The best beer and drink festivals in Cornwall

From the Newquay Beer Festival to the Little Orchard Cider & Music Festival, Cornwall is not only famous for its food, but for its beer and drinks that are brewed in the county.

If you are staying in our Looe holiday park, then there are ample ways you can try some of the world-class beer and drinks that are served in Cornwall. You can head to one of the local pubs or a brewery, but a great way to try a variety of drinks is to attend a drinks festival.

There are lots of these specialist festivals dotted across the Duchy so read on to some of the best beer and drink festivals in Cornwall.

• Newquay Beer Festival
• St Ives Food & Drink Festival
• The Little Orchard Cider & Music Festival
• Royal Cornwall Show
• Rattler Fest

Newquay Beer Festival

Super Earlybird Tickets on sale this Saturday (5 March) – Prices announced https://t.co/c636RHTqVN

— Newquay Beer Festival (@NewquayBeer) March 1, 2022

At the famous Newquay Beer Festival, you can sample more than 100 different beers and ciders from across Cornwall and a couple of new additions for 2022 are a gin bar and champagne bar that are both showcasing the county’s finest offerings.

Whilst the beer and cider are the main attraction, there is lots of other entertainment planned throughout the festival which ranges from live music, dances and other fun activities. There is also plenty of great food on offer at the festival that highlights why Cornwall is such a popular foodie destination.

The festival is run by Newquay Towan Blystra Lions Club and is held at the Hendra Holiday Park. This year the dates of the event are 23-25 September 2022.

St Ives Food & Drink Festival

If you are looking for cheap caravan holidays in Cornwall around May, then one must-visit event you have to visit is the St Ives Food & Drink Festival.

Taking place from 13-15 May 2022 at Porthminster Beach, this festival boasts artisan tents, food and drinks vendors, live music and food demos. Local food and drink producers come together with famous chefs and musicians to create one of St Ives’ largest events.

The three-day event is free-to-attend, although you will need to buy tickets for the music evening sessions that are held on the Lighthouse Stage.

The rest of the festival doesn’t need tickets to attend and one of the most popular areas of the event is the Masterclass Tent which boasts a jam-packed programme of food and drinks tasting tutorials. Some of the tasting tutorials are being run by the likes of the Canned Wine Co, Tarquin’s, St Austell Brewery, Pol Roger and lots of other breweries and drinks companies.

The Little Orchard Cider & Music Festival

Running from 9-11 September 2022, The Little Orchard Cider & Music Festival is in its ninth year. Visitors can enjoy live bands, a silent disco, up and coming stars on the BBC Introducing stage and a range of ciders that are sourced from across the UK.

The festival is held at Healey’s Cyder Farm and some of the acts that will be playing are Kula Shaker, The Celtic Social Club, Feeder, Land of the Giants, Imperial Leisure and The Wurzels.

There are lots of special events that are taking place at the festival, and these range from a Zen Den that runs yoga and pilates classes, the Grandma’s Sofa Derby which sees people battling it out around a race-course on motorised sofas and an outdoor adventure club that has sessions about ropework and bushcraft.

Royal Cornwall Show

Despite the Royal Cornwall Show predominantly being known as an agricultural festival, the county’s biggest annual event is brim-full of beer and drink stalls.

You can enjoy entertainment, competitions, shopping and everything that is the best in food and farming. The show is perfect for people of all ages and that is why the showground in Wadebridge welcomes thousands of visitors.

This year the show will be taking place from 9-11th June 2022 and as well as welcoming thousands of visitors you can see hundreds of different animals. There are a variety of classes that award the finest animals from around the country with coveted awards. There are dog and goat sections, rare breed classes, flower shows and rabbit, cage birds and pigeon classes.

The Royal Cornwall Show has a famed food and drinks scene as it supports Cornish-grown food and locally brewed Cornish alcohol. The organisers encourage all catering providers – from carvery units to drinks receptions – to make use of local produce whenever they can. There is an excellent range of local beers and ciders on sale around the showground. In the Cornwall Food and Farming Pavilion, you will also find more locally produced food and drink available to try and buy.

Rattler Fest

RATTLER FEST 2022 from Tam Johnstone on Vimeo.

Rattler Fest is somewhat in its infancy as it has only been running for a few years. The drinks festival usually takes place in April and once again it is expected to be bigger, better and more fun than in previous years.

Rattler Cider is a hugely popular drink across Cornwall and the rest of the UK, and this festival celebrates this iconic tipple. On top of celebrating the cider, you can try Rattler Gin as well as a whole host of food that is served across the grounds of the event.

Rattler Fest is an adult-only celebration that takes place over three days. If you attend this increasingly popular event, you can enjoy live music, celebrity DJs, Apres Ski Lodge Sessions and take part in the famous Rattler Olympics.

The event is held at Healeys Cyder Farm and tickets usually start at around £40, but only people aged 18 or above can buy them.

These are just some of the incredible drinks festivals that you can enjoy in the Duchy and if you are planning on visiting one of the events, you can come and stay at our caravan park in Cornwall. To read more articles and guides like this, check out our blog section.