Michigan Winter Beer Festival

WKTV Staff

If you are thinking about attending the Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Beer Festival, held each year at the Grand Rapids area’s Fifth Third Ballpark, you might want to stop thinking about it and do it.

According to the event’s website, the second day of the two-day event scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 24-25, is sold out. But tickets to the Friday night event, running from 5-9 p.m., are still available.

Tickets are only available online and, according to supplied information, once online tickets are sold out, no additional tickets will be released.

The 2017 Winter Beer Festival, the 10th anniversary of the festival, will feature more than 100 Michigan breweries and approximately 1,000 different craft beers. There will also be music from local bands and a selection of food available for purchase. Friday night’s music will be The Concussions’ surf-instrumental-rock-n-roll sound, as well Big Dudee Roo self-described “oft-psychedelic, Neil Young-styled folk rock” sounds.

Fifth Third Ballpark is located at 4500 West River Road NR in Comstock Park. For more information visit mibeer.com/winter-festival .

Experience Grand Rapids has announced it will partner with the GR Hopper to offer a $10 shuttle service to and from the festival from participating hotels. (Email staff@GRHopper.com or call 616-606-0467.)

by Scott Graham and Deb Havens

A record 103 breweries and 1035 beers will be featured at the 10th Annual Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Beer Festival, coming up Friday, February 27 and Saturday, February 28 at Fifth-Third Ballpark just north of downtown Grand Rapids. Tickets for Friday’s session, which will run from 3-7pm (2pm entry for Enthusiast Members), remain available for $45 each at MiBeer.com.

Overall, 1000 fewer tickets are available for Friday meaning slightly smaller crowds and shorter lines. Friday will also feature special beer releases and tappings, a live ice carving demonstration by The Ice Guru Randy Finch, sideshow acts and street performers, musical entertainment and fireworks (weather permitting). If the Friday session does not sell out prior to the event, tickets will be available at the gate for $50 the day of. There will NOT be tickets at the gate on Saturday.

The impressive list of breweries and beers can be viewed here: http://www.michiganbrewersguild.org/2015wbf-beer-list

Michigan ranks #5 in the nation for the number of craft breweries – thus supporting its claim as “The Great Beer State”.