Great American Beer Festival

Just got home from the South Dakota Festival of Books. Rain fell on Sioux Falls the ENTIRE time. Real rain. Lots of rain. As in torrential rain. On Wednesday, the 27th, I leave for Denver (sure to be sunny and dry!) for the Great American Beer Festival, where I'll be signing books. This is the nation's oldest beer fest, and the second largest (topped only by the Oregon Brewers Festival). I've never been to the GABF, so am looking forward to experiencing what I only know as a historical event (I researched its origins and early years for the book). But this will also be my first opportunity to meet people that I only "know" via telephone or email. I interviewed quite a few brewers and other industry folks for the beer book, and have been in touch with various others since the book came out. So either way, this looms as A Pretty Big Deal for me.