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The City of Ballarat hit back at organisers of the Ballarat Beer Festival, stating it had "strongly supported" the festival for years.
Community development director Matthew Wilson said in a statement council sees the Ballarat Beer Festival as "an integral event for the city".
"The City of Ballarat has provided the Ballarat Beer Festival with more than $70,000 cash funding since 2016 to support the growth and development of the event," he said.
"In addition to the free venue hire of North Gardens, we continue to work closely with Ballarat Beer Festival organisers and give assistance in a number of areas including venue hire, event listing promotion, permit processes, and general event support."
He noted the Tourism Event Grant Program is open to "support a balanced events portfolio and help attract new events to the city".
"Applications for this stream of funding are reviewed monthly," he said.
"Events like the Ballarat Beer Festival, which are integral to helping deliver Council-identified priorities, can apply for funding through the commercial stream of the City Partnerships Program. City Partnerships Program applications for 2023/24 have been open since October 2022 and will close on March 1."
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Strong numbers and sunny skies weren't enough to beat back a cloud of uncertainty over the Ballarat Beer Festival, in what may have been its last year running.
Breweries from across the country were out at Lake Wendouree on Saturday for the annual festival, which saw an estimated 3500 people in attendance.
However despite the strong showing, Ballarat Beer Festival director Ric Dexter said the 2023 event would most likely be the last, citing increasing costs of running the festival, a lack of government support and trouble with heritage overlays on the lake.
"It is just getting too difficult, and there is a severe lack of return for all of those involved," he said.
"This ground is not a bad layout, but unless Ballarat spends money on a proper events space, they are going to be losing a lot more events. It is becoming ridiculous."
North Gardens has been the home of the Ballarat Beer Festival since it moved from City Oval several years ago. Mr Dexter said since a heritage protection order had been placed on the lake in March 2022 it had a 'nightmare' to plan events in the area.
"We are not allowed to put a weighted marquee under a tree, because apparently a 25kg static weight on the corner of a marquee will cause more damage than an 80kg bloke standing under a tree and drinking," he said.
Mr Dexter said financial support from the City of Ballarat and the Victorian Government had not been forthcoming, making it difficult to recover from the two difficult years during the COVID pandemic.
"Council provides seeding funds to help start events, but there is no incentive to keep on doing it unless we come to some sort of partnership.
"With the Victorian government, somehow we miss out on any funding there is available.
"I have a ball doing it, I would love to do it again, but with very little sponsorship from corporates, because they are having a tough time, it has been impossible."
The Courier contacted the City of Ballarat for comment.
Despite the news, traders at the festival said business had been good on the day.
Ballarat's Red Duck Brewery operated a stall at the festival, with owner Vanessa Wilson-Browne praising the day's weather.
"It is a beautiful day, people seem really pumped. We are happy to be here, we are really happy to have something in our own backyard," she said.
