If you love winter beer festivals, especially the one hosted annually by the Michigan Brewers Guild, you will do well to put a very important date on your calendar. Not the date of the 13th Annual Winter Beer Festival itself, rather the date this coming week when tickets will go on sale. Because they typically fly off the shelf almost as fast as they are placed up for sale. In fact, they were gone in near record time last year.
The Great Beer State — Michigan — will crank open ticket sales next Thursday to the wildly popular Michigan Brewers Guild 13th Annual Winter Beer Festival. Tickets hit the market at 10am sharp on Thursday, November 30th, at the link below. The schedule calls for the festival to begin on Friday, February 23rd from 5pm until 9pm, and again on Saturday afternoon, February 24th, from 1pm until 6pm.
As has become tradition, the 13th Annual Festival will take place at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, just north of downtown Grand Rapids.
The 2018 Winter Beer Festival will feature more than 125 Michigan breweries and brewpubs. Each guest ticket comes with 15 tasting tokens which guests can exchange for 3 oz. samples from around 1,000 different craft beers (note that some specialty beers will require 2 tokens per 3 oz. sample). Guests will also enjoy fine music from local bands, other entertainment, ice sculpture demonstrations, and fire pits to warm up by. A selection of tasty food will be available for purchase at the festival.
Friday tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the gate if any remain available; Saturday tickets are $50 in advance. In past years, Saturday tickets for this outdoor craft beer celebration have sold out as quickly as 17 minutes and will sell out in advance of the festival again this year. Set your alarm for 9:55am on Thursday and pay very close attention if you are even thinking of going to this massive beer party.
Enthusiast Members who were active as of October 30th are invited to a ticket pre-sale which opens at midnight on Tuesday, November 28 and ends at 11:59pm on Wednesday, November 29. Enthusiasts are also admitted into all Guild festivals one hour prior to the general public (with valid membership). Access to festivals is just one of the benefits for Enthusiasts for their $55 a year annual membership. For added benefits visit www.mibeer.com/enthusiast-membership.
The Michigan Brewers Guild is the network of innovative and passionate brewers that serves as the recognized advocate for the Michigan craft beer industry. The mission of the Michigan Brewers Guild is to promote and protect the Michigan craft beer industry with an overarching goal to help craft beer acquire 20% of the market by 2025.
Michigan’s thriving brewing industry conservatively contributes more than $144 million in wages with a total economic contribution of more than $600 million. In terms of overall number breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs, Michigan ranks #6 in the nation – thus supporting its claim as “The Great Beer State.
Here is the all important link to get those hot tickets in the week ahead. Click through now to familiarize yourself with the site ahead of the opening gun on ticket sales next Thursday, and good luck!
