Celebrate your passion for liquid gold – Ballarat’s hottest summer festival is back! Last year’s inaugural Ballarat Beer Festival was a sell out and the talk of the town following the event’s successful debut.

Be at Ballarat’s City Oval on 19 January 2013 to discover the perfect blend of boutique beer, gourmet food and world-class entertainment all in a relaxed family friendly country setting. For 2013, the festival has brewed a magnificent mix of craft beer and fabulous music for a great day out!

World-renowned folk-rock, beard-related band, The Beards headline an outstanding festival line-up, including home grown Ballarat bands and the best up and coming Australian talent on the Melbourne music scene. An eclectic mix of entertainment acts will include Gold Fields, Royal Jelly Dixie Band, Sweethearts, Tessa and the Typecast and DJ Vince Peach

This is classic festival fare, offering folk, soul, country, swing, rock, and even a touch of electronica – it’s the perfect complement to a day of country air and craft beer.

From bands to beer, in it’s second big year the festival will showcase over 150 different craft beers and ciders from over 40 of the best local microbreweries, plus the opportunity to chat directly to the masterminds behind them – the passionate brewers.

All of the brewers that were present for 2012 will return for 2013, including James Squire, Little Creatures, Matilda Bay, Mountain Goat, Pipsqueak Cider, Yowie (King Valley), Bridge Road Brewers, Good Brew Company, Holgate Brewhouse, Old Mout Cider, Red Duck, Three Troupers, Buckleys Beer, Coldwater Creek, Hawthorn Brewing, Kooinda Boutique Brewery, Mornington Peninsula Brewery, Prickley Moses (Otway Brewing), Rebellion Brewery, True South and Tooborac Hotel and Brewery.

For year two The Ballarat Beer Festival will welcome 321 Learmonth Cider, Bellarine Brewing Company, Boatrocker, Brookes Beer, Cavalier Brewing, Cavalier Courage Ale, Flying Brick Cider, Golden Axe, Grand Ridge, Kwencher (The Beltz Group), Mildura Brewery, Moo Brew, Napoleone & Co Cider, Old Salt Brewing Co, Red Hill Brewery, Savarain Brewery, Southern Bay, The Hills Cider, Two Birds Brewing and William Bull Brewery.

Learn all about the great amber drop from a range of industry experts sharing their knowledge of beer and food matching, the history of beer and the brewing process.

There’s delicious gourmet food, and plenty of fun for the kids!

In the new Kids Zone for 2013 will be face painting, a jumping castle, craft, games and an animal petting farm experience where kids can have some hands on time with a wide range of friendly farm animals.

Reprising their roles as event MC’s, Australia’s funniest home brewers Charlie Pickering and Danny McGinlay will be joined again by Australia’s first lady of Beer, The Beer Diva: Kirrily Waldhorn.

With so much more on offer, the Ballarat Beer Festival will be held over a greater area of the city oval and the logistics involved are a massive undertaking for the festival team, which is sure to cement the Ballarat Beer Festival as Victoria’s pick of its kind.

For all the event details and to keep in touch with all the latest news and announcements via the Ballarat Beer Festival website.

Event: Ballarat Beer Festival

Date & Time: Saturday 19th January, 2013, from 11:00am to 8:00pm.

Location: City Oval Ballarat, corner of Pleasant Street and Mair Street, Ballarat, Victoria.

Tickets: Adults from $40, book at Ticketek – online or call 132 849