What a relief after all the big ticket beer affairs attached to eateries and vast spaces converted into a Mecca to Michigan Beer to have an opportunity and within days of each other to celebrate the joys of our craft beer movement in a style totally fitting of its roots. To have two big events focused on builidng up our community is truly remarkable and worthy of our winning Beer CIty USA title.
For Thursday night’s
Beer City Party in the Park at Creston’s Riverside Park, fans of Michigan beer are invited to swing by their favorite brewery to fill up or purchase a growler on their way to Riverside Park where the Friends of Grand Rapids’ Parks will be dedicating the newly planted Brewers Grove of trees (created from funds raised this year by 18 of our local breweries and Grand Rapids' SOB's - Society of Brewers ) before the community wide celebration of Grand Rapids’ winning for the second year in a row, Beer City USA contest.
In addition to a chance to view the Grand Rapids’ premiere of the documentary, Michigan Beer Film, on the DGRI’s pop-up screen it is also a chance to gather and celebrate the efforts of our area breweries who continue to show the city a new way of working together that is truly collaborative and supportive at every step of the way. There will be food trucks, sweet treats and of course a great gathering of folks near the baseball diamond where this event will be held. (Rumor is after the film; Tiger fans will have a chance to see the game broadcast on the big screen.)
On Saturday and a bit further east of Riverside,
Midtown Neighborhood Association will be debuting after a long period of “wouldn’t it be great if” talks to finally a brand new event that truly evokes the can-do spirit of our region with their Midtown on Tap celebration – a home brewers festival at the Midtown Green.
The day long event according to organizers is an attempt to highlight the beer city-ness of Grand Rapids and to launch a signature event for midtown which the whole community can wrap their arms around (and their hands) as they sample some of the area’s must elusive mystery brews as they compete for the title of Best of the State as entries are coming in form all over Michigan.
“We determined that highlighting home brewing and our local brew scene was the way to go,” Kelly Otto, Executive Director of the Midtown Neighborhood Association who along with O’Connor’s Homebrew Supply will be announcing the winners at 4 p.m. on the stage. One lucky winner will receive a special pull featured at Rockford Brewing Company.
O’Connor’s will be providing samples of those competing in the local home brewers competition. Brewery Vivant and People’s Cider beverages will be on hand for purchase and sampling along with a host of other vendors and community-enhancing services from Woking Taco to The Spoke Folks. Bands schedule to appear include Love Fossil, Wazobia, The Ancients, Gabriel James, and Cabildo.
Both of these events should be high on your list if community is your focus and beer is your vice.
Admission: Both Free