Darlington CAMRA Beer Festival a Success Despite Running Out of Beer

The CAMRA Beer Festival started Friday, February 21. It was at the Hopetown railway museum. This was the first time since before Covid. They had beer, cider, and ale. Craft and food stalls were also present.

Visitors could try different ales. The venue was full by 2:45 PM on Saturday, with people enjoying drinks and queuing for beers.

The festival ran out of beer on Saturday afternoon, leading CAMRA to announce the news. Because they sold all the beer, organizers canceled the final day. They even sold the extra beer they had.

Organizers underestimated the crowd and were amazed by the support. CAMRA Darlington regretted running out of beer, which they attributed to the overwhelming support. They will improve for next time and thanked people for their kind words.

The beer festival used to be at the Arts Centre and returned after being gone since before 2020. Sunday had a charity quiz planned, hosted by Dave from Crafty’s Quiz.

Organizers thanked everyone for the support, acknowledging that some people had plans. They will learn from this, will come back bigger.

The festival will not open on Sunday, because they sold all the beer, including their backup supply. Volunteers were amazed by the support and announced that they will return in 2026.