Hops and history mingle with music and a touch of magic as a new-look boutique festival arrives this weekend.

Kent Life in Sandling stages its revamped Hops and Harvest Boutique Festival over two days.

The festival includes all the ingredients that made its predecessor, the Hops n’ Harvest Festival, so popular with visitors, but has a bumper music line-up and some extra special touches.

There will be the chance to hand pick hops, meet historic characters from the county’s past – including the Oasties, Tally Man and Pearly Kings and Queens, and see one of Britain’s last working coal-fired oast houses fired up.

A range of local brews will be served in the Kentish Ales Marquee.

On top of that will be three stages, with an extended line-up that boasts big names including Starsailor, Newton Faulkner, Toploader and the Hoosiers among playing on the Main Stage.

The Big Top will play host to a number of local and regional talents, while acoustic sets will be performed on the Secret Garden Stage. The Hipshaker Lounge in the Village Hall will feature original vinyl records, while live bands will also perform a range of funk, soul, jazz, rock, R&B and Motown classics straight from the 1960s with a few guest decade spots.

Escape from it all while still being in the thick of it, with the Zebra Bar and Champagne Garden which will have what promises to be fantastical decor, indoor and outdoor spaces, seating, plus a grand piano and the gentle tunes of songbirds in the background.

The new treats don’t end there as Cabaret Noir offers an experience for adult VIP ticket holders with club sounds, a burlesque show and close-up table magician – and a private bar and place to charge your phone.

Kent Life’s general manager Natalie Cox said: “The Hops and Harvest Boutique festival will be bigger and better than before, while maintaining the traditions of an event which spans decades.

“With an impressive music line-up, fantastic locally-produced ales and plenty of activities for the children, there really is something for everyone.

“We really mean it, this is not your average weekend in the country – it’s an amazing one!”

IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE WOODS TODAY...

You can get away from it all, in The Bohemian Woods – make a wish, relax on rugs and hammocks and, at night, follow your way through the glowing fairy lights and lanterns.

The festival is also family-friendly with the chance to visit the site’s popular Cuddle Corner, enjoy treasure hunts and storytelling and little hoppers can also burn off excess energy at the outdoor and indoor play areas.

DETAILS

The Hops and Harvest Boutique Festival will be held at Kent Life in Lock Lane, Sandling, Maidstone, on Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10, between noon and 11pm on both days.

Passes for the weekend cost £50, £25 for children, £37.50 for concessions, and £125 for a family ticket for two adults and two children. Day tickets costs £30, £15 for children between five and 15, and £25 for concessions. A family day ticket (two adults, two children) costs £75. Under fives go free.

A limited number of Live & Local day tickets, for visitors who want to experience hop picking or enjoy the real ale, with access to the Kentish Ales Marquee, the Big Top Stage, the Oast House and select food outlets, cost £15, £10 for fives to 15-year-olds, £13 for concessions, and £40 for a family of two adults and two children.

VIP packages are £50 a day or £90 for the weekend each, which include fast-track entry and access to the exclusive Cabaret Noir VIP lounge and bar with entertainment, dedicated toilets and phone charging facilities.

There is limited parking on site, but you need to register for a ticket beforehand.
A shuttle bus service will run from Maidstone East and West stations and the town centre.
To book visit hopsandharvest.co.uk. For more information call 01622 763936.