Hey Hops Fest fans! Ever wonder just how a festival gets
started? We’re going to give you an insider’s view of how we put together the
Hard-Pressed Cider Fest, which is set for its debut next week (April 12th)
in the Hood River Valley.
The first question to be answered is, of course – Why? Why create a new event in the first
place? For us (the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce), there were several
reasons; first, there was the growth of the hard cider segment of the beverage
market. According to The Motley Fool,
cider consumption has grown globally by 50% over the last 10 years. A report on
NPR
chronicled cider’s exploding popularity nationwide, with some taverns reporting
30% of their customers ordering the fruit-based beverage. The second question
is - Where? The answer is provided by
the region itself – the Hood River Valley, and the entire Gorge region for that
matter, are home to endless acres of fruit orchards so it made complete sense
to add cider, which offers a variety of tastes (from dry, sweet, or spicy). The
area is already well known for its wineries and craft beers (yes!) so this is a
good fit.
Great – so we know why and where, but what about When? That was actually the easiest
answer; we knew this event would be a great kickoff to our annual Blossom Fest
time, when the orchards are in full bloom - a sight not to be missed.
The toughest questions were the How and What. In many
ways, it is the success that the Hood River Hops Fest has enjoyed over the
years that made the Hard-Pressed Cider Fest come alive. We were able to use
Hops Fest as a template to build out this new event; lessons learned,
logistics, permitting, marketing, etc., were all pretty well worked out
beforehand. Not that there aren’t challenges with a first year event - a year
one event is really a shot in the dark as far as attendance and the balance of
vendors, music, and venue. We hope for upwards of 750 attendees but are
prepared for as many as 1300. The planning/ordering for the number of attendees
has certainly proved to create the most anxiety. We are coming up with plans A,
B, C and D! But - we are lucky to have a ton of support from the local cider
makers and enthusiasts! The cider industry as a whole has proven to be
incredibly exciting. The enthusiasm from the cideries, cider makers, volunteers
and dedicated fans is overwhelming and creates fuel for the event – not just
for this first year, but we hope for many years to come!
Cheers!
