Tomorrow is deadline day for anyone wanting to take part in either Newcastle Craft Beer Week or Good Beer Week in 2014. For those planning to run events in Newcastle, it’s your last chance to submit your ideas. For anyone wishing to partake in Good Beer Week, ideas must not only be submitted but must also be paid for by midnight on Friday or they will not be considered for the program.
The third Newcastle Craft Beer Week has moved from its former slot in November to the end of summer, running from February 20 to March 2. Good Beer Week 2014 takes place across Melbourne and Victoria from May 17 to 25.
Good Beer Week general manager Kate Paterson says: “We’ve been blown away by the quality and inventiveness of the submissions and are delighted to see so many new venues and breweries looking to get involved.
“We’ve already received far more submissions than in 2013 leaving the programming committee with a tough job to narrow down the events that will make the 2014 program. Events that showcase good beer to a broad audience in diverse and exciting ways will be viewed favourably.
“Registrations close at midnight on Friday so if anyone hasn’t finalised their registration – which includes paying the appropriate fees – then their events will not be considered.”
Head to the Good Beer Week website if you need to complete yours.
As for Newcastle Craft Beer Week, it’s not just the dates that are changing. Grain Store owner and festival founder Corey Crook’s organising team has been expanded and, with strong support from the local council and Fairfax newspapers, is aligning itself with other major Newcastle events, including the Newcastle Show, in order to reach a wider, more mainstream audience.
Murray’s head brewer and festival organiser Shawn Sherlock told us: “The first festival was an unexpected success that we pulled together in a few weeks with Corey the main driver getting it off the ground. The second was twice the size and this year we’ve formed a committee and changed dates so it’s not so close to Christmas and loads of other beer festivals.
“We’re trying to make it more of a community event. The good thing about the venues involved is that everything tends to be in a relatively tight space so you get a real community vibe.
“The whole focus of what we try to do is to take it beyond the standard [craft beer event] audience. The Newcastle scene isn’t too ‘scene-y’ – it’s very egalitarian – you’ll get blokes in high vis vests drinking saison at the bar of The Albion Hotel.”
The festival will have a presence at the Newcastle Show featuring craft beer, local home brewers, tastings and presentations. And the intention is to get registrations in by the end of this week so the program can be finalised and published before Christmas.
“We want it ready by then so that people can plan to take time off or so they can buy tickets as presents for that difficult dad,” says Shawn.
Time to start being that difficult dad, dads.
Register for NCBW here.
