Lieutenant Governor Sir Richard Gozney will officially open the sixth CAMRA Isle of Man Beer and Cider Festival at the Villa Marina in Douglas on Thursday.

Sir Richard will arrive aboard the historic Okell’s double-decker horse tram from Derby Castle for the annual event which is always eagerly anticipated by enthusiasts. Last year’s festival attracted over 3,000 visitors.

Organiser Roger Cave said: ’The bars will be set up in the Royal Hall offering more than 150 real ales, plus a large variety of ciders, perries and fruit wines. In all there will be something on offer to suit all tastes and palates.’

The event will run from Thursday to Saturday. As well as the beers and ciders there will be food on offer in the Joe Loss Suite and a comprehensive acoustic music programme on Friday and Saturday evening which will include Mae Challis and Truman Falls. The Grand National steeplechase will be screened live on Saturday afternoon.

As ever, a local charity has been chosen to benefit from the event: The Alzheimer’s Society in the Isle of Man will be this year’s festival good cause. A donation from sales of a beer specially brewed for the festival, the Festival Ale, will go to the society.

This year it is the turn of the Hooded Ram brewery to supply the Festival Ale. Hooded Ram owner, Rob Storey, has described the brew as a ’deliciously refreshing, pale session beer’ with the trial batch selling out within hours at Hooded Ram’s outlet, Clinch’s on North Quay.

The full list of beers, ciders, perries and fruit wines on offer includes some wonderfully named offerings, including Bruin’s Ruin (from the Beartown Brewery); Thieves and Fakirs from Dartford Wobbler Brewery; Devil Made Me Brew It; Thriller in Vanilla Porter; Mild Disobedience; Gadd’s Seasider, and Spanker. Local brewers Bushy’s will be offering a brew called Buggane, whilst Okell’s will be represented by four beers: MPA, Dr IPA, Alt and Triskellion. The Manx Cider Company will be bringing Jenny Lay-Back, Jimmy Kick-Start and Johnny Jump-Up.

The festival is open to the public from 5pm to 11pm on Thursday, and noon to 11pm on the Friday and Saturday sessions. CAMRA members and invited guests will be able to get into the festival earlier on the Thursday. Tickets for the festival have been held at last year’s price of £5 and are available at the VillaGaiety box offices, the Sea Terminal Welcome Centre and online.