We're closing in on Memorial Day weekend, which is the unofficial beginning of summer in America. Canadians get an early start, as Monday is Victoria Day, sometimes called "May two-four," which is Canadian English for a case of beer.

In addition to the holidays, there are 29 festivals on the calendar for the coming weekend. Ludwig's top picks are the Cambridge (England) Beer Festival; the Latvia Beer Fest in Riga; and the North Carolina Hops and Roots Fest in Pittsboro.

There are also two Beer Weeks, both of which get underway Monday: Central Oregon Beer Week (Bend and vicinity), which runs through May 27;  and Nevada Beer Weeks, in Las Vegas, Reno, and other cites, which wraps up July 1. 

Last but not least, American Craft Beer Week begins on Monday, and closes on May 19. The official ACBW calendar lists more than 1,000 events; chances are, there's one taking place in your hometown.

Last year we had our largest-ever festival total, 1,322, and we hope our 13th year is the most successful ever.

Thirteen years? It's hard to believe, but our first calendar had fewer than one-quarter of last year's calendar. And, as in past years, we're always looking for festivals. Please yet us know about worthy beer events in your corner of the world.

In addition to the festival calendar, this site has a wealth of information about your--and our--favorite beverage, including:

* The "Beer Traveller Series," a collection of more than 60 articles about beer-drinking destinations. We just added several articles to the collection, including our pieces about Pennsylvania, great beer bars, San Francisco, and "old school beer and baseball tour," and our farewell column at *All About Beer*.

* "Good Beer Books," Paul's reviews of books that belong on your reference shelf. He just added reviews of Douglas Wissing's "Indiana, One Pint at a Time" and Pete Brown's "Three Sheets to the Wind." Hope you enjoy them.

* And "Worts of Wisdom," observations about beer from now and the past.

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What's that, Ludwig?

Our beer-drinking lion asks, "What, you haven't visited his blog, Ludwig Roars? It offers a light-hearted look at beer-related news, places, and events from around the world. He also says that the writing is--pun definitely intended--rip-*roaring* good.

Finally, a shameless plug for ourselves:

If you're in, or near, Michigan, please consider buying our book, Michigan Breweries. It's a comprehensive guidebook that we keep updated at one of our sister sites. Find out why Michigan is The Great Beer State. It makes a great present for the beer lover in your life!

Thanks for stopping by, and come back often!

Cheers!

Maryanne, Paul, and Ludwig