user: News article: Three beer and cider festivals on Saturday. Which one should you pick?

Thought beer festival season ended with Oktoberfest? Not by a longshot. November is a busy month – there are three very different events this Saturday alone. Here are the crucial details and how they stack up:

Mad Fox's Saturday festival will feature beers from at least 20 breweries, a moon bounce and live music in the courtyard outside its Falls Church brewery. (2013 photo courtesy of Mad Fox Brewing Company)

Location: Nationals Park (1500 South Capitol St. SE) Price: $40; $60 VIP. (Buy tickets) Hours of drinking: 1-4 p.m.; noon-4 p.m. for VIPs. Breweries to look out for: The 75 participating breweries include almost every major local brewery and brewpub, plus a few smaller ones, such as Crooked Run and Burley Oak. National heavy hitters include Green Flash, Left Hand, Founders and Uinta. (Don't even think about trying Blue Moon, Singha or Shock Top. Seriously.) Beyond beer: Play lawn games, listen to live music or nosh at food trucks. What makes it special: When's the last time you got to drink on the field at Nationals Park? There likely won't be much beer fans haven't seen in a local bar, unless they stick to stands for Crooked Run, Burley Oak and Eastern Shore, but this festival allows for a lot of sampling and comparing over a few hours. Just beware of lines.

Location: Mad Fox Brewing Company (444 West Broad St., Falls Church) Price: Free. Drinkers pay $20, which includes a tasting glass and six drink tickets. Extra tickets – one per four-ounce pour of beer – are $2. Hours of drinking: Noon-6 p.m. Breweries to look out for: At least 20 breweries are participating. The lineup is concentrated in the mid-Atlantic, with offerings from Oliver Ales, Flying Dog, Blue Mountain and Devils Backbone high on the must-try list. (A dry-hopped version of Flying Dog's The Truth Double IPA was one of the best beers I tasted at last month's Chesapeake Real Ale Festival.) Beyond beer: Outside of cask ale, there are lawn games, a pig roast, a moon bounce for the kids, and live music by the Justin Trawick Band. What makes it special: This is the region's second-largest event dedicated to cask ale, also known as real ale. The traditional style is served without excess carbonation, leading to a richer body and less fizz in the glass. It's not a common sight at most bars, so this festival, which takes over the courtyard outside Mad Fox, is a treat for cask ale fans.

Location: Dock 5 at Union Market (1309 Fifth St. NE) Price: $40. (Buy tickets) Hours of drinking: Three sessions of three hours each: Noon-3 p.m., 4:30-7:30 p.m., 9 p.m.-midnight. Breweries and cideries to look out for: The 30 ciders to sample range from the ubiquitous Ace, Angry Orchard and Magner's to craft brands, such as Julian and DeMunck's, and even a few Virginia producers, including Bold Rock and Potter's. Beer wise, the 20 craft choices include Sweetwater, Atwater and Troegs. Beyond beer and cider: Play giant Jenga, ladder golf and beer pong, or check out local bands. Food trucks include DC Slices and Rito Loco. What makes it special: While cider has exploded in popularity in recent years, this is the first festival to focus on cider, while also offering options for beer fans. The craft and Virginia ciders are especially intriguing to try.
What are the most important parts of this news article?


assistant: Three very different festivals offer dozens of beers and ciders to sample.