THE Robe Homebrew and Craft Beer Festival is set for its fifth and biggest year yet with an increased level of interest and local support, a growing number of stall holders and sponsors, as well as a boost from South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) funding for marketing Robe and the South East as a tourist destination.
Accommodation bookings in Robe for the last weekend in October are already on the rise, while homebrewers from the region and across South Australia and Victoria are busy selecting or perfecting their best beers in their bid to gain recognition and prizes at the coastal town’s annual beer fest.
“We have recently received an offer of funding to the tune of $10,000 from SATC for marketing the event this year, which will undoubtedly help to bring more people to our great little village beer festival,” Robe Beer Fest convener Brenton Lynch-Rhodes said.
“Last year saw some 2000 people attend the event, spending an estimated $500,000 in Robe during the weekend.”
The Robe Beer Fest is a community event organised by volunteers of the Robe Tourism Association, supported by local businesses and sponsors.
Preparations for the event are well under way and organisers are calling for local volunteers to help out on the day to make this year’s festival another success.
The main festival day of October 27 will see over a dozen craft beer and wine stalls offering their products on the Robe foreshore, together with food stalls, live music, beer and brewing-related talks and demonstrations, as well as awards for the annual homebrew competition.
Homebrewers will this year be vying for medals and a prize pool of $1000 in addition to trophies for best local brewer and best beer of show.
“The outright winner of the show will again have the opportunity to create a large batch of their winning recipe at our local Robe Town Brewery, where punters can already have a taste of last year’s winning beer by Ben Rowley,” Mr Lynch-Rhodes said.
The Robe Homebrew and Craft Beer Festival will be held on October 26, 27 and 28.
