Premier New Year’s Eve event to go ahead: Frothy festival to help punters kick 2020 to the kerb

In the wake of coronavirus restriction rollbacks, stallholders are now able to submit registrations for one of Tassie’s favourite frothy festivals over New Year’s Eve. Full details + how you can get involved >>

Corey Baker of Red Brick Road Cider will be a stall holder at this year's Launceston BeerFest. Picture: PATRICK GEE

PUNTERS will be hopping with joy to hear their favourite frothy festival is returning to Launceston this year to help them kick 2020 to the kerb.

Stall holder registrations are now open for the city’s premier New Year’s Eve event, Launceston BeerFest and City of Launceston Council has called for an event plan, as event director James Harding said this year’s event will look and feel “pretty similar” to what punters are used to – if not exactly the same.

“We’re pretty confident that we should be able to see a New Year’s Eve event,” he said.

“How that looks with numbers we don’t know yet but you know we can work towards whatever cap we’re given.

Corey Baker of Red Brick Road Cider will be a stall holder at this year's Launceston BeerFest. Picture: PATRICK GEE

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“Unless we get a second wave or told by government and council we can’t go forward, we’ll push on.”

Mr Harding said this year’s event may end up with less interstate stall holders, but the event, now in its “11th or 12th” year, has always been Tasmanian focused.

This year’s event will have increased hygiene measures in place.

Mr Harding said it was important Tasmanian producers and sellers were able to return to work.

Corey Baker from Red Brick Road Cider said the COVID-19 pandemic had “significantly impacted” Tasmanian brewers and distillers and events like BeerFest would be important to their recovery.

He has sold his cider and gin at BeerFest every year since its inception and this year will be no different.

Mr Baker said it was a “terrifically opportunity” for producers to launch new products.

S tallholders and keen punters can get involved via Launceston BeerFest’s website.