Founders to Host Founders Fest

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Founders Brewing Co. announced today that they plan to host Founders Fest 2015 on the streets of downtown Grand Rapids once again, from 3-11pm on Saturday, June 20. This is the brewery’s eighth annual outdoor festival celebrating two of the things they love most: beer and music. Founders is expecting 6000+ beer and music lovers to gather on Grandville Avenue between Cherry and Bartlett for the festivities.

“Founders Fest is the highlight of our summer and our biggest event of the year,” said Mark Dorich, Founders Fest Director and VP of Retail Operations. “It’s special for us to have an opportunity to celebrate with our community, right here on the streets surrounding our brewery.”

A wide range of musical talent will be featured at this year’s Founders Fest, with national act DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND coming in from New Orleans to deliver that good ol’ “Big Easy sound”. Other performers include Portland, Oregon’s NAHKO AND MEDICINE FOR THE PEOPLE with their take on world-beat/spiritual-roots music; upcoming Folk-Americana act ELEPHANT REVIVAL from Nederland, Colorado; and the Indie Rock group GRINGO STAR out of Atlanta. Hailing from Traverse City is the bluegrass duo BILLY STRINGS & DON JULIN who will be joining local Grand Rapids jazz legends ORGANISSIMO, as well as Founders Open Mic alums DEVIN AND THE DEAD FRETS with their rock-n-roll sound. Last but never least is the return of the super-group of Founders employees, the FBC ALL-STARS, who round out the entertainment lineup.

This year’s event will again feature local food vendors as well as a Local Artists Row, which showcases the various works of some of the area’s finest artists and designers. There will be other strolling and surprise entertainers sprinkled throughout the day. And, of course, there will be plenty of beer available, including Founders year-round offerings and quite a few taproom one-offs. The entire festival will be outdoors on the street; the entire taproom space—including the beer garden, deli, company store and Centennial Room—will be closed for the day.

Founders Fest is a celebratory “thank you” to Grand Rapids and West Michigan for making Founders what it is today. Founders Brewing Co. has been a part of the Grand Rapids scene since 1997 and has grown its brewing tradition from modest beginnings to being one of the highest rated breweries in the world.

“We look forward to Founders Fest every year,” said Co-Founder & CEO Mike Stevens. “Beer and music bring people together, and we love being able to put on an event that does just that. It gives us the opportunity to get our family, friends and community together for a day so that we can toast to all of them.”

Founders is again partnering with The High Five Program, a local community organization that assures the prevention of litter and significant reduction of waste streams at large-scale events, for the third straight year. They managed to achieve over 90% waste diversion the last two years and hope to improve upon that rate this year.

Guarantee yourself entry to Founders Fest 2015 and save a little cash with advance pre-sale tickets:

Discounted advance ticket sales will be available starting Friday, April 17, at the Founders taproom, as well as online, via foundersbrewing.com through EventBrite. The event is limited to ages 21 and older.

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About Founders Brewing Co.

Established in 1997 by two craft beer enthusiasts with day jobs and a dream, Founders Brewing Co. has made a distinctive mark on the craft beer community by brewing complex, in-your-face ales, with huge aromatics and tons of flavor. Founders is one of the fastest-growing craft breweries in the nation, currently ranking among the top 20 largest craft breweries in the U.S. The brewery has received numerous awards from the World Beer Cup and the Great American Beer Festival, and its beers are often rated among the best in the world by RateBeer and BeerAdvocate users. Located in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, Founders is a proud member of the Michigan Brewers Guild. For more information, visit www.foundersbrewing.com