Beer, wine, chowder and grilled cheese: 4 February festivals in Eugene, Florence

Em Chan, Register-Guard
·4 min read
Xicha Brewing will offer a class at the KLCC Brewfest on the intersection of Latin American food and craft beer. Cerveza Negra, Pale Especial and Playa Pilsener beers are pictured at Xicha Brewing in Salem.
Xicha Brewing will offer a class at the KLCC Brewfest on the intersection of Latin American food and craft beer. Cerveza Negra, Pale Especial and Playa Pilsener beers are pictured at Xicha Brewing in Salem.

Festival season is slowly returning to the region, with events happening in Eugene and Florence throughout February.

Many of the events in Eugene are fundraisers while Florence-based festivals are annual community activities. Here are some of the festivals scheduled for this month:

Grilled Cheese Experience

The Grilled Cheese Experience returns for its ninth year and will last through February. Participating restaurants will be offering grilled cheese sandwiches, and with every sandwich purchase, $2 goes to FOOD For Lane County.

Organizers are offering a passport to be eligible for prizes. Prizes include tickets to FOOD for Lane County's Chefs' Night Out and other grilled cheese-related items.

For a full list of participating restaurants and dates, visit the event's webpage or join the GCE Facebook group, "Grilled Cheese Experience FFLC."

KLCC Brewfest

The KLCC Brewfest returns Feb. 10-11 to Lane Events Center for the first time since the pandemic. To celebrate its return and 20th anniversary, the slogan is "Cheers to 20 years."

There are 74 breweries participating. A new KLCC VIP Learning Lounge (though contrary to the name) will be open to everyone and will feature presentations by various beer industry folks. Brewfest coordinator Doriandra Smith said presentations include the workings of Chiefs Brewhouse's grass seed lager, the intersection of Latin American food and craft beer by Xicha Brewing, and a sensory class on how to evaluate a craft beer with a flavor profile.

There will be live music throughout the event. The homebrewers competition winner will be announced at 5 p.m. Saturday.

This year there will be no music sale. It will be replaced with a new KLCC Eugene Beer Garden, where attendees can try seven unique collaboration brews. Contributing brewers include Plank Town, Gratitude, McMenamins, Viking Braggat, Falling Sky, Covered Bridge, Ninkasi, Alesong, Arable Barrel, Manifest, Coldfire, Hop Valley, McMenzie, Oakshire, Three Legged Crane, Claim52, Cascade Brewers Society, Drop Bear, Coast Fork, Xicha, The Wheel and Sunriver.

Tickets are available online and at the door. All tickets include a souvenir glass and two beer tickets. Advance tickets are $20 for a single day, $30 for both days and $10 for designated drivers. At the door, tickets will be $25 for a single day, $35 for both days and $10 for designated drivers.

To get tickets or more info, visit klcc.org/brewfest. The events center is located at 796 W. 13th St.

Wine, Chowder and Glass Float Trail

Florence's annual Wine, Chowder and Glass Float Trail returns President's Day weekend, Feb. 17-19. Put on by the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce, the festival's wine trail will be Saturday, Feb. 18 and the chowder trail will be Sunday, Feb. 19.

The wine trail is noon to 5 p.m. Participants can walk around to sample wine and spirits in Old Town. Featured wineries and distilleries include Capitello Wines, Gelardi Vineyard, Hayworth Estate Wines, Iris Vineyards, J Scott Cellars, La Velle Vineyards, Morgan Meadows Vineyard, Saginaw Vineyard, Sarver Winery, Season Cellars, Stillwagon Distillery and Thinking Tree Spirits.

Preorder tickets online or pick up tasting tickets at Gazebo Park on the days of the event. A commemorative wine glass is $5 and tasting tickets are $1 each.

The chowder trail is noon to 3 p.m., with passports, maps and chowder ballot available for $5 at the chamber's visitor center starting Friday, Feb. 17. Chowder trail participants include The Market at Driftwood Shores (with samples at American Pacific Mortgage), Florence Event Center Catering, Homegrown Public House & Brewery, Laughing Crab Gallery & Tasting Room, ICM Restaurant, and recent winners Lovejoy's Restaurant & Tea Room and Novelli's Crab & Seafood.

Glass float trail map will also be $5 and available starting Feb. 17 at the chamber's visitor center. Starting Feb. 17, visitors can search around Florence for more than 30 hand-blown glass floats produced by local artisans.

Participants can tell a store clerk where they spotted a float, have their float passport validated and then receive an entry coupon to win one of the floats. The more floats a person finds, the better chance of taking one home.

Taste of Art and Wine

The annual Taste of Art and Wine put on by the Florence Regional Arts Alliance will take place Feb. 18-19 at the Florence Events Center, 715 Quince St.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 18 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 19. Admission is free and includes a juried art show with cash prices up to $300, 2D and 3D art, exhibits, vendor booths and demonstrations.

Participating wineries include Bluebird Hill Cellars, McKenzie Crest Wines, Sarver Winery and Summerfield Vineyards. The tasting prices are the same as the wine trail's ticket pricing.

Em Chan covers food and dining at the Statesman Journal. You can reach her at echan@statesmanjournal.com, follow her on Twitter @catchuptoemily or see what she's eating on Instagram @sikfanmai.ah.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Beer, wine, grilled cheese festivals around Eugene, Oregon