Tickets for the Michigan Brewers Guild's newest festival – the inaugural MBG Spring Beer Festival in Traverse City, to be held May 16 from 1pm to 6pm at the Traverse City Pit Spitters' Turtle Creek Stadium – will go on sale to the general public today (Thursday).

Tickets will be available for purchase starting at 10am online here. MBG Enthusiast Members and Pit Spitters season ticketholders received early access to ticket sales. Tickets are $50 in advance or $55 at the door (if not sold out). The event will feature more than 800 craft beers from 100-plus Michigan breweries, plus local music, performers, and food available for purchase.

“Over the past 22 years, the Michigan Brewers Guild has prided itself on hosting the best beer festivals in the state,” says MBG Executive Director Scott Graham. “We started with the Summer Beer Festival in 1998 and have grown over the years in terms of the number of events, as well as participating breweries and attendees. Adding a festival in northern lower Michigan rounds out the geographical footprint for our events, and we think there will be a lot of enthusiasm for the MBG Spring Beer Festival in Traverse City."

At a media event this week, Graham told reporters he was hoping for a turnout of 2,500-3,000 at the Traverse City festival. Organizers are still debating whether to hold the event on the actual ballpark field - a logistical challenge, given the need to protect the turf from wear-and-tear from heavy trucks and trailers loading in - or in the stadium parking lot. This is the fifth MBG festival to be launched in Michigan, with other events taking place in Ypsilanti, Marquette, Grand Rapids, and Detroit.