Last minute preparations are in hand for Banburyshire's major beer and music festival to be held in Hook Norton.

The Hooky Beer Fest takes place on Saturday, July 19 from noon – 11pm and promises another incredible day of beers from all over the UK, tasty food and great entertainment.

The annual event has so far raised over £420,000 for Blood Cancer UK (formerly Bloodwise and before that Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research) and local charities. Organisers and volunteers are hoping for another excellent day of fundraising.

“As well as lots of beer, we also offer music throughout to make your day as fun and lively as possible,” said a spokesman. “The music is organised by Pete Watkins, one of our Top Team members. All the artists give their time free of charge to support our wonderful cause.”

Hooky Beerfest takes place on July 19 with food, ales and music

placeholder image — Hooky Beerfest takes place on July 19 with food, ales and music

As usual there will be a fantastic range of festival beers – see here for contributing breweries and some descriptions of the ales they will be providing.

Tickets are available now at The Village Shop and the Hook Norton Brewery Visitor Centre and online. You can buy a full entry pack (£15) for a poly-glass, two half-pint beer tickets and the beer list, or £8, for which you will be able to use the wine bar and purchase drinks from other vendors not available in the beer tent.

Junior entry is free for under 18-year-olds. A festival glass costs £6. No real glass is allowed on the field for safety reasons.

“You all contribute towards making the day a success. All the money, less costs, raised in this event goes to charity. Our main charity is Blood Cancer UK which receives just over half of what we raise and the remainder is distributed amongst local groups and charities that contribute to the collective wellbeing in our local area,” said the spokesman.

Visitors to Hooky Beerfest can sample a wide range of ales from all over the country

"Since the first festival in 1994 we have raised over £421,800 for charity. Last year we raised an amazing £24,100.”

For the hungry there will be a Hog Roast – a locally reared pig - gourmet burgers, sausages and chips (plus a veggie option), fish and chips, JP’s pizzas

and a selection of curries – not to mention premium coffees.

See https://hookybeerfest.co.uk/ for the growing list of bands appearing.