Music and ale on tap

More than 140 beers, ciders and perries will be on tap at the 13th Newark Beer Festival this weekend.

The three-day event, organised by the Newark branch of the Campaign For Real Ale, starts today at the Riverside Park.

While exhibiting the best brews from around the country, there will also be a strong emphasis on locally brewed ales with a focus on a Camra scheme through which pubs can achieve accreditation for pledging to keep at least one locally brewed beer on tap.

Mr Paul Murphy, from Newark Camra, said this year the local beers would be set up together to promote the scheme.

“We are showing support for local industry and breweries,” said Mr Murphy.

The festival usually attracts around 4,500 people.

Locally produced fruit wines will also be on offer.

Music is a key part of the event.

The Celtic rock band, Cold Overture, will open the festival at 8.30pm tonight, performing a mixture of traditional and commercial music.

Three bands will play tomorrow. Booba Dust, a blues duo are on from 3.30pm-4.45pm followed by the Newark band, The Unusual Suspects, from 5.45pm-7pm, who will play blues, folk and rhythm and blues.

The headline act, blues guitarist Larry Miller, is on from 8.30pm-10pm.

On Sunday Soundtrack Of Yesterday will play, and two former members of the Magnus School band, Flatliners, will close the festival at 4pm.

The guest of honour at this year’s festival is Mr George Wilkinson, the chairman of Newark Civic Trust, who has a keen interest in local brewing and malting history.

The festival is open today and tomorrow from 10.30am-10.30pm and from noon-6pm on Sunday.