Ballarat Beer Festival

This January 20 2018, Lake Wendouree is being transformed for the annualBallaratBeer Festival.Thirty four brewers will converge on the lakes ultra-shady banks to serve up over 150 craft brews as they create the ultimate boulevard of beers.

Mixed in with many of Australia’s finest large, small and emerging independent breweries, you’ll find a dozen food stalls all serving up global culinary delights you can match with your favourite brews.

Ballarat Beer Festival was this year voted the third best beer festival in Australia and is proud to be a part of Ballarat’s thriving craft beer culture. Working with Ballarat’s Federation University, the festival salutes the town’s strong brewing traditions with a highly popular homebrew competition. The winner will once again have the chance to commercially brew their winning recipe and to see it on tap at Ballarat’s first craft beer pub, The Mallow.

If you’re not a beer lover, there are plenty of non-beer options available with local wineries and bars serving up refreshing cocktails.

Festival-goers can also sharpen their beer knowledge with a range of education sessions led by Beer Diva and Professor Pilsner. Or take part in our beer trivia and musical bingo games. Plus this year sees the return of the highly popular brewer’s sack race.

This year’s music line-up sees rambunctious rock’n’rollers, The VANNS headlining along with bands including, Ballarat’s own Butterfunked, Mast Gully Fellers, Hana and Jessie-Lee April, Centre and the South, Michael Meeking & The Lost Souls and The Blues Brothers.

“Moving the festival to Lake Wendouree means festival-goers will find plenty of shade to escape the summer’s heat. We’re encouraging everyone to bring picnic blankets so they can sit back, stay cool and sample many of Australia’s top craft beers,” says Festival Director Richard Dexter.

The Ballarat Beer Festival is held on Saturday (11am-9pm). Tickets range from $28 to $190 (all inclusive package).