LET'S DRINK SOME BEER SATURDAY >>>

October hits Saturday, carrying fall along with it. So, what does that tell you? Yes, that's right, it's beer season. What, you may ask, does this time of year, specifically, have to do with beer? The venerable Oktoberfests, of course. The summer heat is dying down enough to allow a midday buzz to last longer than five minutes.

Now, to brazenly and brutally classify, there are two distinct types of people who typically attend Oktoberfest revelry. First, there are those individuals who support their favorite brews and breweries and go to sample the new variations that have made it into what have become Washington state's regal brewing ranks. We shall deem this group "Aficionados."

Now, the other group. Let me first pose a rather personal question: Have you ever begun drinking shortly after pulling yourself out of your disheveled bed, before breakfast was even a seedling of a thought, say at nine or 10 in the morning? You know, those times when you are clearly done putting the drink down the hatch by noon and are unsuccessfully trying to sleep off a nasty, nasty hangover in thy poor head by early afternoon? Well, this festival also brings out those who are extremely well versed in this routine. We shall tenderly call this group "Chet."

Chet season ends with the summer sun. Last weekend's Fremont Oktoberfest witnessed the last Chet spill another beer on the heat-soaked cement while stumbling awkwardly down the street trying to find the elusive empty port-o-potty.  A few die-hard Chets might show up for Oktoberfest Tacoma Saturday in Tacoma's Opera Alley, but it's geared more toward the Aficionados.

Presented by the Triangle Business District, Amocat Café and The Mix, Oktoberfest Tacoma will feature the following local beers for Aficionados: 7 Seas Brewing, American Brewing, Burris Brewing, Harmon Brewery, Lazy Boy Brewing, Schooner Exact, Trade Route Brewing and Wingman Brewers. As a bonus, Oktoberfest Tacoma spreads its fats arms to breweries in distant lands such as: Avery, Dogfish Head, Leavenworth Brewery and Silver City Brewing. Ciders will also be poured.

Mixed in with all the drinking will be pretzels, a pie-eating contest, chainsaw pumpkin carving and more.

Admission is $12 advance and $18 at the door and includes five generous tastings. Additional tasting tokens can be purchased for $1.50. Tickets can be purchased online through Brown Paper Tickets or in person at 99 Bottles and Amocat Cafe.

So leave your hanky tops and hair gel at home, pull on a woolly sweater, and learn that happiness is best achieved by tipping a brew.

Oh, and be on the lookout for Chet.

[Opera Alley, 2-10 p.m., $12-$18 includes five tastings, Seventh and Opera Alley, downtown Tacoma, oktoberfesttacoma.com]