A beer festival. A festival for beer. Nothing else needs to be said, you’re already convinced you’re coming. But perhaps you want some details?

The Ballarat Beer Festival is on this Saturday. First and foremost, it celebrates boutique beer. Coming in at a close second, it celebrates gourmet food and first-rate entertainment.

The festival showcases Victoria’s best microbreweries including James Squire, Mountain Goat, Old Mount Cider, Pipsqueak, White Rabbit and more. We recommend buying an entry and tastings ticket, which will get you through the gates, start you off with five tokens and provide you with an official tasting glass. Need more tokens? Look no further than the Brew Crew, who will be selling them throughout the day.

There’s nothing quite like wood fired pizzas, sausages and gourmet pies to accompany a brew, but for something international, nosh on Turkish crepes, seafood paella, curries or tacos. Music kicks off at 2pm with Triple J regulars Stonefield, followed by jazz and blues outfit The Blue Souls. Stick around for No Strings Attached, singer-songwriter Jordie Lane and finally, the one and only Clare Bowditch.

Expect beer pouring and blind tasting competitions for the grown-ups and jumping castles and magic shows for the kiddies. If you’d rather not drive, we don’t blame you. Catch a train from the city or buy a ticket to ‘The Local Taphouse Road Trip’. Leaving at midday from The Local Taphouse in St Kilda, it includes return coach travel, entry, tokens and tasting glass.

A wise (read: yellow, overweight, stupid and bald) man once said, “Beer is the cause of, and the solution to, all of life’s problems.” With that in mind, drink responsibly, enjoy the music and make sure you get home safely.

Location: Ballarat City Oval, corner of Pleasant and Mair Street, Ballarat
When: 11am-8pm| Jan 21
Details: ballaratbeerfestival.com.au/
Tickets: premier.ticketek.com.au