The annual Winter Ale Festival is happening this weekend at Pioneer Courthouse Square, starting tomorrow. This year’s beer list looks fantastic, and Thursday it appears that they are going to roll out some very special kegs. This festival is one of the things that makes living in Portland so great. The entire square is covered under a large tent, and heaters are judiciously applied, keeping the cold out and making things nice and toasty. The beers are big and rich, warming your insides as the heaters warm your outsides. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend it. It’s a great time.

One word of advice – go early. The word is out on this fest, and it has, frankly, outgrown its humble digs. At night, it gets crowded – uncomfortably so, and you may find yourself waiting upwards of 15 or 20 minutes for a beer. However, before the tent fills up, it’s a great time. And no matter what time of day you’re there, the beer simply can’t be beat.

Everything you need to know about the Festival can be found right here ^[1]