WHAT: The 12th annual Mountain Brewer Open Homebrew Competition has drawn in 185-and-counting homebrews from 19 states and from as far away as California and Texas.

WHERE: The stone lodge at St. Clouds Commons in Huntington's West End

WHEN: At 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8.

HOW MUCH: The beer fest, which runs from 7 to 11 p.m., is free and open to the public. There will be live music as well.

ABOUT THE CLUB: The Mount Brewer Open is the largest event for the Greater Huntington Homebrewers Association and was organized in 1992 as a forum for members to explore various beer styles. The club was founded by John Szarak, who served as president until 2001. GHHA is a registered member of the American Homebrewers Association. On Jan. 31, 1997 GHHA was incorporated as a social club in the state of West Virginia. They host informal meetings where they include beer and food matches, a fish fry, chili cookoff, a turkey fry and other events. Annual membership to GHHA is $20/adult, $10/student and $30/family.Go online at www.wvhomebrew.com for more info.

ABOUT U.S. HOMEBREWING: The U.S. Government made homebrewing legal on a federal level in 1978. Since then all but four states; Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Oklahoma have made homebrewing legal. That said, there are still thousands of homebrewers in each of those states, in fact, Kentucky even has a homebrew competition at its state fair and hosts several large homebrew fests. The American Homebrewers Association estimates there are approximately 750,000 homebrewers in the United States. The Boulder, Colo.-based AHA and the Association of Brewers was founded by Charlie Papazian in Boulder, Colo. in 1978. The Association publishes, "Zymurgy" magazine for amateur brewers in North America and around the world. Go online at www.beertown.org for more info on homebrewing.