A Canberra festival is a craft beer lover’s paradise, with more than 200 beers and ciders on offer!

The 11th Canberra Craft Beer & Cider Festival is set to be the biggest ever held, with a record number of exhibitors expected for the event on Saturday 24 March.

Staged in the gardens of the heritage Mercure Canberra in Braddon, the festival will feature breweries from across Australia, along with live bands, food, entertainment and a wide range of kids’ activities.

More than 200 beers and ciders will be available for tasting and visitors will be able to take part in beer/cider food matching sessions, hear guest speakers, and meet the brewers.

Canberra’s rapidly emerging brewing scene is reflected in the presence of BentSpoke Brewing Co, Captial Brewing Co, Jono’s Jerky and others, while interstate exhibitors include many of Australia’s most renowned breweries such as Sydney Brewery, Endeavour Beer, Pirate Life, Stone Dog Meadery, Akasha Brewing, Young Henrys, HopDog Beer Works, Mountain Goat Beer, Goose Island Brewery and James Squire. Specialist cideries such as Nightingale Bros Alpine Cider and Willie Smith’s Cider will exhibit their range of ciders.

The festival will help raise funds for ACT Cancer Support’s Rise Above organisation, a locally based group that provides support for more than 950 cancer patients.

Tickets are now available for $15 pre-purchase or $22 at the door, and the festival runs from 11am to 6pm. More info here.