Oregon BrewFest 2018 Featuring Famous Mandy Hat

In a tradition unlike any other, the Oregon brewfest is more than tossing beers down on a hot day. It’s civic involvement. I’d like to think every big beer event carries similar goals.

If it’s only about drinking beer you can do that in your garage, or living room, or backyard. But it’s not as civics related as public boozing under tents on the same stretch of land the Portland Rose Festival carnival stood on.

Waterfront Park is Portland’s front yard and the perfect place to drink, but it’s the civics lesson that made it different this year.

How different?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines civics as “the study of the rights and duties of citizens and of how government works.” The definition from dictionary.com is: “the study or science of the privileges and obligations of citizens.”

What better place to start the civics lesson than with Vera Katz? That’s her in the famous Mandy Hat.

I’m with the Vera statue on the eastside along Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade with fans of the former mayor. Like all good Portlanders they explained who Vera was and why she’s there. They were bikers who’ve been in town long enough to know.

I told them I met Vera at Paola’s Grocery on NW 21st and Lovejoy when she was speaker of the Oregon house. The place is a Starbucks now, the grocery store, not House of Representatives. We all delighted in how far back our shared history went.

No one mentioned Frank Ivancie or Neil Goldschmidt. It was all Vera and it all felt right for the Oregon brewfest.

After the crowd cleared I explained how it was going to be today.

“I wear the hat, Mrs. Mayor, except in special circumstances,” I said.

“What if you see a bear eating a salmon?” Vera said.

“Okay, the bear can wear the famous Mandy Hat,” I said.

“Who is Mandy?” she asked.

“Just one of the best Gillaspies around,” I said.

The bear looked a little thirsty. The deer, not so much, but Vera insisted.

“Wouldn’t it be fair to give all the animals a chance to look their best?” Vera said.

“Like who?” I asked.

Civic duty is one thing, but the demands were piling up.

“We have the cutest otters,” she said.

“Fine. Otters.”

“But you’ll have to share,” she said.

Okay, I shared. No need for angry otters going berserk downtown.

I was ready to leave, ready for Oregon brewfest on a Sunday.

The trick with the famous Mandy hat is waiting for the magic to kick in. Vera got it. The bear and deer and otters got it.

So did real people. Hey O.

It’s so cute when someone asks for a picture with the hat. It’s magical every year and changes every year.

I’ve matured to the Sunday morning stop instead of the Friday night and Saturday crowd.

These are a few of the sweethearts who wanted the Mandy famous hat shot.

After we left Portland’s front yard we stopped in Portland’s living room where I lost the hat.

It just fell off my head and I couldn’t find it anywhere on Pioneer Square. Luckily a good samaritan with a sharp eye found it and saved the future hat trips.

“Please, allow me to hold your hat,” Umbrella Man said.

“Sure, have a sip,” I said.

“Mmmm, you’ve got a good one,” he said.

I had to ask, “Do you think Portlandia would like this hat?”

“Oh, yes. She’d love it, but she’s covered up while her building, the Portland Building, is getting work done,” he said.

“How about the Elk?” I asked.

“Maybe. Give the pioneer family in the park by the police station a shot first,” he said.

“That’s all for next year. I’m taking my hat home,” I said.

“Allow me,” he said.