THIS year's Nottingham Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival is set to be bigger than ever, with organisers even opening an extra area for revellers to enjoy.
Up to 30,000 people are expected to flock to Nottingham Castle for the beer festival which will feature a whopping 1,250 different brews.
And organisers are catering for increased demand by opening a new area called The Village which will feature brewers, food stalls and covered seating behind the bandstand.
Organiser Steve Westby said the excitement is building ahead of the event which runs from October 8 to 11.
"It's become such a major city event that people are keen to come along and enjoy it. It's become even a family occasion for many people and groups of work colleagues," he said.
"Our problem always is that we could get double the attendance at the weekend if only we could fit people in. We like to think it's a feather in the city's cap – its' the seventh year in the castle and it's just got bigger and bigger.
"We wanted to try and take a bit more space and we've come up with this idea of what we call the village – it's based in a pleasant area behind the bandstand. We are putting several small brewery tents in there and we're going to give it a European beer garden feel that will mean people can spread out more.
"We've never got enough seating undercover but we will have a lot more down there now. We want it to be an even more pleasurable experience."
And for Mr Westby, who has been running the event for 39 years since its first appearance at the Victoria Baths in Sneinton, Nottingham's reputation as a beer city is burgeoning.
"More and more people in Nottingham are getting more interested in trying more beers," he said. "There's definitely a revolution here. People are starting to take note of the provenance of their food and drink, they want to know where they are coming from and try different things. The beer festival is the best place to do it."
This year's festival will also see the return of the 'Tuck Tuck' – a small carriage to take people up and down the hill for just a small donation to charity – run by the Lincoln Green Brewery who count Tuck as one of their brews.
Philip Darby is owner of Nottingham Brewery and will be taking around 5,000 pints to the festival – including local favourites EPA and Legend – and will also be helping breweries from around the country by storing their ales for them beforehand.
He said: "We try to put on every beer that we brew throughout the year. It's absolutely huge – it's the biggest variety of different micro-breweries in the world. It's a world-beater."
He added: "Not only is it a boost to our trade but it's also the pubs, the hotels and the number of people who come to Nottingham."
The festival will see beers from a quarter of the country's 1,285 breweries showcased – and for those less partial to an ale, an impressive 200 ciders will also be on offer.
Pre-sale tickets have sold out for Friday and Saturday, but there are plenty remaining for Wednesday and Thursday. Tickets for all days will be available on the door but queues are expected. Tickets cost between £12.50 and £15.
