all afternoon. Rotating musicians stationed at different spots along Main Street and the surrounding blocks. Wander, follow the sound, and catch a different set around every corner.

Where: Throughout Downtown Independence
When: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Lineup announcing soon.

Cornhole Tournament

A neighborhood cornhole tournament threaded into the day, hosted by the Independence Elks. Free to watch as part of the festival vibe. Tournament sign-up details posted ahead of festival day.

Where: Downtown Independence
When: Schedule announcing soon

More events in the works. Check back soon.

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Heritage

Why Independence is the historic Hop Capital of the World.

In the 1930s and '40s, Independence grew more hops per acre than almost anywhere on earth. At peak season, a town of roughly a thousand residents swelled to forty or fifty thousand. Migrant pickers, families, and workers came for the harvest and built a culture around it. The original Hop Fiesta ran for a month every fall.

That history is not a footnote. Historian Peter Kopp documents it in Hoptopia (UC Press, 2016) and the Oregon Encyclopedia. The Oregon State University archives hold photographs, oral histories, and harvest records from the era. Coleman Agriculture's Alluvial Hop Farm, minutes from downtown, is a direct continuation of that legacy, and the site of a current OSU hop terroir study.

The Hop & Heritage Festival is how Independence keeps that story close to the ground. The Fresh Hop Fiesta is how we pour it.

The lineup

Pacific Northwest breweries. Fresh hop beers at peak season.

Every beer at the Fresh Hop Fiesta is brewed with hops harvested in the days just before the festival. The lineup mixes long-trusted names in Oregon brewing with breweries newer to the fresh-hop tradition, all pouring at the Fresh Hop Fiesta at Parallel 45 Brewing.

Lineup status

Brewery partners will be announced soon.

Subscribe below to get the full lineup the moment it drops.

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Tickets

Pick your pour.

The Hop & Heritage Festival is free to attend. The whole day is open to everyone, all ages welcome. A Passport + Tasting Package or First Pour VIP ticket is only required if you want to drink at the Fresh Hop Fiesta or collect Downtown Passport stamps and goodies from participating downtown businesses. Come for the music, the marketplace, the energy. Stay as long as you like.

Most access

First Pour VIP

$60

Limited to 100 tickets.

Get in an hour early and walk out with the keepsakes. Everything in the Passport + Tasting Package, plus the early hour and festival gear.

11 AM early admission to the Fresh Hop Fiesta
Everything in the Passport + Tasting Package
Custom Hop & Heritage tasting notebook
Hop & Heritage Festival t-shirt
Hop & Heritage canvas tote bag

Get First Pour VIP

Early bird

Passport + Tasting Package

$20

Early bird through July 31.

After July 31: $25. $30 at the door.

Your way into the Fresh Hop Fiesta and the Downtown Passport. Required if you want to drink at the festival.

21+ drinking wristband
Commemorative tasting glass
6 tasting tokens
Downtown Passport

Extra tokens available for purchase at the Fresh Hop Fiesta.

Get Passport + Tasting Package

Free to Wander

Free

No ticket needed. The whole festival is open to everyone, all ages welcome.

Live music and buskers across downtown
Vendor marketplace on C Street
All-ages, no wristband required
Add a Passport + Tasting Package at any time to taste fresh hop beers and get the Downtown Passport. (While supplies last)

What you're supporting

Every ticket directly supports downtown Independence. The festival is run by volunteers, and the money raised funds small-business programs, community events, and the work that keeps Main Street vibrant.

Plan your visit

Plan your visit to Independence, Oregon.

Downtown Independence sits on the Willamette River in Polk County, minutes from Monmouth and Dallas, a quarter-hour from Salem, and just over an hour from Portland. It's a walkable downtown. You can park once and reach every part of the festival on foot.

Getting here

From Monmouth

5 minutes via Monmouth Street
From Salem

15 minutes via OR-22 W and Independence Highway
From Dallas

15 minutes via OR-51 S
From Corvallis

35 minutes via OR-99W N
From McMinnville wine country

40 minutes via OR-99W S
From Portland

1 hour 10 minutes via I-5 S and OR-22 W
From Eugene

1 hour 30 minutes via I-5 N

Free MI Trolley

The MI Trolley runs free service between Monmouth and Independence. Great if you're staying in Monmouth or want to explore our sister town.

Where to stay

The Independence Hotel On the Willamette River, steps from downtown Independence.
The Cooperhouse Boutique lodging in Independence.
MaMere's Guesthouse Historic bed-and-breakfast in downtown Monmouth.
College Inn In Monmouth, minutes from the festival.
Airbnbs in Independence & Monmouth A range of short-term rentals in and around town.

Parking and accessibility

More info will be released closer to festival day.

About the organizer

A community fundraiser for downtown Independence.

The Hop & Heritage Festival is organized by the Independence Downtown Association, a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Every dollar raised goes back into downtown Independence, funding small-business programs, community events, and the work that keeps Main Street vibrant.

Buying a ticket, sponsoring a slot, or showing up for the day all fund the same thing.

Learn more about IDA

In partnership with our community.

The Hop & Heritage Festival is made possible by the sponsors below, alongside Independence businesses, hop growers, and volunteers who show up year after year.

Gold sponsors

Community partners

Volunteer & Operations Sponsor

Sponsorship opportunities

Your business could show up here.

The festival is built by the community it celebrates. From the buskers on Main Street to the cornhole brackets to the crew keeping the day running behind the scenes, every piece of the Hop & Heritage Festival has a home for a sponsor. These packages are open for 2026.

Available

Fresh Hop Fiesta Sponsor
Available · 4 spots

Music Sponsor
Available

Downtown Passport Sponsor
Available

Cornhole Tournament Sponsor
Available

Vendor Marketplace Sponsor
Available

Volunteer & Operations Sponsor

Talk to us about sponsoring

Custom packages available. We'll build something that fits your business.

FAQ

Good to know.

What's the age policy?

The Hop & Heritage Festival is all-ages. Under-21 attendees are welcome throughout the entire festival, including inside the Fresh Hop Fiesta at Parallel 45. Drinking-age guests get a wristband at check-in, so staff can pour beer to wristbanded guests while kids and families stay together. The Downtown Passport, vendor marketplace, live music, and cornhole tournament are all open to every age.
When and where is the festival?

Saturday, September 26, 2026, across Downtown Independence, Oregon. The Downtown Passport, live music, and vendor marketplace run from 12 PM to 4 PM. The Fresh Hop Fiesta at Parallel 45 runs from 12 PM to 6 PM (VIP admission at 11 AM). When the festival wraps, Independence and Monmouth restaurants and bars stay open for dinner and drinks.
Where do I park?

Parking details will be posted closer to festival day. Downtown Independence is walkable, and the free MI Trolley runs between Monmouth and Independence throughout the day.
Is the festival accessible?

Yes. The festival runs across walkable downtown streets and accessible venues, including Parallel 45 Brewing's paved lot and indoor event space. Specific accessibility details will be posted closer to festival day. If you have access needs or questions in advance, email [email protected].
What if it rains?

The Fresh Hop Fiesta runs rain or shine. Parallel 45 Brewing has both indoor and covered outdoor space. Downtown Passport stops are inside participating businesses. Outdoor programming may be adjusted in severe weather.
What is fresh hop beer?

Fresh hop beer is brewed with hops harvested within hours of the brew. Never dried, never stored. The hop harvest in Oregon runs roughly from mid-August through mid-September, which is why fresh hop season lasts only a few weeks a year. The beers you'll taste at the Fresh Hop Fiesta literally cannot be produced any other weekend.
What's the difference between fresh hop and wet hop beer?

The terms are often used interchangeably. Most brewers and drinkers treat 'fresh hop' and 'wet hop' as the same thing: hops used within a day of being picked off the bine. 'Dry hop,' by contrast, refers to adding dried hops to beer during or after fermentation, and can be done any time of year with hops harvested months or even a year earlier.
When is Oregon's hop harvest?

Oregon's hop harvest runs from roughly mid-August through mid-September, depending on variety and weather. Independence, Oregon sits in the Willamette Valley, the heart of the commercial Oregon hop-growing region.
What's the refund policy?

All ticket sales are final. No refunds. The Fresh Hop Fiesta runs rain or shine, so tickets aren't refundable for weather. If the festival itself is cancelled, we'll post refund instructions here and email ticket holders directly.

Get Tickets

Newsletter

Stay in the loop.

Brewery lineup drops, schedule announcements, and the occasional festival update as September rolls in.