Thinking of shaving that frizz off your face? Well, stop right there!
The Oxford Beard (yes beard, not beer) Festival is returning for its fourth event Saturday October 7.
The big bearded extravaganza is taking up residence from midday to midnight at new brewery and tap room, The Tap Social Movement.
Whether you’re an advanced beard grower, intermediate or like me, just really curious you are invited to join in this unique family day out.
For those in a tangle, you can have a chat with Aberdare’s Tactical Beard Care and Leicester’s Bearded Rapscallion who will be there to support, encourage, and advise you with beard face maintenance (as a woman, I appreciate that hair is a commitment).
For those unfamiliar with beard accessories products range from Beard Balm and Beard Cologne, to Beard Oil.
If you’re thinking this will just be a pub full of smug bearded faces, you’re wrong (and kind of right). The festival will be hosting a full day jam packed with entertainment.
Such festivities and competitions include ‘Big & Bushy’, ‘Straightest, Curliest, or Longest Tash’, ‘How many items does your beard hold?’, ‘Less mess eating contest’, Kids ‘Invent a Bearded character’ and many more are in the pipe line.
There will also be an array of live music, great grub and burlesque troupe The Scarlet Vixens (just in case you weren’t sold by beards).
This is the kind of event I love hearing about, it’s different, high spirited and welcoming of an attribute which some people struggle with.
I don’t know about you but I have a hairy friend, like super hairy, and he completely bosses it. But in all fairness he has admitted there’s not really a lot he can do – shaving and waxing are just too high maintenance on a weekly basis, so he just deals with it.
It’s kind of like in The Santa Clause Movie where the dad keeps trying to shave away his persistent beard, then finally he embraces it (but he doesn’t have much choice).
I can emphathise. I mean there are days (okay, weeks) where I can barely be bothered to shave my legs!
Like women men are often faced with ridiculously chiselled perceptions of what qualifies them to be in the male gender, and such depictions are often portrayed by the Calvin Klein models of the world, or the filter happy Instagramers.
Thankfully in this modern era, we’re enjoying celebrating our differences through wonderful community events such as The Beard Festival.
Needless to say gents, if you’ve got it, flaunt it! The bushier the better.
As per every year, Oxford’s Beard Festival isn’t just a hipster’s paradise, this event is also in aid of a fantastic charity. This year The Beard Festival will be raising money and awareness for the Oxford Food Bank.
Whether or not you have a full face of hair, the organising bearded beauties have got you covered, and all for a great cause.
@TheOxfordBeardFestival