By Christa Brenner
Short’s Brewing Company

Originally scheduled for Aug. 8, Short’s Brewing Company has decided to cancel this year’s Short’s Fest and replace it with a two week socially-distanced celebration instead.

Traditionally an outdoor event that draws more than 2,500 people to the brewery’s Elk Rapids production facility, Summer Fest coincides with Elk Rapids’ summer festival, Harbor Days, and ends the evening with fireworks over the water.

“We’ve been holding out as long as possible, and were inspired by the decreasing numbers of COVID, but we feel it is our responsibility to keep our community safe and not crowd such a large number of people into one space.” Says Scott Newman-Bale, CEO of Short’s Brewing Co. “While we can’t host our traditional event, we decided to take this opportunity and throw a celebration that extends for more than a single day and allows people to enjoy the Michigan summer with a delicious beverage in-hand six feet apart!”

Instead of a one-day festival, the brewery is planning a two week celebration starting Saturday, Aug. 8, and running through Saturday, Aug, 22. Every evening Short’s will have a DJ spinning tunes on the lawn or a live band as well as local food trucks. Thursday-Sunday festivities also include an additional 10 delicious beers, ciders, and seltzers on tap.

There is no cover charge for this summer celebration and it is also family friendly. Each day the Pull Barn will open at 11 am with entertainment from 5-9 pm. Short’s will enforce a 500 person limit and ask guests to wear masks when roaming the grounds and standing in line for food and beverage.

“We’ve been making a ton of upgrades to our Pull Barn beer garden space, including adding restrooms, coolers, and indoor seating. We’ve got a lot to celebrate, and feel that we can do it the right way, limiting risk and still providing the Short’s experience that our guests expect!” Newman-Bale stated.