TICKETS are selling fast for a beer festival in Weymouth this weekend.

More than 1,000 tickets have already been sold for the Campaign for Real Ale’s (Camra) Weymouth Octoberfest Beer Festival at the Pavilion Ocean Room on October 12-13.

Organisers from West Dorset Camra have ordered 78 different casks of real ale for the popular autumn festival, being held at Weymouth Pavilion for the second year running.

The 78 ales include 19 from Dorset – but the emphasis this year is on beers from the South and South East. In addition, there will be cider and perry.

West Dorset CAMRA spokesman Michel Hooper-Immins said: “We have sold 1,050 advance tickets so far and many more will be sold this week.

“The signs are that Friday evening will be sold out before long.

“Our decision to run the popular autumn beer festival at Weymouth Pavilion for a second year has been well supported and we anticipate yet another successful event.”

Real ale lovers from all over the country will converge on Weymouth, as well as CAMRA members from many areas of Dorset.

The festival is divided into lunchtime and evening sessions on both Friday and Saturday.

The live music will be restricted to Saturday evening.

Lunchtime sessions cost £3 and evenings £4.

Tickets are available from The Boot and Globe pubs in Weymouth, the Royal Portland Arms or the Blue Raddle in Dorchester.

Alternatively it is possible to book tickets online at camradorset.org.uk /Octoberfest. htm