I've been going to the Michigan Winter Beer Festival ever since it moved to Grand Rapids, MI.  This festival was originally set up in the stadium that our minor league baseball team (The West Michigan Whitecaps) play in, they've since moved it out to the parking lot and continue to increase the capacity and organization every year for this event.

If you've never been to it, the Michigan Winter Beer Fest is a must visit IMO and I rank it behind only the Great Taste of the Midwest festival, held in Madison Wisconsin every year.  With this festival, you'll be outside in what is typically a snowy afternoon eating large turkey legs around a fire or drinking beer from an ice mug with the thousands of other like-minded beer connoisseurs. The beer selection is the best Michigan has to offer, you'll get to taste some of the best beers from great well known breweries like Bell's, Founders and Short's brewery, or some of my lesser known favorites like Kuhnhenn, Brewery Vivant, Waldorff Brewpub or The Hideout Brewery.

I've been told that although this festival has had its tickets available for only 5 days now, they've sold 1/3rd of the 6000 total tickets they have available.  If you are planning on going, purchase your tickets right away! 

If you come to the festival and we haven't met, look for the guy wearing a TheBeerSpot.com shirt, I'll be there and I'd love to chat with you while drinking a great beer.

Mike Sweany
TheBeerSpot.com