A weekend of local beers, bites, and live music returns to Ballarat.
It’s almost impossible to pass up a beer festival at the best of times, but when we’ve copped a whole lot of cancelled events and there’s one only an hour’s drive away from you – offering more than 150 craft beers and ciders – attendance is essential.
That’s right beer lovers, the Ballarat Beer Festival is coming back for 2023 for the many keen punters keen to quench their thirst in the sunshine this February.
Keep up with the latest food and booze news across the region here.
Returning this month, The Ballarat Beer Festival will take over the beautiful Northern Gardens on Saturday, February 18, turning the space into a craft beer lover’s paradise. Each year, the family-friendly festival is filled with almost 40 of Australia’s leading craft beer brewers, giving the crowds – and the craft beer enthusiasts – the chance to sample a tonne of delicious (and some quite adventurous) craft beers and ciders.
This year’s garden edition, which will be spread across two sessions, is all about celebrating the very best craft beer culture with beer education classes, blind tastings, trivia games, brewers sack race and plenty more to keep you busy. Plus, there’ll be plenty of shade providing a cooling respite to the summer heat and green grass to lay out a picnic rug and take in all the lakeside beer action.
Tickets are on sale now for $40, which includes festival entry, an official tasting glass, a lanyard to hold your beer and access to all the events and beers.
That will all be the same, however much like last year’s event, this year will see the event spilt into two sessions across the day at the North Gardens, with plenty of space to relax on a picnic rug under the shady lakeside grounds – all socially distanced. As a way of forging ahead, but still adhering to COVID-guidelines, the first session will run from 12pm to 4pm, while the second session will run from 5pm to 9pm. However, if you’re the type that likes to make a day of it, there are all-day passes available.
Mixed in with many of Australia’s finest large, small and emerging independent breweries, you’ll also find a dozen food stalls all serving up global culinary delights you can match with your favourite brews, as well as a pretty strong lineup of live music headlined by Dallas Crane, Spoonful, Mick Daley & The corporate Raiders, Blues Roulette featuring Kelly Auty, Michael Meeking Band and Libby Steele Band, plus fine regional wineries on site with wines and wine cocktails, free seminars for budding beer enthusiasts, trivia games, blind tastings and the popular brewer’s sack race.
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Oh, and did we mention it’s dog friendly? Don’t have to tell us twice: The Ballarat Beer Festival is looking like the best way to spend a Saturday this summer.
Find out more and purchase tickets here.
