The Ale Trail Goes Country In May To Celebrate Food, Music & The Inner West Creative Spirit
Image: Photo: Supplied.
Sydney’s Inner West is gearing up for a rollicking celebration of culture and creativity this May, as the Inner West Ale Trail transforms into a community-wide festival known as Inner West Country.
Spanning three weekends — 10–11 May, 17–18 May, and 24–25 May — the event will see breweries and venues from Marrickville to Camperdown turn their taps and spaces over to free live gigs, spicy food challenges, cowboy hat crafting, and cultural storytelling.
The program is diverse and down-to-earth, reflecting the eclectic spirit of the Inner West itself.
It all kicks off Saturday 10 May with a fiery chilli-eating contest at Pickled Monkey Brewing Co, paired with smoked meats and bold tunes. The following day, Sauce Brewing Co. will host a Mother’s Day “Dance Country Party” from 4–8pm, complete with country-disco beats courtesy of DJ Levins and guests.
The music on offer: A little bit country, a little bit everything else
Music takes centre stage, with genres ranging from rockabilly and reggae to hip hop and country. Events will unfold at beloved local brewers like Pickled Monkey, Sauce Brewing, Young Henrys, Wayward Brewing, Batch, and Future Brewing — many of which are family-friendly and walk-in accessible.
A highlight of the second weekend is Mindjiigari Ngurru – From Sky to Country, hosted by Young Henrys on Saturday 17 May in partnership with First Nations collective Awesome Black. Featuring a powerful mix of live music, dance, basket weaving and storytelling, the event aims to honour culture in everyday spaces. Travis De Vries, Creative Lead at Awesome Black, says the goal is to “make space for us, in our complexity, humour, power and beauty.”
On Saturday 24 May, Wayward Brewing Co. will shut down its laneway for the “Hoedown Throwdown”, a beer-soaked bash with live bands, shanty singalongs and late-night dancing. The same day, Future Brewing will serve up a communal Country Cookout led by Inner West chef Mitch Orr and pitmaster Jo Chewy, from 2–8pm.
The beloved Inner West Ale Trail
Across the trail, punters can expect everything from vinyl DJ sets and retro anthems to reggae sessions and line dancing. The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre is going full throttle with an 80s party, while Wildflower Brewing hosts a Texan BBQ and live country tunes. Even the kids get a slice of the fun at Chuck & Sons’ Saddle Up Sunday, where they can make their own cowboy hats before joining a family-friendly line-dancing session.
With more than 320 craft beers on offer across the participating venues, and a focus on community-first programming, Inner West Country is shaping up to be a grassroots celebration of what makes the Inner West special.
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For more information, visit innerwestaletrail.com/country.
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