Hey it’s Friday and the weekend’s almost here. Things are getting festive and you’re ready for some serious fun. Well good, because we are on it! From the nation’s coolest beer festivals to movies, music, and cutting-edge TV – we’ve got your back big-time. So welcome to this week’s edition of our awesome Weekend Picks.

Friday Firkins in Philly! (Philadelphia, PA) – The Grey Lodge is beloved by craft beer lovers in the mid-Atlantic, and Friday the Firkinteenth is the popular craft beer emporium’s most famous event. Every Friday the 13th since February 1998, they have tapped unique cask ales provided by some of the region’s best breweries and they’re doing it again tonight. This event has grown so popular that they’re introducing a day and an evening session this year to better accommodate rabid fans.Tapping for the day session starts at noon, while tapping for the evening session begins at 6 pm. As always, there is no cover charge and you can come and go as you like. For more info on this beyond-splendid outing, check out: Friday the Firkinteenth

On The Big Screen -The second installment of Peter Jackson’s prequel Hobbit Trilogy makes its holiday opening this weekend and if you’re already a fan of the New Zealand director’s amazing Lord of the Rings series, you know what to expect. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug takes off where An Unexpected Journey ended with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey continuing to accompany the dwarves in their quest to reclaim their homeland from the evil dragon Smaug.

True Music in the Valley of the Sun – Scottsdale, Arizona plays host to a genre-smashing music festival this Saturday (Dec 14^th) and if you’re a fan of envelope-pushing music at a state-of-the-art venue – you don’t want to miss it. The True Music Festival is billed as “the largest multi-genre single day music festival in the valley of the sun” that “promises to bring you an experience unlike anything you’ve seen before.” And this year’s festival is showcasing acts as diverse as The Flaming Lips and Wiz Khalifa as well as a bevy of local artists, musicians, and performers – so get ready to be blown away!

A Warming Craft Beer Fest in the Lone Star State – Things are heating up in Dallas tomorrow when the Dallas Winter Warmer hits town. The 2^nd annual event takes place at a new venue this year – Main Street Garden, a downtown public park – on Saturday, December 14 from noon to 5 pm. And the event organizers aren’t playing around with the beer list for this one – be prepared for your 5 oz. Belgian snifter to be sufficiently boozed up with some of the best stouts, porters, and barrel-aged beauties around. For more info and to purchase your ticket to this deliciously decadent beer event, check out: Dallas Winter Warmer