Update 4/12/12:   For those of you arriving Friday night, we're meeting the Triangle Beer Meetup Group at Woody's, which is located at 205 Wolfe Street in Raleigh, just a few blocks from the Sheraton.  We'll be there around 9:30 pm.  Should be a good warm up for the festival the nxt day :) 

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Update 4/11/12:

Alrighty folks it’s almost here!  Hope everyone is ready for a great time in Raleigh this weekend. Weather in Raleigh Saturday looks to be perfect:  high of 75 and sunny!    A few last minute things:

- My cell number has been sent to everyone who RSVPd.  If you didn't get it, send me a message through my profile.    If you want to be kept in the loop of where and when well be around Raleigh this weekend, please text me your number (and your name), if I don’t have it already. Staying together during the actual festival and tasting is pretty difficult, but this way you’ll know where you can find us before and after.

- If you’ll be in Raleigh Friday night, we’ll be meeting somewhere near the hotel around 9:30 pm, after the tasting with the Tri-Beer group.  I’ll post details on that as soon as they’re decided.  Watch the comments section below.

- If you’re driving down to Raleigh Saturday morning, be sure you allow enough time to get down there, park and be in line for the festival around 11 am (it’s a 2-1/2 to 3 hour drive).  There are usually several gates open, and people start lining up around 11, but once the gates open the lines move very quickly.    We’ll probably gather in the hotel lobby around 10:45 am Saturday morning to walk over together.

Contact me if you have any questions, and watch this page for any updates.

Cheers!
Amy

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 Noon-4 session is now SOLD OUT.

Update 4/9/12:   The Triangle Beer Meetup Group in Raleigh has invited us to attend an event with them this Friday:    Ballast Point Tap Takeover Plus 8 Other Gems .  $12.00 for 16 great beers at a local beer store that’s a short drive from the hotel.  The event runs from 7-9 pm on Friday. You must call Ridgewood Beer & Wine at [masked] to purchase a ticket for this event.  I just spoke to the store and they are expecting to sell out by tomorrow (Tuesday), so if you plan on going, be sure and call as soon as possible.

If you won’t be in Raleigh in time Friday for this one, don’t worry, we’re planning another gathering after the tasting event, starting around 9:30 pm, somewhere close to the hotel.  Stay tuned for details on where. 

If you do plan to attend the Event at Ridgewood, please update your RSVP (yeah, again) and let me know, so I can let the Tri-Beer Organizer how many from our group will be going.

Please be sure and watch your inbox this week as I will be sending out other updates about the weekend in Raleigh. 

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The World Beer Festival-Raleigh takes place Saturday, April 14, 2012.  RBL had a blast in Raleigh last year, so we definitely want to do this again!   Some details are now available for the event, so I'm officially "announcing" it. 

TICKET INFORMATION:  Tickets will go on sale to subscribers of All About Beer Magazine on February 27, 2012.  If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe to the magazine by 5pm February 23, 2012 and you will be included in the subscriber presale.  Tickets will go on sale to the general public on March 5, 2012.  

Standard admission to a single session is $40.00 in advance ($50 at the door, if available) and includes unlimited tastings.   There are two sessions available, but our group will be attending the Noon-4pm one.

This festival does sell out, so be sure and get your tickets early (once they're on sale).  Here's the link for tickets.   

ACCOMMODATIONS:  The festival will have a block of rooms reserved at the Sheraton in Downtown Raleigh, which is walking distance to Moore Park.  Rate is $105/night. 

Here's the link for reservations. 

Several of us will be staying a tthe Sheraton both Friday and Saturday nights, so if you want to go down there Friday, there will be folks to hang out with.

If anyone wants to share rooms/carpool feel free to post here or on the message board thread for this event.   We’ll let members work that out on their own.   In previous years many of us have gone down on Friday, but some go down Saturday morning instead.  Just know if you plan to drive down Saturday, you'll want to allow enough to time drive, park, and get in line by 11:15 am.  

 We’ll discuss how to meet at the festival as we get closer to the event.

A couple of FAQs:

 How many beers are there?  Last year there were just under 300 different beers on tap. 

 Are the lines long?  It depends.    It tends to be more crowded at the beginning of the session, and the lines die down as time goes on.  The longest line I remember was maybe 6 people ahead of me.  Not bad, considering.