Hersham Beer Festival 2016!

So one of the biggest events in the Hersham calendar takes place this weekend – The Hersham Beer Festival – it runs from 5pm on Friday 1 July to Midnight on Saturday 2 July 2016.

It started out a just a good idea for a fundraising event but has turned into one of the biggest and most loved local events. It is actually a fundraising event for Hersham Troop B scouts run and staffed purely by volunteers. We’ve had many questions over the years about who the events company is and do they run other events- but seriously it is just a group of motivated willing volunteers!!

This year will be our 9th year- amazing to think that it all just started out as a conversation between my husband Paul, another scout dad Ian and Troop Leader Ed about how to raise some money for a scout trip to Alaska! They decided on a German beer evening and set up the first bar on a Black and Decker Workmate and some old trestle tables. By the time I arrived down to see if they needed any help they were swamped with customers- and so began my involvement with the festival – jumping onto the food stall and getting them organised!

The name is actually a bit misleading to be honest! What started out based around beer has grown beyond belief- yes we do have a fabulous range of real ales and craft beers but we’ve also managed to eeek every bit of space from our tiny HQ plot to fit in a cocktail bar, cider and lager bar, garden dance area, comedy stage and main stage- Glastonbury it isn’t but the feel good vibe and energy is just the same!!

Each year we set ourselves a target to surpass the previous year- each year we have invested in the things that make a difference to the site and how it feels for our customers so they get a truly memorable experience.

We have a commemorative pint glass which we design each year- and yes people do collect them- I get emails each year from someone who has inadvertently smashed their partners glass and can we replace it- not sure they will make it onto antiques roadshow though! Last year we had Hawaiian leis to add to the party feel on Saturday afternoon. This year- well you’ll have to come along and see!

We have been really fortunate to have amazing comedy and musical acts each year to keep everyone entertained – Friday nights have become legendary for the storming sets by local group The High Barnet’s, you truly cannot beat the vibe of a small intimate venue for amazing live performances.

I’m always surprised by how many people travel to come to the festival- I guess once you’ve been and tried it you want to come back for more!
Obviously the team who run the festival has grown over the years too with many putting in extraordinary amounts of energy and creativity to make it something special. Many don’t even have scouts at the troop anymore- our son left 6 years ago!!

So why do it? Why support it?

Well the funds raised by festival have benefited 500 young people locally-Troop B organise an exhilarating array of activities for our young people to bring out the best in them. Everything is geared towards helping the scouts fulfil their potential and develop skills in leadership, teamwork and communication.
We’d like to thank everyone for your support of the festival . We hope that you have an amazing weekend with us, and do our best to make it that much better each year. But we’re also thrilled that you’re helping to make a real difference locally.

This year all adult tickets include a commemorative pint glass and programme (worth £4.50) And there are currently no booking fees online (saving you £1.50 – £3 a ticket)

Tickets available here :

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hersham-beer-festival-2016-tickets-24588928146

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