A POPULAR Basingstoke-based attraction that turns a decade old this year was given this year’s Arts and Entertainment Award.

The team behind Hampshire Oktoberfest can raise a glass to their success as they collected the award from the business manager of the Basingstoke Leisure Park McDonald’s, Gladstone Makazhe.

The event is organised by the Wessex Heritage Trust, and sponsored by Upham Brewery.

Director of development at the Wessex Heritage Trust, Ian Smith told the crowd: “We started off as a small charity event, and now we are the biggest festival of our kind in the south east of England. We are proud to be in Basingstoke, and I want to thank everybody who gets involved.”

Gladstone Makazhe said: “Hampshire Oktoberfest is a great event that Basingstoke should be very proud of. It’s now the biggest of its kind in the South East attracting over 8,000 visitors per year.”

This year, the weekend-long festival will be celebrating its tenth birthday.

After receiving the award, Ian told The Gazette: “As this year is our 10th, it’s going to be the biggest and best year yet. We are proud to hold it here in Basingstoke, and for as long as we are involved, it will always be in Basingstoke.”

This year’s Oktoberfest will be taking place from Friday 12- Sunday, 14 October 2018 at Basingstoke Cricket and Social Club. There are over 200 different beers, craft ales and ciders available, and new for this year, two gin bars.

RUNNERS UP: Allan Shepherd and Basingstones.