Get ready to gas up the car and find a hotel room in Idaho Falls June 7.

That is when the Mountain Brewers Festival returns to the spud state.

The North American Brewers Association has put on the festival in Idaho Falls for the last 14 years and it has evolved into one of the bigger and better beer events in Western US.

For your $20 ($25 the day of the festival) you get to sample the wares of about 80 brewers with unlimited 3 ounce samples. None of that buy-a-ticket per sample rip-off nonsense at the Mountain Brewers fest. These guys do it right.

Could there be a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon in the summer?

Once again, the festival will be held at the Sandy Downs Race Track from noon to 6 p.m. It's also a medal event, so hundreds of beers will be judged and winners will be announced the day before.

Winning a medal at the Idaho Falls event in the dozens of style categories can be good indication of how the beers will fare at the Great American Beer Festival in the fall, so a lot of brewers participate.

Yes, I know Idaho Falls is a long way from Boise. You really can't do it as a day trip, so I suggest securing a hotel room in Idaho Falls early so you can go and enjoy the festival.

You can also feel good that proceeds from the festival go to local charities. The festival has raised over $300,000 over the last 13 years.

Proceeds from the 2007 festival went to Crime Stoppers, Breaking Boundaries (an HIV/AIDS prevention charity), the Bonneville County Sheriffs´ Search and Rescue and the Knights of Columbus/Special Olympics.

Advanced ticket sales information will posted soon on the NABA Web site. Old school folks can call the festival hot line at (208) 528-6223 to get more information.