Barbecue, brew, and toast the autumn

From staff reports

The third annual Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce BBQ & Brew Festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 18 from noon to 6 p.m. The festival includes barbeque, beer samples and music for the all day event.

A few new features for 2010 include: a new location, a larger amount of Michigan microbrews, a new food format, and also live music by members of the Fabulous Horndogs.

Michigan microbreweries featured this year comprise of: Right Brain Brewery (Traverse City), Bell’s Brewery (Kalamazoo), Short’s Brewing Company (Bellaire), New Holland Brewing Company (Holland), Mt. Pleasant Brewing Company (Mt. Pleasant) and The Livery (Benton Harbor). Additionally, non-alcoholic options, including Cherry Republic (Glen Arbor) Cherry Ginger Ale & Root Beer, plus teas from Great Lakes Tea and Spice (Glen Arbor), will be available for sampling.

“We tried to offer a larger selection of samples from fewer breweries to give patrons the opportunity to taste a range of different microbrew styles from each brewery,” says Matt Wiesen, Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce Vice President.

Area restaurants and food vendors will sell an assortment of food fare to accompany the beer. One requirement, it must be barbeque-style.

Members of the Fabulous Horndogs, a long-time northern Michigan rhythm and blues-style band, will perform to serve as the perfect backdrop for the fall barbeque and beer event.

This year’s BBQ & Brew Festival will be held underneath a tent on State Street, off Lake Street. Tickets for the event, which include a souvenir mug and five tasting tickets, are $15, and are sold on the day of the event. Non-alcoholic tickets may be purchased for $10. Children 12 and under are free. Additional drink tickets can also be purchased.

For more information, please call the Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce at (231) 334-3238. The Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1949 and remains dedicated to promoting the businesses of the Glen Lake, Glen Arbor, Empire and the Sleeping Bear Dunes areas. The Chamber puts on many events throughout the year including: Chili Cook-off (February), Girls Night Out (June), BBQ & Brew (September), and the Holiday Marketplace (November).