BBQ & Brew Fest returns to Glen Arbor
From staff reports
Kick off summer in the Most Beautiful Place in America. After a one-year hiatus, the fourth annual Glen Arbor BBQ and Brew Festival will be held on June 16 from noon – 6 p.m. in Glen Arbor, in the heart of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. This year the event will be in the center of town, on the corner of Lake Street and M‐22, just a block away from beautiful Lake Michigan.
Admission for the event is $15, which includes two drink tickets that may be redeemed for samples of local and regional microbrews. This year the event will have more breweries than ever: Bell’s Brewery, Founders Brewing Co., Arcadia Ales, Jolly Pumpkin, Right Brain Brewery, Schmohz Brewery, Mount Pleasant Brewing Co., Cheboygan Brewing Co. and Dark Horse Brewing Co. Each will be on hand with brewery representatives to tell you all about their ice cold craft beers.
To balance out your brew, the event will also feature six restaurants, each providing traditional or unique BBQ fare. Serving up BBQ will be these local favorites: Cherry Republic, Art’s Tavern, Western Ave. Grill, Bear Paw Pizza & Market, McCahill’s Crossing and Foothills Café. Traditional and unique BBQ samples will be served, and range in price from $1 to $5 each (cash only).
For those who prefer the BBQ without the brew, there will also be local, alcohol‐free beverages on hand from Great Lakes Tea and Spice, Northwoods Soda, Cherry Republic and Bay Lavender. This is a family‐ friendly event, and admission is free for kids 12 and under.
Live music will be provided throughout the entire event by the Traverse City based band, Erratixz. They’ll be rocking M‐22 with 80s and rock classics.
The event will follow on the heels of the Glen Arbor Solstice 5K and Half Marathon, taking place on the morning of the 16th. The half marathon will take runners around picturesque Big Glen Lake, and back into downtown Glen Arbor. Come watch racers cross the finish line, then head over to the fest for the post‐race party! More information about the race can be found at enduranceevolution.com.
The Gold sponsors for this year’s event are Leelanau Vacation Rentals, Art’s Tavern, Northwoods Hardware, Gordon Food Service, G.J.’s Rentals, Boonedocks and North Coast Design. For a complete list of the 27 event sponsors and more information, please visit bbqandbrewfest.com.
To purchase tickets to the BBQ and Brew Festival in advance, please visit bit.ly/bbqtickets.
