Hops & Props Craft Beer and Classic Boat Show Returns to Downtown Manistee, Sept. 12-14

Downtown Manistee will be brewing as the 3rd Annual Hops & Props Craft Beer and Classic Boat Show returns to the riverfront, Sept. 12-14. Tickets for all festival events go on sale Friday, August 1 online here.

“Last year, we had close to 2000 attendees and we expect this year’s event will be even bigger,” says Patrick Kay, director of the Manistee Main Street Downtown Development Authority.

The festival weekend kicks off on Friday with a reception at the Boathouse Grill, from 5-9pm. Tickets are $10 and are limited.

Saturday’s festivities run throughout the day and include a Boat Show, featuring the Century Boat Club, from 9am to 3pm along the Riverwalk. As many as 40 classic and wooden boats are expected to line the riverfront, both in and out of the water, in an event that has called Manistee home now for 57 years.

Saturday also features an Art’s Alive Art & Artisan Fair from 10am-6pm directly beside the main event space and live music from Noon to 6pm in front of the Marina.

A VIP Beer Tasting begins Saturday at 11:30am and runs until 1pm and includes 15 tasting tickets, a private gathering and lunch with the brewers, a commemorative tasting glass, custom polo shirt and admission to the main beer event. Limited tickets are available for this special preview, at $50 per person.

The Michigan Craft Beer Tasting takes place from 1-6pm along the downtown streets. Tickets are $20 per person and includes 10 tasting tickets. Nearly two dozen Michigan breweries are expected to participate. Several downtown restaurants will also be featuring “Michigan Beer Tap Take Over” offerings, from 6pm until Midnight.

The weekend concludes on Sunday with a Boater’s Brunch from 9-11am in the lobby of the Ramsdell Inn. Tickets are $15 per person.

For more information on Hops & Props, including the list of participating breweries, log onto VisitManistee.com and click on the “Events & Festivals” tab.

Downtown Manistee is home to nearly 150 businesses and community resources, many overlooking the Manistee River Channel and the Riverwalk, with a Central Business District listed on the “National Register of Historic Places.”

The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) of the City of Manistee is an independent, special taxing district created in 1982. The DDA encourages redevelopment and revitalization and is an active participant in economic development, marketing and the stimulation of private investment.