Michigan Summer Beer Festival is canceled

In a not-very-surprising move, the Michigan Brewers Guild has canceled the popular Summer Beer Festival. 

Still, even as summer and fall events continue to get shelved until 2021, there was some hope for outdoor festivals like this. Often a sell-out, the two-day event was planned for July 24-25 at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti. 

“The health and safety of our guests, brewery staff, volunteers and the general public remain our primary focus,” says guild executive director Scott Graham in a release issued Wednesday. “We are disappointed that we won’t be able to gather with our fellow Michigan beer lovers this July, but given the continued uncertainty and safety protocols that remain in place, we believe this is the appropriate decision at this time.”

A special "Enthusiast Membership" that is offered to craft beer fans will also extend its expiration by six months beginning with memberships that expired March 1 and later. 

Graham added that he and the Michigan Brewers Guild will still encourage Michigan beer fans to celebrate the industry and support local beer makers in the month of July, which is Michigan Craft Beer Month. The state currently ranks sixth in the nation in terms of the number of breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs, creating an economic impact of $2.5 billion, according to the guild. 

The group, which represents nearly 300 breweries, also canceled its spring festival, scheduled for May 16 in Traverse City. 

Visit mibeer.com for more information. 

mbaetens@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @melodybaetens