HISTORY OF HOPS

The story started in 2003, when a small group of directors were trying to decide on a new event for Fortuna with a $1,000 grant provided by the Fortuna Business Improvement District. It took two years of planning, organizing and research. Fortuna Rotary and ESA offered to sponsor the event and Hops in Humboldt was born. The very first Hops event was held in 2004, in a small beer garden between the two playgrounds at Rohner Park. There were 10 breweries at best; all of our local breweries plus a few more from Northern California. It had a bluegrass theme with local bands and some random vendors. As the event progressed throughout the years more breweries were added. Mixed genres of music became the norm, the Hops beer games and the Hops awards were born. Local homemade food and vendors started to make the event more unique. Partnerships with transportation companies were formed to provide safe transportation alternatives for attendees. That year we saw elbow-to-elbow room only in the festival and it was evident the festival had outgrown its location. In year six Hops decided to make the move off the green grass of Rohner Park to a larger home and current location on Bartow Field. That year Hops also started the process of shedding its sponsors and led the paperwork to become its own nonprofit organization. With a board of directors and a dedicated beer-loving committee that works year-round, Hops in Humboldt is bigger and better than ever! Hops has proudly taken in hundreds of thousands of dollars in event income. The majority of our budget is put back into the community and spent with local businesses to make the event happen. 100 percent of the profits are given back to local groups each year who fall under our grant categories.