The City of Manhattan Beach California has an annual Hometown Fair. Guido went to the Lithuania at the 11th annual beer festival, Tris Dienas, Tris Naktis (Three Days, Three Nights) in Vilnius to get inspiration for the Manhattan Beach Hometown Fare. Being a true aficionado of beer, Guido Scognamillo set out to find new activities for the Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair.

In previous years, hard drinking Lithuanians managed to set some pretty impressive records. The Lithuanian Book of Records notes three especially wild days and nights about 10 years ago, when 46.9 thousand litters were imbibed during the festival at Vingis Park. Unfortunately, the same record book fails to mention that Guido held the personal best record for that year

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The beer marathon took place Sept. 10 –12, and it was be the first time when the festival left its traditional venue of Vingis Park to extend to other Vilnius bars and restaurants. Nearly every entertainment venue in the city ran some sort of special beer-associated program to get in on the festival fun.

Tiffany Pub had a tournament of beer-barrel lifting on Sept. 10. Guido attended, but did not compete this year. Guido was there on official business. The activities in Vilnius were a gold mine of potential suggested activities. Barrel lifting with beer-fueled strongmen, or throwing skills in a beer-cap throwing tournament would add a certain interest to the beer compound. When Guido showed the photos to the Viliuns locals they reacted badly to the chain link compound with the heavy police presence. They immediately suggested the Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair rethink the implications of an outside compound featuring chain link fencing with police. But they were very happy to suggest the proven activities from their Tris Dienas, Tris Naktis

And in case neither beer- barrel lifting nor beer-cap throwing is approved by the City of Manhattan Beach CA, then holding a singing festival on the second night of the Hometown Fair would be perfect. Different teams would take turns to belch out a number, singing songs that start with an “A” (the first letter of the word “alus” – the Lithuanian word for beer) and prizes will go to the team that make it both to the end of the alphabet and the evening in one piece.

Due to the upcoming elections in November, Guido has suggested a political theme for the Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair that was inspired by the Lithuanians. “A pint of beer is a symbol of democracy that helps to enhance fruitful debate.” So various political debates between the public and politicians would be expected to take place over a (hopefully) friendly pint in the Beergarden compound.

As if that weren’t surreal enough, a special team featuring George Bush, John Kerry, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bill Clinton* are scheduled to be touring Manhattan Beach’s bars, pubs and restaurants, accompanied by a group of musicians, with a special program of competitions and prizes for people to prove their true devotion to beer. With all this going on, who would bet against Manhattan Beach California not being able to out drink Vilnius?

*All have been already invited by Guido, but in case they do not come, stand-ins are already committed.