25th Annual Michigan Summer Beer Festival
Friday, July 26, 2024 - 5pm to 9pm ($50 in advance, $60 day of and at the gate)
Saturday, July 27, 2024 - 1pm to 6pm ($55 in advance, $65 day of and at the gate IF available)
About the Event:
The Summer Beer Festival hosts many of Michigan's finest breweries sampling over hundreds of fresh, local Michigan beers.
Our festivals are inclusive events celebrating Michigan beer, where all people over 21 are warmly welcomed.
15 sampling tokens are included in the price of a ticket, and additional tokens are for sale at the event for just 50 cents.
Food is available for purchase inside the festival, and guests can enjoy live music from a variety of Michigan bands.
The oldest of the Michigan Brewers Guild's five annual festivals, the Summer Beer Festival takes place rain or shine in the lovely outdoor setting of Ypsilanti's Riverside Park in historic Depot Town.
Download a more detailed map of Depot Town & Downtown Ypsilanti here.
VIP Early Admission:
Michigan Brewers Guild Enthusiast members are invited to enter the festival one hour prior to general admission each day. You must present a valid membership card to enter early. Memberships can be purchased online from our web store.
Enthusiast Pre-Sale Details:
There will be a ticket pre-sale for Enthusiast Members the two days prior to tickets going on sale to the general public. To participate in the pre-sale, Enthusiast membership must be valid one month prior to the on-sale date AND have a current, unique email address on file with us. Please note that if you are purchasing tickets for non-enthusiast members, they will NOT be able to enter early.
Festival FAQs:
Q: Is parking available at the event?
A: There will be no parking at Riverside Park, but you can find plenty of parking throughout Depot Town, downtown Ypsi, and the surrounding area
Uber and Lyft are also options in Ypsilanti
Q: What is the refund policy?
A: NO REFUNDS! No exchanges for a different day as they are two different tickets and two different prices. The festival will take place rain or shine. If you cannot attend for ANY reason, you may sell or transfer your ticket to someone else.
Q: I can no longer attend the event. Can I sell my ticket to someone else, or give it to a friend?
A: Yes, tickets are transferable and you may sell your ticket to someone else for face value plus whatever service fee was charged by Eventbrite, or less. You may also give your tickets away if you like. There is nothing special you need to do to transfer tickets to another person. Michigan Brewers Guild does not permit scalping of tickets, which is illegal. We reserve the right to invalidate any tickets known to have been scalped. Each bar code will only scan one time.
Q: Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
A: You must bring a ticket with a valid QR or bard code with you to be scanned to allow you entry to the festival. This ticket can either be printed or can be the electronic version accessible on your smartphone or wireless device.
Q: Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?
A: All festival attendees must be 21 or older to enter, even if they are designated drivers and are not drinking. A valid government ID (driver's license, passport, etc.) is required for festival entry, with NO exceptions.
Q: Are Designated Driver tickets available?
A: Yes - if your group is bringing a non-drinking Designated Driver, your driver will be able to buy a DD ticket at the event for $20. This is a non-drinking ticket and your driver will not be allowed to drink any beer at the event. If a person entering on a DD ticket is found to be drinking at the event, they will be ejected from the festival without a refund. Despite being a non-drinking ticket, your Designated Driver must be 21 years or older to enter the event, and must have valid ID.
Q: If I enter on a DD ticket and change my mind, can I drink at the festival?
A: No, anyone entering the festival on a Designated Driver ticket will not be served beer or permitted to drink beer at the event. Any marked Designated Driver found to be drinking beer will be immediately ejected from the event. If you want to drink any beer at the festival, you should plan on buying a full-price drinking ticket.
Q: Can I bring my 18-year-old son/daughter with me as a Designated Driver?
A: No, all guests entering the festival must be 21 or older with a valid photo ID, even if they are entering on a non-drinking DD ticket.
Q: Can I bring my baby / young child, pet with me into the event?
A: Children, infants and animals of any kind are not permitted, for their own safety and the safety of our guests. Thank you for understanding that these festivals are adult-only events.
Q: Can I leave the festival and come back in later?
A: Yes – guest’s hands will be stamped for re-entry.
Q: Where can I find a list of Beers that will be at the Festival?
A: Check out our online listing by clicking on or scanning the QR Code to the right. You can also pick up a program at the gate when you come into the festival.
Q: Where do I pick up my tokens, cup and festival program?
A: You can pick up these items upon entering the festival.
Q: Why do I need to use tokens if I already paid for a ticket?
A: The Michigan Brewers Guild utilizes drink tokens and specially marked cups to assure that we comply with Michigan Liquor Control Commission regulation and have a controlled means of serving beer. All festivals attendees are expected to willingly provide a token for each and every sample of beer received. Thank you for your cooperation which keeps us in compliance with state law.
Q: Do you have any soft drinks or other non-alcoholic refreshments available for Designated Drivers?
A: There will be orange coolers of water placed throughout the festival for all guests to drink - however, there will not be n/a beverages specifically set aside for DDs. There will be soft drinks and other n/a refreshments for sale at the Concessions area, but guests are also welcome to bring non-alcoholic beverages with them into the event. We encourage you take the comfort of your Designated Driver into consideration when planning for the festival and bring them something extra to drink at the event.
Q: Is there food available at the festival?
A: Yes. We have a handful of food vendors with beer-friendly menu items for purchase. There are also tables and chairs set up around the festival site for you to sit down to enjoy your meal.
Q: What items am I allowed to bring into the festival with me?
A: Guests may bring food and non-alcoholic beverages with them into the event provided that nothing is in a glass container. Backpacks, hydration packs, coolers, folding camp chairs, small 10x10 maximum sized tents, picnic blankets and umbrellas are allowed. The following items are not permitted on festival grounds: weapons of any kind, outside alcohol, drugs including marijuana, glass containers, grills, children, animals, bicycles, skateboards, rollerskates/rollerblades, strollers, wagons, motorized vehicles. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COOLERS, BACKPACKS, BAGS, ETC. WILL BE SEARCHED.
Q: What are the restroom facilities like at the festival?
A: We have dozens of outdoor port-o-johns set up at the festival, no inside bathrooms are available.
Q: Are there ATMs inside the festival for me to get cash for food, swag and additional tokens?
A: No. There are no ATMs inside the festival, so we encourage you to bring cash with you – especially for the food vendors. There are ATMs located in Depot Town and downtown Ypsilanti, particularly along Michigan Avenue. The merchandise tent does accept credit cards for swag and additional tokens.
Q. I’d like to exhibit at the festival, is that allowed?
A. No. The Michigan Brewers Guild festivals are limited to our member breweries only, and no outside vendors are allowed. We do not allow the handing out of any literature, political, promotional material, swag or other items by the general public or businesses other than our participating members.