City Oval, Ballarat – January 16
Reviewed by Glen Anderson
What a success this event has become for Ballarat, from what I can remember in the short history of the Festival. The weather gods have smiled down and brought out the sunshine this year. Saturday January 16 was a stunning afternoon in Ballarat, perhaps not quite making up for the severe chill bestowed upon the town in mid-winter, but almost.
Attendees had an abundance of options with boutique beers and gourmet food stalls galore as you waltzed around City Oval. Blackmans Brewery were in town making a name for themselves as a quality beer producer and their lager is well worth trying on a lazy Sunday afternoon. O`Briens were also serving frothys and an interesting brew is their gluten free pale ale – which is quite palatable. The food was standard festival price and incredibly tasty and not having to chow down a sav in batter is always a bonus. Heaps of options and the queues were not long.
As well as over 100 different beers the festival also featured an awesome bill of artists entertaining beer lovers throughout the afternoon. From Anna Wright, The Rechords to Dallas Crane to You Am I, this state is often spoilt with so many great acts and on the day was no exception. You Am I fired on all six cylinders of course with classics like ‘Mr.Milk’, ‘Purple Sneakers’, ‘Berlin Chair’ and ‘Cathy`s Clown’. But the highlight was the David Bowie tribute with a fabulous version of ‘Jean Geanie’, which they belted out, not once, but twice. It rocked and the patrons loved it.
The warm sun continued to shine through the afternoon with the well behaved crowd continuing to soak up the sunshine. This is a truly great event for Ballarat and well done to all involved.
