Last updated at 12:14, Friday, 05 October 2012

Workington's second beer festival is expected to attract more than 1,000 people to the town.

The three-day Oktoberfest will run from Thursday, October 18, to Saturday, October 20, at the Carnegie Theatre from 6pm to midnight each night.

New additions to the festival this year are a Thursday night session and an afternoon session on the Saturday, which will run from noon to 5pm.

The festival was the brainchild of Workington Rotary Club.

John Mather, the club’s immediate past president, said he hoped this year’s festival, sponsored by Theakston and 58 local businesses, would raise around £5,000 for local charities.

Mr Mather said: “We decided to take the Sunday session off this year because it was the quietest of the sessions last year.

“From the feedback we had we decided it would be sensible to replace it with an afternoon session on Saturday because most people don’t want to come out if they have to get up for work on a Monday morning.

“I was president last year and my ambition was to do something special. I’d worked in the brewery and pub industry all my life and had good contacts at Theakston so it seemed like a great idea and we had a brilliant response last year raising £3,500.

“We have dozens of volunteers on board this year from Workington Derwent Rotary Club, Workington Inner Wheel, Cockermouth Round Table and West Cumbria’s branch of CAMRA.”

The festival will feature more than 60 local and national beers and ciders including Mitchell Krause, Jennings, Solway Cider and Yates.

There will also be entertainment from Buzz Elliot and Cindy Hoten on the Thursday evening from 8pm.

Celtic folk band Now and again will take to the stage on the Friday evening from 8pm and The Hoochie Coochie Moonshine Band will close the festival on the Saturday from 8pm.

Tickets cost £5 per session and are available from the theatre on Finkle Street.

First published at 11:51, Friday, 05 October 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk