The Michigan Brewers Guild
Beer Festivals
Beer Festivals
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The Guild hosts four yearly outdoor beer festivals. The Summer Beer Festival, established 1997, is held in the historic [Depot Town](/wiki/Depot_Town "Depot Town") neighborhood of [Ypsilanti](/wiki/Ypsilanti "Ypsilanti") the fourth Saturday (and the Friday before) of July. The Winter Beer Festival, established 2006, is held [Grand Rapids](/wiki/Grand_Rapids "Grand Rapids") the fourth Saturday of February. The UP Fall Beer Festival is held in [Marquette](/wiki/Marquette%2C_Michigan "Marquette, Michigan") the Saturday after [Labor Day](/wiki/Labor_Day "Labor Day"). Finally, the Detroit Fall Beer Festival is held at [Eastern Market](/wiki/Eastern_Market_Historic_District "Eastern Market Historic District") in [Detroit](/wiki/Detroit "Detroit") the fourth Saturday of October. Events typically sell out.

In 2020, a fifth outdoor beer festival, the Spring Beer Festival, was scheduled for May 16 at [Turtle Creek Stadium](/wiki/Turtle_Creek_Stadium "Turtle Creek Stadium") in [Traverse City](/wiki/Traverse_City%2C_Michigan "Traverse City, Michigan"). It was canceled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Beginning in 2008, the Brewers Guild set a goal to operate its beer festivals as "Zero\-Waste" events. They work closely with local recycling and composting companies to manage the removal of any plastic, aluminum, paper, and [food waste](/wiki/Food_waste "Food waste") to ensure that as much of it is recycled or composted as possible. Their efforts have resulted in less than 10% of the event waste going to landfill (based on weight). This has been achieved by requiring the use of plates and bowls made from sugarcane, cutlery made from potatoes, and "plastic" cups made from corn (PLA) \- all of which are compostable! There are also bulk water stations instead of bottled water. So if you attend one of the Guild's festivals, do your part by not bringing any products with you that may not be able to be recycled or composted.


What are some examples of compostable materials used by The Guild?