The fifth annual Baltimore Beer Week takes place October 18-27, and Baltimore beer lovers, brewers and nearly everyone else join together to celebrate everything we love about local craft beer. There are 360 events this year, so we've picked out the must-hit highlights. Check them out below and happy Beer Week!

Friday, October 18

3nd Annual Tri-State Tap Takeover
11 AM-close through Sunday, October 20
Hudson Street Stackhouse (2626 Hudson St.; 410-342-0592)
Three breweries, Dogfish Head, Heavy Seas & Troegs will have 12+ drafts on tap, creating a Tri-State Takeover. Dogfish Head will have beers including 120, 90 & 60 min IPA, Punkin Ale, and Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew. Heavy Seas will have Red Sky at Night, Great’er Pumpkin, Cutlass Amber Ale and more. Troegs will have Naked Elf, Javahead, Dreamweaver and more. This event goes on all weekend or until the beer runs out!

Chilibrew VI
7-10 PM
2640 Space (2640 Saint Paul St.)
$20 in advance, $25 doors
Brought to you by the BaltiBrew Homebrew club, the Charitably Charmin’ ChiliBrew is an informal, semiannual charity homebrew competition and chili cookoff. Tickets get you a ballot to vote on any or all of the competitions (chili con carne, veggie chili, and homebrew). If you are interested in submitting a chili or home brew for consideration check out the website for details.

Saturday, October 19

Oktobearfest,
Noon-4 PM
Maryland Zoo in Baltimore (Druid Hill Park; 410-396-7102)
$40 General Admission
Sample over 30 of the finest Fall Seasonals including various Oktoberfest & Pumpkin styles at Octobearfest from breweries including Flying Dog, DuClaw & The Brewers Art.  Tickets can be purchased for $40 here and include tastings, live music and participation in Oktoberfest/Pumpkin-flavored beer judging contest.

Das Best Oktoberfest
2-6 PM
M&T Stadium Parking Lots (1101 Russell St.)
$35 General Admission, $59 VIP
Take a trip through Old World Munich at this year’s upgraded festival.  Regular tickets are $35 and VIP tickets are $59 and can be purchased here.  Get ready to have your souvenir glass filled with local and national beers plus international beers, wine and schnapps.

Monday, October 21

Going Pro - Q&A Session with Union Craft Brewing,
6-7 PM
Nepenthe Homebrew (3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 130A)
You’ve been brewing your own beer for awhile and your family and friends think your beer is awesome. Time to turn this hobby into a business. What next? Join the guys from Union Craft Brewing for a chat and Q&A session about what it takes to go pro.

Wednesday, October 23

Dine Downtown Baltimore Beer and Urban Oyster Tasting
5:30-7:30 PM
Center Plaza (120 W. Fayette St.; 410-244-1030)
This free kick-off event will feature beer samples from Brewer's Art, Union Craft Brewing, Heavy Seas, Fordham, Flying Dog, and Stella Artois. Enjoy free oyster and crab tastings will also be available in addition to shuckers who will be on-site selling fresh shucked Urban Oysters for 50 cents each.

Drinking Buddies Screening,
7:30-10 PM
The Charles Theatre (1711 N. Charles St.; 410-727-FILM)
Join fellow movie-watchers at The Charles Theater for a Baltimore Beer Week screening of Drinking Buddies. Show starts at 7:30pm. Tickets are on sale here for $9.50/each.

Thursday, October 24

Baltimore Beer Babes’ Ladies Only Night at Max’s,
6-8 PM
Max’s Taphouse (737 South Broadway; 410-675-6297)
$20 members, $25 non-members
This special event will feature the very rare Mikkeller yeast series beers to learn about and taste exactly what impact different yeasts have on the same beer base. Light apps and gratuity are included in admission, e-mail judyneff1@gmail.com to reserve your spot.

Friday, October 25

Friday Keep the Pint,
7-10 PM
The Point in Fells (1738 Thames St.; 410-327-7264)
The guys over at Full Tilt will be at The Point doing a keep the pint night. $5 gets you a Full Tilt draft in a free Full Tilt pint glass. $4 Refills. Representatives will be there with giveaways as well.

Saturday, October 26

The 10th Annual Chesapeake Real Ale Festival,
1-5 PM
Pratt Street Ale House (206 West Pratt St.; 410-244-8900)
$40 in advance, $50 door, $60 VIP
The Real Ale Festival includes over 40+ unique local, regional and international Cask Beers from 20 breweries for $40 in advance or $50 at the door. VIP tickets are $60 and include exclusive casks, a buffet and hour early entry.

Public Works Ales & RavenBeer Host Chesapeake Region Red Cross,
12-5 PM
Peabody Heights Brewery (401 E 30th St.; 410-467-7837)
Support the Chesapeake Region of the American Red Cross with a great assortment of beers, bands, food truck and food vendor, brewery tours & more. Hoist a brew from Public Works Ale, RavenBeer, the E A Poe series of beers, and Eastern Shore beers from Fin City.

Beer Festival at West Shore Park,
2-6 PM
West Shore Park (between Visitor Center and Science Center)
$40 General Admission, $50 VIP
The inaugural Baltimore Beer Festival will feature dozens of domestic and international breweries, sampling their fall seasonal beers. In addition to beer, the event will feature live music and food trucks (food sold separately).  Tickets can be purchased here.

Sunday, October 27

Halloween Costume Contest,
4-9 PM
Blue Hill Tavern (938 S Conkling St.; 443-388-9363)
Head over to Blue Hill Tavern for a halloween costume contest featuring Leinenkugel’s Orange Shandy & Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin. Enjoy bobbing for apples, complementary food and a grand prize for the best costume.