Seattle and Portland may have the known reputations as centers for craft beers and micro-breweries, but ever so steadily, San Diego is gaining a high reputation as a region for excellent beers.  So for the first time, the San Diego Brewers Guild is staging San Diego Beer Week, Nov. 6 to 15.

San Dieg Beer Week is a 10-day countywide festival that attracts beer tourism, fosters knowledge of our regional brewing heritage, and serves as a showcase for San Diego's breweries, restaurants, pubs, and other businesses with ties to the craft beer community.

There are currently more than 100 events planned for San Diego Beer Week. San Diego Beer Week kicks off with the VIP Session of the San Diego Brewers Guild Festival on Friday, November 6, followed by two general admission sessions on Saturday November 7, 2009, at the World Beat Center in Balboa Park. The Guild Festival is the largest gathering of local craft breweries featuring more than 80 beers brewed in San Diego County. Allied member restaurants will be at the event serving small bites to pair with the beers.

For full details on San Diego Beer Week, including event schedules and ticket prices, visit the official website here.

TNT (Thursday Night Thing) returns to MCASD Downtown. Taking inspiration from Tara Donovan's large-scale installations that are based on the physical properties of accumulated everyday materials, this TNT will celebrate the "Material Wonder" in the everyday. Donovan, a recipient of the 2008 MacArthur "genius" award, is known for using mass accumulations of ordinary objects, such as straight pins, paper plates, toothpicks, drinking straws, and pencils, to mimic the organization of geological or biological forms.

Members: Free  / General: $10; $7 Students

Read more about tonight's TNT event here.

Looking for something affordable to do this weekend with the family? How about making your way to the New Children's Museum downtown for some educational fun with the Target Free Second Sunday, Nov. 8. The New Children's Museum grants free admission on the second Sunday of each month, with extended Museum hours from10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sponsored by Target, the free day allows all children and families in the community to enjoy the Museum, and ensure that cost is not a barrier. Every Target Free Second Sunday also includes a variety of special performances and activities for children:

• 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. - Mainly Mozart Performance  Cricket Wireless Level, Improv Studio
• All Day - Mainly Mozart Exhibition  Arts Education Center
• 12, 12:30, 1 and 1:30 p.m. - Bait For Lunch Reading by Karen Okagaki Main Level, Lounge
• 2 p.m. - Rhythm Worx with Susan Hall Cricket Wireless Level, Improv Studio
• 3 p.m. - Poway High School Dance Team Museum Park
• 3 p.m. - Hoop Dance with Valentina  Museum Park

Get details about the Target Free Second Sunday at the New Children's Museum here.

It's a perfect setting (Embarcadero Park North) to indulge in fine wine and culinary specialties. The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival, taking place Nov. 18-22, 2009, is touted as Southern California's largest wine and food fest, featuring over 800 wines, 70 of San Diego's top fine dining restaurants and 30 gourmet food companies participating in this year's event. The five-day festival features wine tasting seminars, cooking classes by award-winning chefs, and an elegant Reserve Tasting. The festival culminates on Saturday at the star-studded Grand Tasting Event complete with the "Chef of the Fest Competition," celebrity cookbook signing tents, a special VIP tent, live entertainment, and more.

Festival Highlights:
• WineRave 2009
• Cooking Demonstrations
• Wine Tasting Classes
• Reserve & New Release Tasting featuring AIWF Silent Auction
• Grand Tasting Event & "Chef of the Fest" Competition
• Celebrity Chef Luncheon & AIWF Big Bottle Auction

Learn more about the 2009 San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival at the official website here.