Beer Fest is back, baby

Last year, a scheduling conflict with the newly constructed Golden 1 Center pushed the Capitol Beer Fest to a bridge overlooking the railyards­—a sufficient venue, but also hot and not much to look at. This year, the eighth annual event—12-4 p.m. Saturday, March 3—is back where it belongs: Capitol Mall. More than 125 breweries will pour beer, over 25 food vendors will dish out grub and two bands, two DJs and six radio stations will crank out tunes. Most breweries will hail from California and pour their best-selling flagships to make a good impression at this annual fundraiser for the Runnin’ for Rhett youth fitness program that aids area students and hosts a 5k for them. Tickets ($40 for general admission; $65 for VIP) to the beer fest will sell out and won’t be sold at the gate. So buy them online or at Der Biergarten (2332 K Street).