The Winter Conference is a professional conference for brewers. For information on this year's conference, please view this year's letter introducing the conference.

You may register for the conference online.

Purchase tickets now

The 5th Annual Winter Beer Festival will take place Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at the Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, just north of Grand Rapids. The Winter Festival is a unique opportunity to sample some of the best beers in the world, all brewed in Michigan. We are expecting more than 35 Michigan microbreweries and brewpubs to participate and there will be more than 200 different beers available to sample. The event is open from Noon to 5:00pm. Enthusiast Members of the Michigan Brewers Guild will be allowed to enter the Festival an hour early at 11:00am. The Festival will take place in the outfield parking lot at the ballpark this year and breweries will be located within several large tents. The tents, combined with body heat will help take the edge off the temperature, but please recognize that the Festival is an outdoor event and dress accordingly. Hats, mittens, boots and long-johns are recommended to keep you warm. We are planning to have a central bonfire, but only if the weather cooperates with low wind conditions. It would be helpful if everyone could hoist a Michigan beer and do a fair weather dance. We are hoping for good weather for a late February day in Michigan, but the Festival will take place snow, rain or shine.

The cost to enter the Festival is $35 in advance and $40 at the gate if tickets are still available. Last year’s Festival sold out in advance and we have allowed for more attendance but advance ticket purchase is suggested. Tickets can be purchased here on our website, at the Whitecaps website, at participating member breweries and at select retail outlets. Please see the related post on the MASH (our blog) for an updated list of ticket outlets. 15 drink tokens are included with a ticket and each token is good for one 3 ounce beer sample. Additional tokens are available for purchase inside the Festival for 50 cents each. Local West Michigan bands will be the featured live entertainment. Food will be available for purchase.

Festival attendees must be 21 years of age or older and have ID to enter. Designated Drivers are encouraged and DD tickets will be available for $5 each.

Please look for information to be posted on the MASH regarding hotels, participating breweries, ticket outlets and other information. The MASH will be updated as new information becomes available. Please feel free to make a post of your own if you are organizing a bus or have something else to share.

Cheers, and see you at the Festival!

Member Brewery Events

Saturday, January 16, 2010
Sherwood Brewing Company
45689 Hayes Rd
Shelby Township, MI 48315,
Just north of M-59 in the Hayes Center Shoppes Plaza
(586) 532-9669
www.sherwoodbrewing.com
From 11:30am to 3:00pm, Sherwood Brewing offers appetizers (made with their beer, of course), a
guided tour by Lisa Sherwood, and pint and lunch specials. RSVP at (586) 532-9669 or
lisa@sherwoodbrewing.com.