Fantastic news for lovers of quality beer and especially those who love cask/real ale. On Sunday March 16th,  The Happy Gnome will be hosting their first annual Firkin Fest (name not final).

This fest will be outdoors in an enormous tent featuring over 26 breweries and 50 cask beers  (as of writing) , with both domestic craft and import beers featured.  It will be the largest cask beer festival in the midwest since the fantastic and now defunct Real Ale Festival was held in Chicago.

UPDATES:  The event will begin at noon and will go until the casks run dry.  It will be a "drink ticket" style event, rather than a fixed fee.  (I've always enjoyed "drink ticket" events... generally it encourages people to sample a variety of beers and also drinking responsibly. -ed.)