Cleveland Beer Week: 7 events to check out

If you love craft beer, good food and pairing the two — which seems like 90% of Clevelanders — this is the week for you.

Driving the news: Cleveland Beer Week kicks off Friday and runs through Oct. 8 at various breweries and restaurants.

Why it matters: This is not just another weeklong, generic celebration of something in Cleveland.

• Beer Week, founded in 2009, predates the rush of other themed weeks — Pierogi Week, Burger Week, Wing Week, etc. — and has a well-rounded list of events to back it up.

Worth your time: Beer Week's website lists more than 100 celebrations. We narrowed it to several standout events.

• Admission is free unless otherwise noted:

🦪 OysterFest

Details: You get fresh oysters paired with your favorite beer from Maine Beer and Oxbow Brewing starting at 10am Saturday at Buckeye Beer Engine in Lakewood.

🙌 Pinball Tournament

Details: Marengo's Hoof Hearted Brewing provides the fuel for Pins Mechanical Co.'s pinball tournament from 6-9pm Wednesday. You can still sign up for the free tournament.

🎳 Beat the Brewer

Details: Face off against some of your favorite local brewers in fun games like cornhole, mini bowling and more from 6-8pm Wednesday at Wild Eagle Saloon in Broadview Heights.

• Tickets are $40 and include 20 beer samples.

🍺 Free Homebrew Tasting

Details: One of the most popular events of Beer Week is free sampling of beers from homebrewers in the area from 7-10pm Thursday at the Cleveland Brew Shop on Lorain Avenue.

⛴️ Offshore Pour

Details: The Lady Caroline ship gets in on the Beer Week action with a night of beautiful views and 20 beer samples during a three-hour cruise that boards at 6pm.

• Tickets are $55.

🇧🇪 Lambic Night

Details: Buckeye Beer Engine cracks open its selection of Lambic beers — spontaneously fermented ancient beers — just one night a year. That will take place on Oct. 6. from 6-10pm.

🛫 Night at the Hangar

Details: Burke Lakefront Airport opens its Signature Flight hangar for a night of more than 100 beers, food, a silent auction and more from 6-10:30pm on Oct. 7.

• Tickets start at $45.

💭 Troy's thought bubble: You'll probably catch me at Chimay Burger & Beer Night at Buckeye Beer Engine on Monday.

• I'm a sucker for a great Belgian beer.

💭 Sam's thought bubble: Masthead beers will be on tap this week at X Indoor Golf in Avon, with $1 from every pint donated to Beer Week charities.

• "Hear that, sweetheart? It's for charity!"