My moustache made me do it.

Laura Lodewyck, NBC5 Street Team

Proving once again that you can put “Fest” after just about any word and succeed in making it an official event, Sausagefest, Pizza Fest and Mustache Fest 2008 are on this weekend. Held by artists Lauren Anderson, Oli Watt, and Ingrid Watt, Sausagefest features sausages, sauerkraut, and beer at an improvised German brauhaus, Logan Square’s Old Gold art gallery in disguise. Bring home an official Sausagefest stein to prove that you were there. 

The second annual Pizza Fest takes over Lincoln Park this Saturday and Sunday with bands, contests (”Best Pizza” for local establishments, and “Pizza Eating” for locals), and lots and lots of neopolitan, deep dish, and stuffed pizza slices. As their website points out, it is pretty incredible that such a pizza-boasting city as Chicago hasn’t held an official pizza-centered event before 2007. Celebrate your Chicago pizza pride and check it out (just avoid the ominious-sounding “Pizza Eating Competition Stage” from 2:00-2:08 pm if that kind of thing grosses you out as much as it does me.)

Sponsored by — who else? –  the American Mustache Institute, Mustache Fest 2008 kicks off in the Chicago area at two locations in Joliet, the Chicago Street Pub and McBrody’s. “Protecting the rights of, and fighting discrimination against, mustached Americans by promoting the growth, care, and culture of the mustache,” the American Mustache Institute promises to celebrate music and mustaches in Chicagoland with some terrific indie rock and some (probably terrifying) mustache contests. If you can start growing now, it may not be too late to enter! Good luck…

Type “Lodewyck” into the Search bar to check out my past blogs and pieces with Nude Hippo. Email me at llodewyck@nudehippo.com with any other wacky weekend ideas!