6/18/2009 - Bend
by Matt McDonald
 
The 4th annual Bend Brewfest, an event that attracts thousands of participants to the Old Mill Amphitheatre each August, is cancelled for 2009, at least until next year.
 
According to documents obtained by KOHD News from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission or OLCC, the event has had problems, including minors drinking, intoxicated patrons being served drinks, even one case of an intoxicated patron crashing a golf cart into a tent. Prompting the OLCC to ask for changes including banning minors and shorten the hours during that event.
 
"What we've seen at the Les Schwab Amphitheater is a progression of more and more restrictive enforcement of OLCC regulations, sometimes those regulations are supported by written police sometimes they are not," said Doug LaPlaca, President of Visit Bend.
 
The issue extends to nighttime concerts at the amphitheatre. The OLCC sent a letter in 2008 clarifying existing laws for this concert season. Alcohol can be served at concerts but minors have to be with parents or the venue has to stop serving at sunset, the lack of light creating an enforcement issue.
 
"That hinders the ability of people to adequately look for minors in possession and overly intoxicated people," said Christie Scott, Public Affairs Specialist with OLCC.
 
Organizors for the old mill amphitheater have joined a community wide effort that has taken issue with what they call overzealous enforcement by OLCC investigators.
 
 
"It is the law and it is applied across the state," said Scott.
 
"These issues are not new. These issues that our region has been dealing with, with OLCC date back to 2003," said LaPlaca.
 
The argument being that Bend would be at a competitive disadvantage for attracting concerts. The concerts will go on, but for Brewfest fans, it's a wait until next year.