"Zamek ("The Castle") and Leśnicki Park turned out to be too small for our event," says Elżbieta Lenczyk, the Director of Centrum Kultury “Zamek” (“The Castle” Cultural Centre) and at the same time the head of the Wroclaw Good Beer Festival (Wrocławski Festiwal Dobrego Piwa), which will be held for the fifth time in May. "And that's why for this edition we chose the Wroclaw Stadium (Stadion Wrocław) for being nearest to Leśnica, Stabłowice and Pilczyce, where most of the people participating in the festival come from", she adds.
"It will be the largest outdoor event ever around the stadium", confirms Adam Burak, a spokesman for Wroclaw Stadium (Stadion Wrocław). "We have been waiting for such an event for a long time", he underlines.
During the press conference at the stadium, on February 13, the organisers of the 5th Wroclaw Good Beer Festival (V Wrocławski Festiwal Dobrego Piwa) and XI Wrocławskie Warsztaty Piwowarskie (the 9th Wroclaw Brewing Workshops) talked about the course of the event which is certainly the biggest one in Poland and fourth in Europe, and which is all about beer and everything connected with its production and consumption.
Beer attractions
From 9 to 11 May, on the esplanade of Wroclaw Stadium (Stadion Wrocław), on area of about 14 thousand square metres, and on the adjacent grassy fields measuring eight thousand square metres, there will appear about 50 beer stands (each one with a different offer) with gardens for the participants. Everyone is welcome to taste around 200 draught beers and twice more of bottled ones. During the meetings with about a hundred of private brewers from across the Poland, those willing to learn will find out the ins and outs of brewing for their own use and see demonstrations of brewing beer — each day a different version. The lovers of beer and brewing will show their collections.
Volunteers will have an opportunity to participate in competitions on beer knowledge and fitness skills; for example capping bottles on time is planned.
Four major competitions will take place: VIII Konkurs Piw Domowych (the 7th Homemade Beer Competition), II Konkurs Domowych Etykiet Piwnych (the 2nd Homemade Beer Labels Competition) with an exhibition, I Konkurs Etykiet Piw Rzemieślniczych (the 1st Craft Beer Labels Competition) and "Beer of the Year 2013" plebiscite ("Piwo Roku 2013") — organised by the owner of the biggest Polish portal about beer and brewing — browar.biz.
Other attractions include brewing a special festival beer and a discussion panel with well-known representatives of the beer world.
Culinary scene
Its main idea is to combine beer with good food. "Twój Browar" will show the process of brewing beer, and Studio Kulinarne Piotra Kucharskiego (Piotr Kucharski's Culinary Studio) promises a special presentation of culinary delights.
During this edition of the Festival, the shows, presentations and videos — all of them — will be devoted to the best combinations of different types of beer and most adequate food. Beer will be also used as the main ingredient of dishes.
Music scene
It's an essential element of a successful festival — and this year it will promote music mainly from Lower Silesia, and performances on big stage will be an opportunity to present it to wider audience.
The organisers assure that the audience will not hear "extreme music" such as disco polo or progressive jazz. But there will be rock music, blues, reggae, ska and electronic music, supporting the picnic nature of the event.
The artists on the stage are the laureates of music contests and festivals, who have already released interesting debut albums.
From March there will be a new website: www.festiwaldobregopiwa.pl with all the details on the Good Beer Festival (Festiwal Dobrego Piwa) and all the attractions awaiting the residents of Wroclaw and Lower Silesia and all the guests from the outside of the region, from Friday to Sunday, in May.
New information can be found on www.wroclaw.pl.
MaWi
See the fun during the 3rd edition of the Festival
