REAL ale drinkers will raise a glass to a special Easter event in Darwen this bank holiday weekend.

The Bridgewater pub in Church Street will celebrate the holiday in style with a four-day beer festival.

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The Cask Marque-accredited pub will host the cask ale festival from Friday to Monday with more than 25 beers on offer for thirsty drinkers throughout the weekend.

The pub, which currently has six hand pulls on the bar, will be extending its ale selection with an additional six-barrel station for the festival, giving customers a wider choice of ales to try.

Beers have been sourced from a number of local breweries, including Three B’s in Blackburn, Moorhouse’s and Reedley Hallows in Burnley, Lancaster Brewery, Lytham Brewery, Firebrand Brewery, Thwaites and Fuggle Bunny Brew House.

Customers will also be able to try before they buy and can expect to sample popular ales such as Three B’s Doff Cocker, Reedley Hallows Nook of Pendle and Fuggle Bunny’s Russian Rare Bit.

Cider lovers will also be catered for with Weston’s Old Rosie and Rosie Pig cider and Thatchers cider all on offer.

Pub general manager Gary Smith, who took over from previous manager Adam Hulme in December, said: “I am very excited to be hosting my first beer festival at The Bridgewater.

“Cask ale is a passion of mine and I am looking forward to working closely with local breweries in the future.

“The festival will be a real treat for the people of Darwen and it will certainly make for a fantastic Easter weekend.”

The festival will run until 4am for the first three nights and until 11pm on Monday.

A special Easter raffle will be held where guests will be in with the chance of winning two tickets to the Grand National, tickets for Blackburn Rovers’ FA Cup replay against Liverpool, a brewery tour with Reedley Hallows and a keg of beer from Three B’s Brewery, among others.

DJ Paul O’Garr, who will be on the decks from 11pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, will keep the tunes playing into the early hours.

The pub is open from 9am across Friday, Saturday and Monday, and from 10am on Sunday.