New England beer festivals

Want to know where to go this fall and winter to celebrate beer culture while enjoying live music and great food along with a few pints? Here’s a roundup of beer festivals taking place in the coming months around New England.

NERAX November
<br>Nov. 1-3, Somerville
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<br>A satellite festival of the New England Real Ale eXhibition, NERAX November will be at the Somerville American Legion this year and feature about 60 cask-conditioned beers from New England and Britain. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door and all beer is available at the cash bar. <br>
Somerville American Legion Hall Post 388, 163 Glen St.

Maine Brewers Festival
<br>Nov. 2-3, Portland, Maine
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<br>Starting off with a VIP Evening with the Brewers session, the 19th annual Maine Brewers Festival celebrates the craft beer community of Maine – which includes such breweries as Sea Dog, Allagash, and Shipyard. Tickets are $36, $99 with the addition of the VIP event. <br>
239 Park Ave., Portland, Maine.

Great International Beer Festival
<br>Nov. 3, Providence
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<br>Brewers from across the nation (and the world) will join together for this big one. Judge Gregg Glaser will preside over the Great International Beer Competition. Tickets are $40. <br>
Rhode Island Convention Center, 1 Sabin St., Providence.

Redbones Northwest Beer Fest
<br>Nov. 13, Somerville
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<br>Redbones may best be known for its barbecue, but it also has a selection of draft beers on tap. For the NW Beer Fest, the focus is on beers from Washington and Oregon with special guest brewers from Pike Brewing in Seattle, Anacortes in Anacortes, Wash., and Lompoc from Portland, Ore. There will be a cash bar and free appetizers. <br>
Redbones, 55 Chester St., Somerville.

Beer Summit Harvest Fest
<br>Nov. 16-17, Boston
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<br>With three sessions within two days, more than 60 brewers attending and more than 200 beers to sample, this harvest fest will feature the best local, national, and international beers of the season.<br>
Park Plaza Castle, 130 Columbus Ave., Boston

Not So Snooty Beer, Wine and Cheese Tasting
<br>Nov. 18, Windsor Locks, Conn.
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<br>This charity event, which is raising money for Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for kids with serious illnesses, will feature all local brews, wines and food. The event will take place at the New England Air Museum. Vintage aircrafts, a good cause, beer, wine and food together in one place for $70 at the door.<br> 36 Perimeter Road, Windsor Locks, Conn.

Extreme Beer Fest
<br>Feb. 8-9, Boston
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<br>BeerAdvocate, a small Boston-based beer enthusiast network, holds various events throughout the year. One of the biggest is the Extreme Beer Fest, where over 125 beers that “push the boundaries of brewing and raise a fist at the norm,’’ are celebrated, as stated on the event website. Tickets are $55. That includes entry and all beer tastings. <br>
The Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St., Boston