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The 10 Best Wine Festivals In Michigan

Rebecca Hanlon
Last Updated: July 31st, 2023

Michigan holds four certified American Viticulture Areas (AVA), which is outstanding considering the region’s unique glacial soils. With 140 vineyards and wineries across the state, you’ll taste a red or white varietal that becomes another favorite.

Attending wine festivals in Michigan is the best way to sample the wines of the Great Lakes State. These events last a day, two days, or even a week. You’ll savor some incredible vintages while being easy on the wallet. You, your family, and your friends also enjoy yummy food from impressive chefs or food trucks.

At some gatherings, you bring your blanket or lawn chair and relax while listening to live music. Other activities might be kid’s zone, grape stomping, and winemaking competitions.

The Top Wine Festivals in Michigan

  1. Paw Paw Wine & Harvest Festival
  2. International Wine, Beer, and Food Festival
  3. Annual Lake Michigan Shore Wine Festival
  4. New Buffalo Harvest & Wine Festival
  5. St. Clair Waterfront Beer, Wine, Cocktail & Seltzers Festival
  6. Ella Sharp Museum Annual Art, Beer & Wine Festival
  7. Hour Detroit’s Food & Wine Show
  8. Northville Food and Wine Festival
  9. Sunrise Side Wine & Food Festival
  10. Muskegon Summer Wine Up

1. Paw Paw Wine & Harvest Festival

paw paw wine

  • Amphitheatre Park
  • September
  • Michigan Avenue
  • Paw Paw, Michigan
  • 269-655-1111
  • Tickets: Wine and Harvest Tent Admission: $5.00. Grape Stomping, Group of Four: $25.00

Come to the festival, and you’ll discover there is so much to do! The three-day event includes tastings and tours for wine lovers, a 5k run, a kayak race, a grape stomping competition, and more contests for active family members. You and your friends can listen to music at the four entertainment stages.

Take your kids on carnival rides and watch fireworks. The festival includes a parade for all ages. It’s a weekend that you will cherish with fond memories and fun times.

2. International Wine, Beer, and Food Festival

international wine

  • DeVos Place
  • November
  • 303 Monroe Ave
  • Grand Rapids, MI 49503
  • 616-742-6500
  • Tickets: Single Day Admission: $20.00, Tasting Tickets: $0.50 Per Credit

Forbes.com named the International Wine, Beer & Food Festival the Best Fall Wine Festival Not to Miss. Since 2007, the festival has designated itself as Michigan’s annual tasting event. You and your friends will have over 1,200 wines, beers, ciders, spirits from around the world, and creations from the region’s finest restaurants.

The gathering will please any palate. From the connoisseur living and breathing the finer things in life to the novice looking for a warm-up to the world of food and spirits, this festival will produce a great experience sure to please everyone.

Tickets include a sampling glass, entertainment, and cooking and cocktails demonstrations. Tickets are valid on Friday or Saturday, with sampling tickets purchased separately.

3. Annual Lake Michigan Shore Wine Festival

annual lake michigan shore wine festival

  • Warren Dunes State Park
  • June
  • 12032 Red Arrow Highway
  • Sawyer, MI 49125
  • 269-338-2917
  • Tickets: TBA

Bring your friends and family and appreciate a day of wine tasting on the beach. Share the pleasure of sampling wines from 18 wineries.

Rain or Shine, you’ll taste over 70 wines, beer, and some ciders. Pair a glass of wine with delicious edibles from food trucks, charcuterie, and chocolate makers.

You, your friends and family will also enjoy the live music. Since 2007, celebrating one of the initial wine festivals of the region.

Surrounded by the lake and dunes, so bring blankets and beach chairs.

4. New Buffalo Harvest & Wine Festival

new buffalo harvest & wine festival

  • North Whittaker
  • October
  • 105 N Whittaker Street
  • New Buffalo, MI 49117
  • Tickets: $10.00 donation

Join in the fun of being with friends and family at the Annual New Buffalo Harvest and Wine Festival since 2006, celebrating southwest Michigan.

This gathering boasts award-winning wines from local vineyards and wineries, including craft beer and hard cider all in one place.

You will appreciate the toe-tapping, all-day live music with tons of activities for kids in the Kid’s area, including pumpkin painting and face painting.

Visit local farms and artisan vendors. The local businesses will open for shopping and dining.

5. St. Clair Waterfront Beer, Wine, Cocktail & Seltzers Festival

waterfront beer

  • Waterfront Park
  • June
  • 1130 St. Clair River Drive
  • Algonac, MI
  • Tickets: Advance General Admission: $45.00, VIP: $65.00

Six years strong, this festival just keeps getting better. You’ll have options to taste over 1500 wines, beers, cocktails, seltzer, spirits, and cocktails from across the state and worldwide.

General admission includes 7 PM entry, ten wine, craft Beer, or cocktail samples. You’ll also receive a commemorative glass and keepsake photo. While sipping your wine, you can listen to live entertainment, buy delicious food, and partake in the games.

VIP admission gets you in early, 6 PM, with 15 wine, craft beer, or cocktail samplings. Plus, you’ll receive a keepsake photo and commemorative glass. You can access all the festival activities with food available for purchase.

6. Ella Sharp Museum Annual Art, Beer & Wine Festival

ella sharp

  • Ella Sharp Museum
  • June
  • 3225 4th Street
  • Jackson, Michigan 49203
  • 517-787-2320
  • Tickets: TBA. Museum members get extra perks. VIP: Line access and three extra drink tokens.

Visit with friends and make new friends at Ella Sharp Museum’s annual festival. Since 2005, the gathering has been a favorite community tradition.

The Ella Museum is originally a 19th-century Victorian farmhouse with a tetrastyle porch. The sprawling grounds make it the perfect location to showcase many of Michigan’s finest wineries, cider mills, breweries, and artists.

You will savor the tasty line-up of food trucks and vendors. Listen to live music throughout the grounds, including the historic Hillside Farm Lane courtyard. It’s an ideal location for a wine festival on a summer day.

7. Hour Detroit’s Food & Wine Show

hour detroits

  • Huntington Place
  • August
  • 1 Washington Boulevard
  • Detroit, MI 48226
  • Tickets: General Admission: $49.00, VIP: $99.00

Attend the Hour Detroit for a weekend of delicious food and sips from the region’s top wineries, distilleries, breweries, non-alcoholic drinks, food purveyors, and restaurants. Enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the Detroit riverfront.

Have fun delving into unlimited samples of food prepared by world-class chefs, producers, and artisans. You and your friends will taste over 150 wine, beer, and spirits choices.

Chat, relax or kick off your shoes by listening to incredible live music and mixes from DJs.

As part of the festival, you can walk through Hour Detroit’s history displayed through magazine covers.

VIP tickets are for VIP Night, an evening with stunning views of the Detroit River. You and your friends will savor premium wine pairings and tasty food from top restaurants. You will also be able to attend the festival during the rest of the weekend.

8. Northville Food and Wine Festival

northville food and wine

  • Ford Field Park
  • August
  • 151 Griswold Street
  • Northville, MI 48167
  • Tickets: General Admission: $40.00, VIP: $115.00

Join in on the fun of sampling international wines. Culinary artists and chefs from Michigan will share their expertise by giving live demonstrations.

Enjoy the live music as you use your eight wine-tasting and three food-tasting tickets. VIP tickets include ten wine-tasting tickets and five food-tasting tickets.

VIPs will also receive wine and food in the VIP Marquee.

9. Sunrise Side Wine & Food Festival

sunrise side wine & food festival

  • Harrisville Harbor
  • Third Saturday in July
  • 1 E. Harbor Lane
  • Harrisville, MI 48740
  • Tickets: $20.00

Go to the big tent! Have fun sipping wine or drinking beer from over 15 wineries and breweries. Enjoy the local restaurants showcasing their best food while you enjoy toe-tapping music.

The annual event draws an enormous crowd every year. Bring your kids at no charge.

The admission includes a wine glass and five drink tokens. You can purchase more tokens at two for $3.00.

10. Muskegon Summer Wine Up

muskegon summer wine up
Image: muskegonsummerwineup
  • Hackley Park
  • June
  • 350 W Webster Avenue
  • Muskegon, MI 49440
  • Tickets: $15.00

You and your friends will get to drink quality wine and celebrate summer in Downtown Muskegon.

You have wine samples and can attend wine seminars. Also included are musical entertainment and delicious local food. Wineries include Lemon Creek, Freixenet USA, Chateau Grand Traverse, Bronco Wines, and more.

The first 1,500 festival-goers receive a souvenir wine glass for tasting.

Wine seminars include “How to Correctly Read a Wine Label,” “Wine 101: Basic Introduction to Wine,” and “100 Years of Growing Michigan Wines at St. Julian.” Each seminar is about an hour long.

About The Author

Rebecca Hanlon

Rebecca has been a blogger for over 5 years, before that enjoying a number of jobs to fund her passion for travel. She's taught English as a foreign language, a part-time Barista, a waitress, and a tour guide.

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