Hey it’s Friday and if you’re ready for some serious fun – 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. Plus we’ve got a special WeekendBeer Pick that you’ll want to chase down. So welcome to this week’s edition of our awesome Weekend Picks.

Winter’s Coming (Seattle, WA) – One of our favorite craft beer festivals of the year is taking place this weekend in the Pacific Northwest when the 2013 Winter Beer Fest comes to town. This year’s two-day (Dec 6^th – 7^th) three-session event is taking place at a new venue – Hangar 30 at Magnuson Park – and will feature “the best of the best” winter seasonals from more than 50 of the region’s most exciting breweries. For more info and updates on one of this season’s must-not-miss craft beer events, check out: Winter Beer Fest

On The Big Screen – The movies opening this weekend are interesting and thankfully, more adult affairs. Out of the Furnace is a gritty drama both written and directed by Scott Cooper and it stars Christian Bale as a small town blue collar worker seeking revenge for his lost brother (Casey Affleck). Inside Llewyn Davis is a Cohen Brothers film that tells the story of a 1960’s folk singer struggling to make it in Greenwich Village and stars Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, and John Goodman.

‘Tis the Season (Portland, OR) – The 2013 Holiday Ale Festival is already in full swing in “The City of Roses” and will be through Sunday. This five-day event (which is being held in downtown Portland’s Pioneer Square) features more than 50 strong winter ales daily, all of them brewed to bring warmth and cheer to the holiday season. And we can’t think of a more festive location. The festival’s heated venue contains one of the region’s largest Christmas trees and great views of the city’s holiday lights and decorations. For more info and updates on what’s become for many craft beer lovers a holiday tradition, check out: Holiday Ale Fest

Walking Dead Mid-Season Finale – If you’ve not been watching AMC’s audacious zombie apocalypse series The Walking Dead (now in its fourth season), you’ve been missing some brilliant TV. And since we’ve tipped you to it on a number of occasions, you only have yourself to blame. As those of us who’ve become addicted to this series know, this season is one of its best, and the mid-season finale was one of its most powerful. If you’re not watching this series, you’re missing something that will stand as an entertainment milestone for years -and that’s on you.

Holiday South (Nashville, TN) – Music City will be getting into the holiday spirit this weekend when the 3^rd annual 12 South Winter Warmer returns to Nashville’s Sevier Park. Described as the city’s first and only winter beer festival, this year’s event returns with more than 25 of this county’s best breweries and they’ll be featuring their finest winter offerings.

Our Awesome Weekend Beer Pick

Flying Fish Brewing Company is returning a fan favorite, just in time for the holidays! Grand Cru Winter Reserve is their popular Belgian-style Golden Ale brewed with a strong malt character, a slightly spicy hop presence, and a balanced, warming finish. Look for Winter Reserve to soon be available in bottles and draft through early winter.