Eugene festival brews up the unusual.

Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard

EVENT PREVIEW Sasquatch Brew Fest What: A brew fest to honor Glen Faulkner, the late brewer of the Wild Duck Brewery; Faulkner died in an accident in 2002 When: Noon to midnight Saturday Where: Broadway Plaza, Willamette Street and Broadway How much: $10 through all Safeway TicketsWest outlets or at the gate; admission includes a commemorative glass and two taste tickets More: For more information go to www .sasquatchbrewfest.org

What started as an informal gathering to honor a popular brewer who died before his time has grown into a beer festival that's now as formidable as its namesake.

"It's turned into a brewer's brew fest," says Brendan Relaford, an event planner and booking agent who organized the first Sasquatch Brew Fest at the Wild Duck Brewery in 2003.

Initially, the Sasquatch served as a sort of Irish wake for Glen Hay Falconer, the tall, bearded brewer at the Wild Duck Brewery. Falconer died in an accident in 2002 at the age of 40.

The festival, which drew several hundred people during its first incarnation, has continued to grow every year. Last year's festival drew more than a thousand people.

"The festival really emphasizes a sense of community," organizer and local brewer Jamie Floyd says. "It's people who love beer sharing in beer culture."

The Sasquatch Brew Fest is also about tasting new, and sometimes unusual, beers. Brewers are encouraged to bring their most creative beers as opposed to their top sellers, and Relaford says many breweries view it as the perfect place to wheel out a new creation.

In all, about 50 breweries will have a presence at the festival. Everything from Cascade Lakes to Pelican to Walkabout beers will be flowing through taps. A special Brew Fest Dinner will feature a four-course meal paired with different beers.

All the brews are donated

As in the past, the festival is a fundraiser for the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation, a nonprofit set up by the Falconer family to commemorate and celebrate the late brewer's family. All of the beers have been donated by breweries.

"This is a beer fest that Glen would have liked to have seen," Floyd says. "Everyone's having a good time and the money is going to something good."

In the past, the Falconer Foundation has donated money to a local soccer club to buy soccer balls. And each year, the foundation hands out scholarships that provide training to two burgeoning brewers.

In addition to being a beer lover, Falconer was an avid soccer player who coached youth teams in his spare time.

This year's festival features an expanded footprint and some new offerings.

The Cascade Brewers Society will judge the inaugural Sasquatch Homebrew Contest and crown the best English pale ales, American ales, India pale ales and strong ales. The Visible Men, Etouffee, Elizabeth Cable and Strange Brew will provide musical entertainment.

Relaford, who worked alongside Falconer at the Wild Duck, says his rise as a local brewer coincided with the growth of craft brews in Eugene. Falconer began his brewing career at Steelhead Brewery, worked under John Maier at Rogue Ales in Newport and then became head brewer at the Wild Duck, where he created the signature Sasquatch Strong Ale.

"He had a remarkable palette," Relaford says. "He could taste a beer and tell you who picked the hops. ...

`What I remember about him the most was just his meticulous nature. If it wasn't right, it got flushed. There were no ifs, ands or buts."

Falconer had a strong presence that was reflected in his height. He stood well over 6 feet tall and was difficult not to notice when he walked into the room, those who knew him say.

"Glen was not someone who tried to garner a lot of attention, but people loved him," Floyd says. "He just had that spirit about him."

Initially, Floyd says, the Falconer family wasn't sure whether the Sasquatch Beer Fest or the Falconer Foundation would last beyond that first festival in 2003. But both have continued to grow. Eventually, Floyd would like to see the fest's musical offerings expand and see the gathering move to a date that doesn't coincide with finals at the University of Oregon and isn't threatened by rain.

Still, he sees the festival as a popular event that mirrors the ideals of the larger than life brewer it commemorates.

"Glen was one of the first (brewers) to talk about community," Floyd says. "Eugene is a brewing community and the Sasquatch festival is a reflection of that."

Reach Lewis Taylor at 338-2512 or [e-mail].

CAPTION(S):

Broadway Plaza is the site for the annual Sasquatch Brew Fest, which honors pioneering Eugene brewer Glen Falconer.