The Great Australian Beer Festival (GABF), the biggest alfresco craft beer and cider garden in the country will be held at Geelong Racecourse on 21 February.
The entertainment line-up features genres of music from the world over together with comedy, cabaret and a touch of vaudeville. The festival has earned a reputation for stimulating more than just tastebuds and this year’s entertainment will feature the rhythms of the Carribbean, bluegrass, a touch of country, through to indie and Celtic folk, jazz, funk, and a dose of soul.
A few of the highlights include Nicky Bomba, the Pierce Brothers, Australia’s hottest bluegrassers the Davidson Brothers, punk rock band The Go Set, alt country bluegrass group The Pheasant Pluckers, the quirky cabaret quartet Spyndrift, Kelly Auty, Geelong’s big band Sweethearts and recent Queenscliff Scholarship award winner Cat Sanzaro.
Comedy is being introduced this year with seasoned performers Doug Chappell and Ethel Chop. Free seminars and master classes will run throughout the day with 2014 Masterchef finalists cooking up a treat using craft beers and ciders.
The festival is designed so you wander through pop-up bars sampling a smorgasbord of more than 200 brews and stroll alleyways to discover surprising happenings, music, art and entertainment.
The festival runs from 11am through to 7pm and has a direct shuttle bus service running every 15 minutes from the South Geelong railway station. Tickets are on sale here.