The Berrien County Youth Fair Association is planning a new event for this fall to help raise money for the fair’s Capital Improvement Fund while showcasing Southwest Michigan breweries and distilleries.
Youth Fair commercial coordinator Jenni Burks tells us the first annual Berrien County Harvest PourFest will be a fall-themed celebration at the fairgrounds on September 20.
“In the building, we will have all of the vendors, so we’ll have different spirits,” Burks said. “We’ll also have food trucks on site and live music, so you can come and hang out. We do offer a designated driver non-drinking ticket, so they can just come in and hang out and enjoy a fall day with some music and gathering the community and having a good time.”
Burks says the fair has ties to local agriculture, and so do the area’s breweries, distilleries, and wineries.
“So it is harvest time, that time of year. As part of our fair with agricultural education and all of the great crops that we grow in our area, we decided to start the Harvest PourFest. You can’t make beer without hops. You can’t make whiskey without corn. So it just seemed like a natural fit.”
All funds raised will go to the capital fund that pays for maintenance at the Berrien County Youth Fairgrounds. Burks says the fairgrounds are home to many large buildings that are heavily used by the youth of Berrien County, so maintaining them is pretty expensive.
Tickets to the Berrien County Harvest PourFest are available now online.
