Admission is $20 and includes one complimentary sampling glass, entertainment and Food Stage demonstrations. Valid for either Friday or Saturday.

Tasting tickets are 50¢ each and are required for sampling beverages and some foods around the festival.

*Must be 21 or older to enter the Festival. Valid ID required.

Tickets are available for purchase HERE.  Tickets can be purchased at your convenience between now and the festival.  Tickets will also be available to be purchased the day of the festival via the same website.  Tasting tickets will also be available at the time of admission purchase so that you can have all your tickets conveniently in one spot on your smartphone.

*Attendees must be at least 21 years old to enter the Festival

• One complimentary sampling glass
• An official Festival Program containing a detailed list of wines, beers, ciders, spirits and food available for sampling
• Food Stage Culinary Demonstrations

When purchasing your tickets you have the option to purchase a package containing admission and tasting tickets at once. Additional tasting tickets can be purchased the Festival.

Tasting Tickets are available for $0.50. The Tasting Ticket system allows you to select the level of your tasting. The ticket prices are all based on the cost of the beverage. This system encourages the exhibitors to bring their best and most exclusive labels for you to taste.

We suggest that you start with at least $20 worth (40 tickets) as all drink samples and some food samples are “purchased” with these tickets at various prices.  Additional tasting tickets can be purchased at the Festival.

Did you already purchase your tickets and want to add more? Click HERE to create an account and edit your order.  Be sure to use the same email your purchased your existing tickets with.

Yes!  If you don’t purchase tasting tickets with your admission tickets OR if you want to get more after you arrive at the event, there are two tasting ticket booths where you can purchase more (one at the entrance of The Vineyard and one just inside Beer City Station).  You can also scan one of the QR codes posted around the event to purchase more online.

Thursday, November 16, 2023:  VIP Preview Night, 6pm – 9pm

Friday, November 17, 2023:  4pm – 9pm

Saturday, November 18, 2023:  2pm – 9pm

There is a set capacity for the Festival, and tickets are sold on a first-come basis. The Festival cannot expand the capacity to accommodate additional guests, but we have not had to turn anyone away to date.

All tickets are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged.

Get an exclusive sneak peek at the Festival before it opens to the public on Thursday, November 16 at VIP night.  With just 500 tickets available, VIP Preview Tickets include specialties from small plate restaurants; a wine tasting session, a distilled spirit tasting session, and a beer tasting session; a demonstration on the Meijer Food Stage, a Meet the Maker presentation, 80 tasting tickets to sample select new release, special vintages, exclusive Festival beverages, and a VIP Festival sampling glass.

A limited number of VIP Preview Plus Tickets are available for $225 and include the addition of a special one-hour multi-course meal and beverage PAIRING from either Four Rose’s, one.twenty.three, or Monsoon (Festival Pairing Restaurants).  Click HERE to view the pairing restaurant menus.

Tickets are valid for one day admission only.

Yes, same day re-entry is allowed with a hand stamp from a Festival staff member.

CLICK HERE to view parking options

We have a Festival concierge at the Monroe Street entrance. Stop there as you first enter the Festival. They will be happy to give you special tips and pointers for a great experience at the largest Wine, Beer & Food Festival in the Midwest.

You can also click around on our website to view restaurant menus, culinary demonstration schedules, booth locations, the floorplan, and more so you can decide what sound good to you ahead of time.

Chefs from the area’s top restaurants prepare and serve small plates of their culinary specialties, which will be found at the Restaurant Booths. (See floorplan for locations)

Other tables throughout the Festival offer gourmet food, specialty items, wine accessories and holiday gifts. Samples of some of these items are available for purchase with Tasting Tickets. Items may also be purchased at the Festival to take home, or orders may be placed for easy delivery.

These one-hour gourmet multi-course meals are served on-site in casual yet intimate “bar top” settings. Tickets are $85-$100 each and may be purchased in advance online or at the Festival on a first-come, first-served basis. Each Pairing is limited to 20 seats.

Yes, the one-hour seated Pairing Dinners require an additional Pairing ticket. A General Admission ticket is still needed to enter the Festival and enjoy the other festival features before and after your Restaurant Pairing experience.

• Tasting Sessions are hosted by industry representatives and held classroom-style in The Vineyard and give attendees an in-depth look into the world of wine, beer, and distilled beverages.
• Esteemed individuals from the culinary world host demonstrations on the Meijer Food Stage.

All culinary demonstrations, tasting sessions and workshops are on a first-come, first-served basis and will fill quickly.  Tasting Sessions cost 10 tasting tickets in order to receive multiple beverage samples that are scanned at the beginning of the session.

No, our presenters prepare for each tasting session based upon the seating capacity. Those standing in the back will not have the opportunity to taste the samples provided.

You may not purchase any alcoholic beverages at the Festival to take home with you. However, most of the products at the Festival are carried in local specialty shops, winery, breweries, and Meijer stores.

No, you must be at least 21 years old to attend. This is an alcohol related event and all attendees must have a photo ID denoting their age to enter the Festival.

Yes, there are a few available on a first-come, first-served basis. See the Security Office across the hall from the elevators near the Monroe Avenue entrance.

Newborn babies are allowed into the Festival, but must be carried at all times. No toddlers or children are permitted. Strollers are NOT permitted.

ShowSpan events are produced with the safety of all participants at the top of our mind.  ShowSpan will comply with all local, state, and federal safety guidelines in place during the time of each show.

Please be a responsible taster. Please bring a designated driver with you if possible.

There are a number of transportation options available if your ability to drive is impaired.

• Metro Cab Company:  616-827-6500
• Yellow Cab:  616-459-4646
• Great Lakes Taxi:  616-241-5150
• Boss Taxi:  616-303-0141
• Uber
• Lyft

Special packages will be arranged for the Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer & Food Festival through local hotels. More information coming soon!

The pourers for the Festival are from various programs, organizations and clubs from all around the state including Ferris State University, the Culinary Institute of Michigan at Baker College in Muskegon and Grand Valley State University. This provides the organizations with an opportunity to work alongside industry leaders for a premier educational experience. We also work with multiple local charities like American Cancer Society and Special Olympics. The Festival makes a sizable donation to each program.

If you are ready to leave the Festival, but still have some tasting tickets left, you can donate them to one of our participating local charities on your way out the door.  At the exit there are iPads set up for various charities that you can choose from to donate your remaining amounts to.

DeVos Place is a non-smoking facility. You may step outside to smoke at the river side of the Grand Gallery. There will be a Security guard posted there to offer hand stamps for re-entry. You must have your hand stamped in order to re-enter the Festival.