Recently in Festivals Category

The Old Moseley Arms is hosting its autumn beer festival from the Thursday lunchtime on 14 October, through to the following Sunday.

The pub will be offering a selection of 10 ales, with live music and food throughout the weekend. Full details on 0121 440 1954.

Already one of the better town centre haunts for Solihull beerhunters, the White Swan on Station Road will be launching its first-ever cider festival on Monday, 23 August. You can view the pub's website here.

3-5 June: 35th Wolverhampton Beer Festival, Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton. 100+ real ales, entertainment on Friday and Saturday evenings.

18-19 June: 4th Stratford-Upon-Avon Beer & Cider Festival, Stratford-Upon-Avon Racecourse. 50+ real ales, live music and Morris dancing on Saturday. Full details here.

7-11 July: 33rd Derby Beer Festival, Assembly Rooms, Derby. Live jazz and big band music, fancy dress night on Surday. Full details here.

9-11 July: Beer on the Wye VI, Hereford Rowing Club, Greyfriars Avenue, Hereford.130+ real ales, 70+ perries and ciders, live entertainment. Full details here.

15-17 July: 8th Bromsgrove Beer & Cider Festival, Bromsgrove Rugby Football Club, Finstall Park, Finstall. 100+ real ales. Full details here.

29-31 July: 3rd Stafford Beer Festival, Blessed William Howard School, Rowley Avenue, Stafford. 70 real ales, live music every evening. Full details here.

3-7 August: Great British Beer Festival, Earls Court, London. Full details here.

12-14 August: 11th Worcester Beer, Cider & Perry Festival, Worcester Racecourse. 200+ real ales, 100 ciders & perries, entertainment Thursday and Friday evening. Full details here.

Fancy sampling a half-dozen of the region's best real ales next weekend in the comfort of a Warwick pub?

The Rose & Crown, in the town's market place, is holding a mini-festival next Friday and Saturday. The event's being sponsored by Purity, and as well as brewery's beers, there'll be representation from Wye Valley, Church End, Slaughterhouse, Hobsons and Salopian.

The excellent Reservoir pub over in Earlswood is running its first Beer & Bangers Festival this weekend, offering 10 real ales, one real cider and five flavours of locally-produced sausage.

Full directions here.

The first edition of real ale journalist Jeff Evans' newsletter Inside Beer was launched yesterday afternoon, just days after Jeff was presented with his second gold tankard by the British Guild of Beer Writers.

Topics this time around include recommended winter ales and Marks & Spencers' new beer range. You can read it online here.

23-24 January: Redditch Winter Ale Fest,Bridley Moor & Batchley Social Club, Bridley Moor Road, Redditch. Nearly 40 real ales, plus cider and perry.

4-6 February: 9th Derby Winter Beer Fest, Assembly Rooms, Market Place, Derby. More than 100 real ales, ciders and perries. Entertainment every evening.

26-27 February: 2nd Wrexham Beer Fest, Gresford.

Knowle's acclaimed hostelry The Vaults is hosting its own beer festival until Sunday evening.

Located just off the village high street, this popular real ale bar won Solihull CAMRA's "pub of the year" competition for a record fifth time in 2008.

Bad news from the fifth Hay on Wye Beer Festival, where even an emergency delivery of 18 beer barrels failed to satiate the tide of thirsty punters. The turn-out was apparently 30% up on last year's event.

CAMRA's Heart of Staffordshire branch has been invited to create its own beer this weekend by Shugborough's Titanic Brewery.

The results of members' labours will be unveiled at their second beer festival, being held 25- 27 June at Stafford's Gatehouse Theatre.

For further information, check out their website.