Stockport Beer & Cider Festival at Edgeley Park

Just as it’s often said that no player is bigger than anyone one club, and that football will rumble on regardless of any club going out of business, it would take a lot more than Stockport County being relegated to the Blue Square Bet Northern Premier Division (or, if you’re not ‘into’ football, the worst position the club has ever been in) to stop the Stockport Beer & Cider festival taking over their home ground for yet another year. Though the list of brews you can sample isn’t quite finalised, the promise is that there will be around 150 ales to sample over the course of the three days, as well as ciders, perries, and some beer shipped in from overseas, too. On top of that, each session (lunchtime and evening) will have entertainment from around the world, with the Brasswurst Bavarian Beer Band being the pick of the bunch (Saturday dinner, if you’re interested). Though Stockport Sausage Festival might have stolen some of its thunder earlier this month, this three-day celebration has long been a local highlight, and looks set to continue that proud tradition again in 2013.

Thu 30 May – Sat 1 Jun, Edgeley Park, Hardcastle Road, Stockport, SK3 9DD, Times vary, Ticket prices vary between free entry to £5, discounts for CAMRA members, stockportfestival.org.uk