CLICK HERE for information and details on the current 2012 3rd Annual Traverse City Winter Microbrew & Music Festival.

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What an awesome festival … thanks for coming out and supporting music,
brews, and our community!

Below you can find a great video recap by Robert Moran, reviews, and some great photos.

Thanks to leelanau.com:
What occurred at The Village Saturday afternoon was no small feat. Had the sun simply offered her face in typical August fashion, hosting a Microbrew & Music festival would have been worry enough. Add to the challenge: rain, rain, rain. Still, not a grim face in the crowd. Smiles protruded from hooded hatters toting biodegradable koozies thermally insulating samples of amber ale and chocolate stout. Huddled and gathered beneath large and small tents, attendees dodged rain drops pelleting the lawn. Despite Mother Nature’s drab set decoration, Traverse City’s Microbrew & Music Festival proved to be a brilliant affair, as folks flooded the lawn of the old State Hospital grounds, sipping suds in the (sometimes) pouring rain.

The event, hosted by Porterhouse Productions, gathered 34 craft breweries, accompanied by a musical line-up, and steaming hot food from area restaurants and venders. Enthusiasm for the event poured as freely from the hearts of participants as did liquid gold from kegs. Honoring the fact that brewing beer is as much science as art, while music rang from the Main Stage, a second, “Hops Stage” intermingled music with topics ranging from sustainable hops production to beer activism. Award-winning author, Chris O’Brien flew in from D.C. to discuss the noble endeavor of beer drinking. Seriously.

Debate may ensue as to whether or not the rain deterred microbrew fans and beer afficianados from the event, but I suspect that the same people that love beer–love to make beer and drink it–do so because they have adventurous spirits and prefer something new to the same old, same old. Plus, if you live in Northern Michigan and do not have a raincoat, today was a wake up call, long overdue. I suspect that a few people considered the brouhaha and decided to stay home, those who either forget that the human body is composed mainly of water or those fearing that the parts per million of hops would be compromised by the unbridled raindrops.

At the finale of his lecture on the facets of hops production, Dr. Robert Sirrine from the Michigan State Research Station quoted Ben Franklin, saying, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” After Saturday’s event, the only hard evidence we have is that nothing–not even cool wet weather–will stop Michiganders from their microbrews, music and good eats. And yes, they seemed happy. Northern Michigan’s thirst to celebrate with friends and family can neither be quenched or denied. Rain or shine–if you brew it, they will come!

Thanks to mynorth.com:
Traverse City Microbrew and Music Festival Rocks A Rainy Night
The first Traverse City Microbrew and Music Festival, put on by Porterhouse Productions, drew a huge crowd, 30+ breweries, lots of music and great food. Click below to see festival-goers voting their favorites!

Rain? What rain? The steady drizzle and ocassional downpour didn’t seem to dampen anyone’s spirits at the first-ever Traverse City Microbrew and Music Festival held August 29 at the Grand Traverse Commons. Brewers’ tents as well as food tents were set up over a large portion of the lawn making the festival feel a lot like a village you could wander instead an event under one tent. Music was filling the spot all through the evening as bands took to two different stages. Bagpipers led a procession through the “village” and finished with a performance under one of the big tents. As nighttime came, all the tents sparkled with white lights and people were dancing in front of the main concert stage. It was fabulous to see such a great crowd come out to support Michigan’s first microbrew community and support Sam Porter’s vision and incredible effort to put together a top-of-the-line festival.

We caught up with a bunch of folks out for the night and asked them to tell us what they’re favorite beers of the night were. Take a look at their votes. You’ll see some names pop up again and again and next year we’ll try to capture some of the comments about why each person loved their choice. For instance, the people who went for Short’s Black Cherry Porter couldn’t stop waxing poetically about “the finish.” The other thing you’ll see? A lot of people having a great time. Everyone’s already looking forward to next year.

Thanks to the Northern Express:
TASTEMAKERS/BOTTOMS UP
There were skeptics that back-to-back weekends featuring a major wine festival and a beer festival with music and food both weekends would not work in Northern Michigan. After all, these weekends have always been a challenge in the tourism industry as college students are gone, families are preparing for the start of school, and several fall school sports and activities are well underway. Throw in a lagging economy and these events surely were doomed. But organizers of the Traverse City Wine and Art Festival and the Traverse City Microbrew and Music Festival proved all doubters wrong. Both weekends were “home runs” as thousands came out for both festivals.

There is already a buzz in the air for next year with plans underway by organizers to connect both festivals with a series of events during the week. Events being proposed range from beer and wine dinners, to cooking classes, to food, wine, beer, and even music workshops.

Event insiders were not shocked by their success. They have been working for years to pull off these types of festivals in Traverse City. They know that area residents and visitors are “hungry and thirsty” for this sort of thing. Unfortunately, some offi cials in Traverse City have been shortsighted when it has come to events that celebrate the region’s wine and beer industry.

While some city leaders have encouraged these types of festivals, too many roadblocks were put up by others keeping these events from happening sooner downtown. While downtown Traverse City probably benefi tted residually from these events, the economic impact would have been far greater had they occurred right downtown.

Instead, developers Ray and Marsha Minervini stepped up to the plate and hosted both of these festivals at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. The Minervinis are visionaries and quickly saw the benefi ts of both festivals to the community. They agreed to provide the lawn in front of Building 50 as the site. It proved to be the perfect venue.

The Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association and Porterhouse Productions are to be commended for the respective festivals. Both festivals were well-run, with plenty of friendly volunteers. Parking was not a problem. Even challenging weather on both weekends did not keep people away. Both events were essentially sold out and some breweries even ran out of beer.

Instead of viewing each other as competitors, organizers became collaborators and partners. They shared resources (tents, tables, chairs and a large portable stage), promoted each other, and both events celebrated some of the best things the region has to offer: great wines, beers, food, music and art.

Another success was that both festivals showed that major events with alcohol can take place without incident. This was always one of the concerns of some in Traverse City that events that celebrated the region’s wine and beer industries would have a negative undertone. The Traverse City Wine and Art Festival and The Traverse City Microbrew and Music Festival proved otherwise.

So expect both events to grow. Traverse City and Northern Michigan have built a reputation nationally as a “foodie,” wine, craftbrew, art and cultural destination.

So cheers to festival organizers; a toast to you for taking a risk and knowing that Northern Michigan has been “thirsting” for this sort of thing. Can’t wait till next year.

Thanks to Rachel North:
Northern Michigan, you are unstoppable. In perhaps the worst weather I’ve ever seen on an August day in Northern Michigan, thousands of you came to the Microbrew and Music Fest. And why not? It was a great event in a great place! If you missed it? You missed out!

The Microbrew and Music Fest opened at 3:00 with a Brewer’s Happy Hour. About 200 attendees paid $50 ($60 at the door) to spend 2 special hours with brewers. This exclusive group also got free food and other merchandise benefits. It was nice to be able to stroll through the brewer’s village of tents and talk with them about their beers without the pressure of throngs waiting for a pour.

And throngs there were. At 5:00 the gates opened to the $25 ticket holders ($30 at the door) massed at the front. And the line to get in was steady until 7:00 or so. Frankly there were folks still coming at 8:00 after dinner at Stellas. We spoke with folks who came from Onaway and Grand Rapids just for the Festival . We spoke with one woman who was on a beer tour of the Midwest and made a special point to include this Festival on her trip. (She was also lamenting that she had packed poorly, claiming, “And I never wear flip flops–what was I thinking!” I tried to sell her a MyNorth sweatshirt but she wanted one with beer on it.) I have no estimation of the final count, but I suspect there were several thousand there all told.

The music alone was worth the price of admission. One only had to be there to hear it. The sound system was so good one could enjoy a brew and brat, or gyro or pizza or whatever in the main tent most of the afternoon and enjoy the main-stage music. Later there were two acts going on one in the primary tent and one on the main stage.

And for you wine lovers … Blackstar Farms was pouring wine. And there was mead and cider to try too. This wine lover has learned that Michigan brewers have much to offer in subtle taste treats and alluring flavors. My special fave is Shorts, with Right Brain a close second. I also tried Keweena w and I was intrigued by Arcadia and Wolverine. And I didn’t get round to all that I wanted to, so gracious readers, please help our audience out by adding comments on your favorites.

The Microbrew and Music Festival was laid out through the trees of the Village Commons so that you felt like you were in a village. When the Scottish bag pipes paraded through the area, folks lined up behind them to parade along, winding through the tents and displays.

The music was great! Because I was stationed in the MyNorth booth at the front of the event, I didn’t really have a good sense of which acts were which, but it was all good. And I’m going to have to start paying attention to where these guys are playing next.

From fans on Porterhouse Productions Michigan Facebook page:
> I might have been (and by that I mean I totally was) wearing my Microwbrew Fest t-shirt I got last night to Deering’s for a six-pack of Magic Hat #9 today, and the man at the checkout said “you sure like beer, huh?” haha

> As anyone who was at Festival last night knows, it did feel like a great big, kick-butt Traverse City party. Congratulations and thanks to Porterhouse and all involved, we can’t wait until next year. Somehow, the rain and cool weather probably helped it to feel uniquely Northern Michigan….

> I can’t wait until next year!!!

> The rain is just part of the story. Fun time, nice crowd.

> A great time!

> I declare it the biggest/best party ever thrown in TC. Thanks so much Sam!

> I had a great time, where can we post pictures…?

> My wife and I had so much fun.

> It was a wonderful event…..great music, great beers.

PHOTOS:
Folks “Vote Their Favorites” at the Traverse City Microbrew & Music Festival care of mynorth.com

Click Alan Newton’s photo below to view the photos he snapped of the Festival:

The following photos were taken by Gary Howe:

The following pictures were taken by Andy McFarlane:




The following photos are care of mynorth.com: