Festival season is upon us. Thrilling carnival rides, midway games (my favorite involves throwing a ping-pong ball in a beer stein) and pretzel stands dot historic city centers of many charming villages. Often, these festivals include a wine tasting or maybe a beer tent. For true beer enthusiasts, there is a festival designed just for you without all of the carnival hoopla. Bierbörse is just that — a little food, live entertainment and a lot of beer. Here’s the twist: it’s not just a one-time event. This fest travels around Germany four months a year.

In 1987, Bierbörse began with a couple of local breweries setting up pop-up tents in Leverkusen-Opladen. Beer lovers came to the tents to sample freshly tapped editions of sudsy goodness. As the popularity of the event grew, the founders added another city (Düsseldorf) to see if the demand was there. Thirty years later, Bierbörse has spread to 25 cities throughout the country. Although the flavors and location may change, the heart of the festival remains the same — high-quality regional beer.

This year, Bierbörse kicks off May 5 to 7 northeast of Cologne, in the small town of Hückeswagen. More than 30 local breweries and eateries will be on hand to provide a delicious sampling of this year’s specialty brews and tasty treats. Three new cities have been added to the line up in 2017: Böblingen, Erkelenz and Siegen. It will also make a stop in Karlsruhe, Koblenz and Mainz. The 2017 Bierbörse season ends Sept. 7 in Mülheim.

For the full line-up of dates and cities, visit www.bierboerse.com.