Beerfest!!!

I live very close to Frankenmuth. Anyone who lives in Michigan knows what that is. For those of you who don't it's a very quaint German founded town, and is home to Bronner's, the largest Christmas store in the world. They also have Zehnders and their world-famous chicken and a large number of shops and stores designed to pull people in, and man do they ever.

On any given weekend they get hundreds if not thousands of visitors to the town. Several times a year they have a festival. Snowfest, Oktoberfest, 80's Fest, etc. This last weekend was Beefest, or as they call it the World Expo of Beer. About 50 different vendors converge and set up in the Heritage Park expo center and for $5 entry you get a lovely little 4 oz commemorative beer mug, in which you can taste every kind of beer. Now it's not free from there. you have to buy tickets for $1.25 apiece and each fill-up is one ticket.

Honestly, I am not much of a beer drinker but there were several people from work heading up and my best girlfriend from home was coming for the weekend and it sounded like a fun place to be.

The way they have it set up, the vendors are in a circle in the middle of the floor and then there are some around the perimeter around the rest of the building. The idea is for everyone to go around in a circle, preferably clockwise and taste away.

Wrong! It was so crowded! Imagine the most crowded college party you have ever been to then triple that. I have never seen so many people in one place in my life. You literally had to snake your way through the crowds to even go anywhere. When you wanted to stand in one place you had to constantly suck it in and move closer together to avoid the lines of people walking through. We finally found some people we knew and got something to drink, but the problem with a 4 oz cup is it lasts for about three sips. I staked myself outside the Mike's Hard Lemonade vendor and fought my way up several times. I had beer spilled on my sandals and my new Tommy Hilfiger sweater. I wasn't too worried about the beer though because we were in such close quarters I started to worry about one of these drunk fools throwing up on me!

We stayed for about two hours then went to Applebee's where we enjoyed some dessert and didn't have to fight anyone for a seat. Alas, I think I will stick to the Fest's they have where you can actually sit down and enjoy your beverage!