Beer festival

In some German regions, especially in South West Germany fun fairs are more connected with wine than beer festivals.

Smaller beer festivals similar to the Oktoberfest are common in Germany and take place throughout the year in most bigger German cities.

Other large festivals in Bavaria are Nürnberg Volksfeste in spring and autumn, Fürth Michaeliskirchweih (held since 12th century) and the Bergkirchweih in Erlangen, with the largest open-air beer garden in Europe.

Festivals can be organised by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), pubs, brewers, social and sporting societies or charities.

Larger British beer festivals are usually held in large indoor venues (Kensington Olympia in the case of the GBBF).

Casks of ale from different brewers, numbering in the hundreds, are placed on stillage behind rows of trestle tables.

Staff serve beer directly from the cask and take payment in the form of cash or tokens purchased at the entrance.

If a pub is well-provided with handpumps, it can put on a small festival by rotating guest beers rapidly through them.

The pubco Wetherpoon holds simultaneous festivals twice-yearly in all the hundreds of branch in its chain, lasting over two weeks, and using the handpump rotation method.

Notable ones include: In addition, many small festivals are organised by local CAMRA branches, pubs, clubs and charities.

[34] VCBW spans nine days with events held throughout Vancouver, concluding with a three-day tasting festival.

Each year, organizers commission a special VCBW Collaboration Ale[35] with partial proceeds donated to a local charity.

The awards are sponsored and presented by The Bar Towel, a website and forum dedicated to the discussion and promotion of Toronto's craft and microbrew beer scene.