The Michigan Brewers Guild 27th Annual Summer Beer Festival returned to Riverside Park in Ypsilanti, Michigan, on June 13, 2026. While the location remained familiar, the experience felt fresh—especially with the glorious absence of beer tokens. This year’s single-day celebration offered a mix of craft beer, live music, local food trucks, and a makers market. In a surprising twist, the festival even featured a wrestling ring. While I was initially skeptical about wrestling at a beer fest, it proved to be a fun addition. But before getting into all that, let’s talk about the main event: the beer.
Summer Beer Festival 2026
The tent layout saw some changes too, with fewer large tents crowding the center of the park and more intimate setups scattered along the perimeter. After a bit of debate, we decided to set up our chairs under the shade of the trees. It seemed that many of our friends had the same idea, and the spot offered the perfect balance—far enough from the stage to talk, yet close enough to enjoy the entertainment.
Craft Beers
The reason we were all here was simple: to drink delicious Michigan craft beer, hang out with friends, and maybe make some new ones. Sure, I collected some swag, was tempted by the food trucks, danced to the music, and cheered on the wrestlers, but that was all just icing on the cake—it added to the excitement and made the day even more enjoyable.
Hear.Say Brewing
I kicked things off with a refreshing sour from Hear.Say Brewing. Jake Egeler mentioned brewing it for Tony before their new brewer, Wayne Burns, arrived. They offered two options: the Prickly Punch and the Over.look Passion Fruit, both at 4.25% ABV—perfect for a summer day. I tried both and liked the Over.look Passion just slightly better.
OGMA Brewing
I swung by to say hi to the OGMA Brewing team, and since they had Evergold—a blueberry sour—I had to have some. I hate to play favorites, but it’s definitely my go-to sour. Plus, it makes my heart sing to see Wyatt working there.
Short’s Brewing
Ben Darcie was busy working the Short’s merch table. Just the day before, he posted a hilarious Facebook story featuring a Jack Russell terrier having the time of its life; I had to stop and tell him how much I enjoyed it. He recommended their lavender and lemon beer, which is essentially a refreshing shandy. The lines at Short’s can get a bit long, so if you want to beat the crowd, consider visiting during the Enthusiast Member early access.
Venture Brewing
Chuck chanced a visit to Venture Brewing’s table, and it paid off handsomely as he was smitten with their Whitecap witbier. They are a new brewery in Monroe that uses local hops from Mr. Wizard Hops. Chuck said the Whitecap was bright, dry, and slightly bready with an overall rating of two big thumbs up. We are planning to check out the River Raisin Battlefield Park in Monroe, so I’m sure we’ll plan a stop at Venture Brewing to get the full experience.
The Enthusiast Area
Somewhat new is the “Enthusiast Area.” It debuted at the Winter Beer Festival and was an immediate hit. Only card-carrying enthusiast members are admitted, get special swag, and have access to special, timed beer releases.
Aberrant Ales from Howell, Michigan, kicked it off with their Velvet Fade, a Mexican-style lager with just a hint of lime. Perfect for the Summer Beer Festival.
Perrin Brewing brought their 2024 Double Barrel No Rules. Not necessarily a beer I associate with summer, but it is a delicious sipper with friends by the river.
Mothfire Brewing from Ann Arbor, Michigan, brought Glow, their pale, hazy IPA. A super-smooth, easy beer to wrap up the day.
Brewers said a few words about the beer, took questions, and hung out. It’s a nice addition to the beer festivals.
Beer Fight Song and Special Beer Release
Typically, we have a firkin, but this year was different. Ypsi Alehouse supplied a Baltic Porter, which, as you’d guess, is a smooth beer with a rich malty sweetness. Ted Badgerow did the honors of filling cups.
Beer Education Tent
In the Beer Education Tent, I ran into Ypsi Alehouse’s Head Brewer, Taylor Heckaman. He is currently on the faculty with Eastern Michigan University’s Fermentation Science Program. Taylor and program director Dr. Cory Emal tag-team the curriculum, using Ypsi Alehouse as a community collaborator where students can gain a true start-to-finish production experience.
I got a taste of the Michigan Cherry Wheat beer they’d brewed with the students. It is a hyper-local project brewed entirely with Michigan malt from Larry Judge (Mitten State Malt), Michigan Copper hops, and pure heirloom cherry concentrate sourced from the GLCC Flavors in Paw Paw.
International Big Time Wrestling
Back in the day, Cobo Hall was an epicenter for Big Time wrestling. Dick the Bruiser, George The Animal Steele, Bobo Brazil, and other legends of the mat thrilled young and old with no-holds-barred wrestling mayhem. On this delightfully sunny Saturday, the epicenter became the Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Fest as International Big Time Wrestling was on hand to astound the crowd.
Bodies flew through the air, slamming into the mat, and snapped off the ropes as the wrestlers engaged in a beer-fest battle royal. While not your typical beer festival entertainment, it was surprisingly fun to watch the antics from the safety of the ring-side.
Music
The music at this year’s Summer Beer Festival was all about independent rock. With the stage centrally located within the horseshoe of beer, food, and maker market tents, you could enjoy the music from pretty much anywhere.
Loud Fox Cult
Kicking off the jams was Detroit’s Loud Fox Cult. They played a set of high-energy alt-rock with a razor-sharp punk edge. There was a dandy blend of melodic punch and gritty emotion. Fans of Jimmy Eats World would be down with this band. Their music paired up nicely with Six Spoke Brewing’s Vernor Highway New England IPA.
Pretty Jane
Anticipating the need for the space to breathe and take in the beauty of Riverside Park, Pretty Jane played a set of poetic, road-tripping folk-rock that called to mind acts such as Lord Huron and The Lumineers. The band got its start in Michigan, but has since moved to Nashville in search of fame and fortune. Their brand of thoughtful musical storytelling paired perfectly with Slow Coast Brewing’s Slow Coast Pale Ale.
Spitalfield
Closing out the Summer Beer Fest was Spitalfield from Chicago. After over 20 years, the band released Play + Record in 2025. Think of them as the answer for those who dig the potent power and evocative songwriting of the Foo Fighters but aren’t willing to sit at the back of the arena, away from the action. These guys were great, delivering a set bristling with power, melody, and elation. A damn fine way to cap off a beautiful summer beer fest. Oh, and if you are wondering about a pairing, enjoy Spitalfield with Ypsi Alehouse’s award-winning Dark Czechmark dark lager.
Makers Market
I was excited to learn that there would be a Makers Market as part of the Summer Beer Festival. Vendors brought a variety of wares ranging from hot sauce and jewelry to clothing and beard products—all perfect choices for beer enthusiasts.
Michigan Crafted also had a table in the Maker’s Market, giving away swag and answering questions. They celebrate breweries, wineries, distilleries, and cideries across Michigan.
Food Trucks
There were four food trucks this year. All a bit different. All delicious.
Photos
There are more photos in our gallery from the 2026 Summer Beer Festival
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