It’s fall – and that means two things: Oktoberfest and Beer Festivals.

In the next few weeks look for Oktoberfest beer releases from The Carolina Brewery (already out!), Rock Bottom, and Liberty as well as the Cottonwood Pumpkin Ale release from Carolina Beer and Harvest Time from Big Boss. It’s a great month to enjoy good North Carolina Beer!

What’s more? In the next month, no matter where you are in North Carolina, you’ve got a beer festival nearby.

First up, on September 18th, is Brewgrass in Asheville. In their words: Each year in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina, we gather over 40 American breweries to showcase more than 120 different beers. We add a great lineup of national and regional bluegrass musicians that, in the past, has included such notables as Cadillac Sky, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Dry Branch Fire Squad, J.D. Crowe, The Osborne Brothers, Norman Blake, Tony Trischka, Jim Lauderdale, Valerie Smith, Tony Furtado, Yonder Mountain String Band, and Sons Of Ralph. We also feature a variety of area food vendors and plenty of water. Hope you got your tickets on the weekend that they went on sale, though, because that’s when they sold out.

Next, on September 25th, is the 12th Annual Charlotte Oktoberfest which promises

• Live entertainment on the big stage at the North end of the stadium.
• The chance to put your skills to the test on games like table tennis, foosball, corn hole and many others in the Creative Loafing Beerlympic Village at the South end of the stadium.
• Food vendors serving some of the tastiest brats, hot dogs, pretzels, and more.

As well as a collectible 5-oz. Charlotte Oktoberfest Tasting Glass, and of samples from over 350 of the finest craft brewed beers in the Southeast and from around the world.

Tickets are still available.

Next up, on October 9th in Durham, is the All About Beer World Beer Festival: Durham which is being held, this year, at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The World Beer Festival is one of the best festivals in the Southeast – don’t miss it. The beer lineup should be posted soon, keep an eye out for it!

Tickets are on sale through the Durham Bulls Box Office.

Finally, the coup de grace, on October 16th at the Greenfield Lake Amphitheater in Wilmington, is the Lighthouse Beer Festival.

The Lighthouse Beer Festival, in its ninth year, brings over 70 craft breweries from around the world to Wilmington, NC. This year, the festival will be held at Greenfield Lake Amphitheater to accommodate the growing enthusiasm from local (and national) beer lovers. Admission is $30/adv $40/day of which includes a collectible festival glass for tasting from the over 300 different beers available from 1pm-5pm on Saturday October 16th. Live performances from Acoustic Syndicate and local Wilmington bands will occupy the amphitheater’s stage during the festival. Proceeds from the event go to The Carousel Center; a 501c charity that aids abused and neglected youth. A free shuttle service is provided to help festival-goers get home safely.

Get your tickets here.