The festival season has been a bit spotty the last couple years, of course, so you will hopefully be thrilled to hear that Ullr Fest in Los Alamos will be happening this Saturday, October 2. The annual event at the ski hill is meant to be a tribute to the Norse God of Snow, Ullr, so that he will bless the mountain with abundant snow. (In that spirit, people are encouraged to dress in Viking regalia.) It’s also an excuse to get together, hike, bike, eat, and enjoy some fine local beers.

This year is, of course, going to be a bit unusual. From the announcement on Facebook: “BEER GARDEN REQUIREMENTS include proof of full COVID vaccinations and an ID (these will be checked upon purchase) plus $20 entry fee. This gives you an ULLR mug, one free beer, and access to tastings from nine local breweries. It also keeps our vendors and patrons safe.” The lodge interior will also be mostly closed; access to the bathrooms and cafe will require the wearing of masks, so be sure to bring one. And, to encourage social distancing, consider bringing blankets and chairs so that everyone can spread out on the hillside.

Local band DK and the Affordables will be providing the rockin’ tunes to accompany your eating and drinking on (and perhaps around) the deck. They should be playing from around 2 to 5 p.m.

The beer garden will be open from noon to 5. Breweries expected to be in attendance this year include Bathtub Row (from Los Alamos), Beer Creek, Boese Brothers, Boxing Bear, Canteen, Hidden Mountain, Red River, Tumbleroot, and Second Street.

Franz Solo reached out to the breweries set to attend and received beer lists for many of them. We will, of course, update this post if the others pop up in our inbox.

Bathtub Row: okTUBerfest, Hoppenheimer IPA, 1867 India Porter, and New Mexi Lager.

Beer Creek: Märzen Law (Oktoberfest), Pecos Brown, Tres Amigos Pale Ale, and Picture Rock Porter.

Boese Brothers: Oktoberfest and Bell Ringer Hazy IPA.

Boxing Bear: TBA

Canteen: Oktoberfest, Exodus IPA, Laid Back Lager, and Dougie Style Amber.

Hidden Mountain: Vanilla Porter, Oktoberfest, Mexican Lager, Hoppiness is You (Hazy Pale).

Red River: Tucker Brau (Oktoberfest), Kia Ora (New Zealand IPA), Cabin Fever Pilsner (Czech), and Prospector Porter.

Second Street: Oktoberfest (2021 GABF silver medal winner), Southern Hemisphere 2920, Cream Stout, Rod’s Best Bitter, Agua Fria Pils, Citra Sloppy Sloth Hazy IPA.

Tumbleroot: Sunrise Lager, Sunset IPA, Hello Dunkel (my old friend), and Transatlantic IPA.

As in years past, Los Alamos County will be running bus service from the high school to the ski hill every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you plan to make full use of your tasting privileges, we encourage you to take the free shuttle and avoid driving the winding road up the mountain.

Enjoy the fest!

— Reid