Salem Brew Week runs Saturday, Oct. 24, through Halloween, presented by Advantage Heating.

The whole point is to get you into a brewery, taproom or bar you've never walked into and give you a reason to meet a few new people while you're there.

Let me be clear about what this is and isn't. This isn't a week about drinking more. Pace yourself, get a ride, and look out for the people you're with.

What it is: a reason to get out. Salem has more good breweries right now than most people realize, and a lot of them sit in corners of town you don't pass on your usual route. This year 19 spots are in, from Xicha and Santiam to places you might not have tried yet like Mesa del Rincon, La Familia Cidery, Angel's Share Barrel House and SOB Brewery Smokehouse.

Each one has special pricing on select beer, cider or cocktails all week.

To help keep it simple, we made it digital. Get your passport, make an account with a username (that's your name on the leaderboard), then scan the QR code at each stop with your phone camera to collect a stamp. No purchase necessary. Four or more stamps and you're automatically entered in the raffle for prize bundles from the participating spots. Winners are drawn Nov. 5.

Bonus: tag @whatshappeningsalem in your Instagram story and you're eligible to win a prize. We'll pick a winner every day of Brew Week. Keep the story public so we can see it.

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Sponsored by La Mesa Redonda

La Mesa Redonda 2026 brings five professionals in leadership, finance, legal, marketing and business strategy to one room on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Keizer Event Center, 930 Chemawa Rd. NE. You'll leave with practical strategies you can put to work right away.

Food is included, and so is time to network with business owners and local leaders. The event is in Spanish with live English interpretation, so bring anyone on your team.

Capacity is limited, so reserve your seat now.

Trash talk, literally: Salem's climate plan, explained, with Julianah Douglas. Hit play below or find it wherever you get your podcasts.

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Go to as many as you can. Some are free, some cost.

WHS Dinner Club — Tuesday, Oct. 27, 6:30 p.m., downtown. Take a quick quiz, get matched with five locals for dinner at a restaurant we reveal that morning, then meet up with every table at a surprise after-party. Solo, couples, new in town, all welcome. Book your seat

Teacher Appreciation Night — Thursday, Oct. 29, 7–10 p.m., Xicha Brewing (2195 Hyacinth St. NE). Live band karaoke with Jon Chinburg, a former teacher himself. Buy a drink token and hand it to a teacher. If you've ever had one who mattered, this is the easiest thank-you you'll give all year. Free to attend. Presented by Advantage Heating.

Don Pedro Tequila Tasting: Día de los Muertos — Friday, Oct. 30, 6–8:30 p.m., Xicha Brewing (2195 Hyacinth St. NE, Suite 162). If you've been to one of Pedro Villagran's tastings, you know he mixes in history along with the pours. This one goes further. He told me he's building the whole night around Mexican folklore and the traditions surrounding death and the afterlife: seven additive-free tequilas, with stories in between like the legend of Huitzilin and Xóchitl and how the marigold became the flower that guides loved ones home, or the Xoloitzcuintli, the hairless dog said to guide souls through the underworld. Expect marigolds on the tables and an icebreaker at the start so you're not sitting next to strangers all night. Chef Ricardo Antunez is doing the pairing menu. It's Pedro's last tasting of the year, and he says he's putting a little extra into it. $100, only 20 seats. Get tickets

Spirited Away Movie Night — Friday, Oct. 30, 7 p.m., Bonzai! Coffee + Teabar (285 Liberty St. NE, Suite 120). A screening of the Studio Ghibli classic. Free.

Zombie Crawl — Saturday, Oct. 31, check-in 5:30 p.m. at Highdive (440 State St.), crawl starts at 6. Five downtown stops: Highdive, Pintxos, Precious Pizza, Heit and a final party at Kraftworks Taphouse at 10 p.m. with a live DJ and costume contest. Tickets include two drinks, crawler specials and no cover charges. $10 if you buy by Monday, Oct. 26; $15 after that. 21+. Get tickets

Time Warp Through the Decades — Saturday, Oct. 31, 8 p.m.–2 a.m., The BAD Space at Santiam Brewing (2572 19th St. SE). A Halloween costume party with DTW, a 12-plus-piece funk band playing Halloween hits from the '60s through the 2000s. Doors at 8, band at 9, karaoke after-party at midnight. Costume contest and $4 20-oz. pints of Coal Porter and Moore Tangerine cider. $16.50. 21+. Get tickets

The full list is always at salembrewweek.whatshappeningsalem.com/events.

One more thing: there are a ton of Halloween events happening that week that aren't on this list. Thursday's newsletter will have those. We wanted you to have the Brew Week schedule now so you can plan around it.

See you out there.

Jacob

All 19 stops and what each one is pouring for Brew Week. Scan the QR code at any of them to get your stamp.