Tickets for Barley, BBQ & Beats On Sale, Proceeds to Support Hospice of Michigan

May 19 event promises west Michigan’s best music, BBQ and spirits

GRAND RAPIDS, MI. Feb. 7, 2018 – It’s back, and it’s better than ever! Hospice of Michigan will host the 3rd annual Barley, BBQ & Beats taking place from 5-9 p.m. on Saturday, May 19 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids. Tickets are $40 in advance and are available at  www.hom.org/BBB2018.

Proceeds will support Hospice of Michigan’s Open Access Fund, which provides end-of-life care to patients regardless of age, diagnosis or ability to pay. The event will feature a large variety of drink and food purveyors, live musical entertainment and an expanded lawn games area. Eric Zane, morning host on WBBL, will return for his third year as emcee.

Guests will enjoy their choice of three BBQ servings and three hand-crafted cocktail tastings with each ticket. Additional tasting tickets will be available at the event.

Hand-crafted cocktail tastings will feature whiskies from Michigan distilleries. The following vendors have been confirmed, with more still to come:

  • American Fifth Spirits
  • Bier Distillery
  • Detroit City Distillery
  • Grand Traverse Distillery
  • Gray Skies Distillery
  • Long Road Distillery

BBQ will be catered from such leading west Michigan pit masters and restaurants as:

  • Black Bull BBQ
  • Dallas Deli
  • Jonny B’z
  • Main Street BBQ
  • Piggies BBQ
  • Papa & Ooma’s BBQ
  • Saladino Smoke
  • The Grilling Company
  • Two Scotts Barbecue

Gluten and dairy-free options, as well as vegan selections, will also be available.

Guests will enjoy an array of west Michigan’s best live music to dance the night away including performances by Domestic Problems, Mid-Life Crisis, Big Dudee Roo and The Fast Hands Band.

“This event is a delicious opportunity to give to a great cause,” said Marcie Hillary, senior vice president of community relations, Hospice of Michigan. “We’re so thankful for the generous support we received from the community at the last two festivals, and we expect this year to be even more special.”

Guests will also be invited to pay tribute to a deceased loved one by posting a photo or sharing a memory in the long passageway leading into the field.

Visit www.hom.org/BBB2018 for more information.

Event sponsors include: Betz Industries – Smokehouse Sponsor; Vista Springs – Barbecue sponsor; Belknap Hill Trading Post and Universal Forest Products, Inc. – Barley sponsors; The Meijer Foundation – Beats Sponsor. To secure sponsorship, please contact rkiesling@HOM.org or 616-356-5229.

About Hospice of Michigan
A nationally recognized leader in end-of-life care, Hospice of Michigan (HOM) is the original – and largest – hospice in the state. A founding member of the NorthStar Care Community, the nonprofit delivers the highest quality of care, raising more than $5 million each year to cover costs for the uninsured and underinsured. HOM offers a broad range of services to enhance the quality of life at the end of life. HOM also provides grief support and counseling, as well as caregiver education and support. A member of the NorthStar Care Community, HOM also provides palliative care through NorthStar Palliative Care, pediatric hospice care and compassionate support services through Jo Elyn Nyman Anchors Programs for Children, and education programs for physicians and health care professionals through the NorthStar Institute. The NorthStar Care Community also includes Arbor Hospice. In total, NorthStar Care Community members serve more than 1,500 patients daily across Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. For more information, call 888.247.5701