Warm up with us on Friday, January 30 as downtown St. Joe hosts a Chili Tour. Participating locations or "Chili Stops" will play host as you have the opportunity to try their best recipes.

CHILI TOUR MAP 
Chili Tour Maps will be available for purchase at the St. Joe Today Welcome Center (301 State Street) from 12:00p-7:45p on Friday, January 30. Maps will also be available for purchase at The Market (301 Main Street) from 5:00p-7:45p. It costs $5 per participant which includes a Chili Tour Map that doubles as a voting ballot.  A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Benton Harbor Soup Kitchen.

ANNUAL CHILI PEPPER AWARD
A judged portion of this event will give participating locations a chance to showcase their chili in front of a panel of judges from the Southwest Michigan culinary scene. The winning location will host the Chili Pepper trophy for the remainder of the year until the next tour!

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD
Participants vote for their FAVORITE chili recipe. The winning location will host the People's Choice Chili Pepper trophy for the remainder of the year until the next contest. To vote, please turn in your Chili Map by Noon on Saturday, January 31!

2026 Chili Stops 
(Please note, these are subject to change)

Affinity Salon & Spa feat. On the River Tavern

Baroda Founders St. Joseph Tasting Room feat. TJ's Baroda Tap

Caffe Tosi feat. SJHS Culinary Team #1 - Birria Bandits

Dad's Farm & Cafe

Full of Crepe

G&M Variety feat. Nola Roux Cajun Eatery

Gelato Paradiso

Harbor Town Interiors 

Infusco Coffee Roasters feat. Houndstooth

Lazy Ballery Winery feat. Silver Beach Pizza

Olive Cart feat. Red Lotus Nutrition

Perennial Accents feat. SJHS Culinary Team #2

St. Joe Community Taproom feat. The Livery

St. Joe Wine Shoppe feat. SideYard

State Street Stuff

The Cheese Lady

The Tea Annex

The Whitcomb

Wanderlust Outfitters feat. Happy Poochie Eatery

Waterfront feat. San José Beer & Tacos

White Pine Winery feat. KT's Rasoi

Bundle up and venture outdoors for the annual St. Joe Winter Beer Fest! We invite craft beer novices and enthusiasts to enjoy sampling from local and regional Michigan breweries.

Stay with us for a night or the weekend! Visit stjoetoday.com for accommodations.

2026 St. Joe Winter Beer Fest FAQ's

TICKET INFORMATION - TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT! There will be no door sales available on Saturday, January 31.
- Must be 21+
- Tickets will be sold online only for the 2026 event!
- There are no physical or digital tickets. All ticket purchases will be confirmed at the entry tent. Please make sure to have your ID out and ready when you get in line.

 TICKET HOLDER INFO FOR DAY OF ADMISSION TO THE EVENT:
- Must be 21+ with your valid photo ID
- Name on the ticket must match a photo ID
- Any ticket name changes must be made through Eventbrite by 11:59p on Friday, January 30, 2026!

VIP Ticket - SOLD OUT FOR 2026!

General Admission - SOLD OUT FOR 2026!
 

2026 Breweries 
(Please note, these are subject to change)

Bell's Brewery
Blackrocks Brewery
Blake's Hard Cider
Brew Detroit
Good Boy Vodka
Goose Island Brewery
Grand Armory Brewing Co.
Griffin Claw Brewery
Haymarket Brewing
Lazy Ballerina Winery (Hard Cider Only)
New Belgium Brewing
North Pier Brewing Co.
Perrin Brewing Co.
Revolution Brewing
River Saint Joe Brewery
Round Barn Brewery
Saugatuck Brewing Co.
Silver Harbor Brewing Co.
Sister Lakes Brewing Co.
The Livery
Watermark Brewing Co. and more TBA!

Plus, the St. Joe Community Taproom table will host a table featuring Transient Artisan Ales, HOMES Brewery, City Built Brewing Co. and Arvon Brewing Co.

2026 Food Vendors 
(Please note, these are subject to change)

Ben's Pretzels
Chick-fil-A
Hill District by North Pier
La Chula

Join us for the annual Ice Fest sponsored by Silver Beach Pizza to celebrate the winter season! It’s a weekend that brings frosty fun to downtown St. Joe. Enjoy Professional Ice Carving, a Scavenger Hunt, Ice Interactives and more!

ALL WEEKEND
Scavenger Hunt - Stop in the Welcome Center and grab a map to start the frosty fun!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6
5:00p-8:00p Professional Individual Carving - Watch carvers magically turn frozen blocks into works of art!
7:00p Fire & Ice Tower 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7
7:30a-4:00p Professional Team & Individual Carving - Watch as teams of carvers transform blocks of ice into frosty creations.
11:00a-4:00p Ice Interactives - Enjoy interacting with some of the carved creations! 

MAGIC TOUR feat. Magician John Dudley
    1:00p - Downtown St. Joseph (Corner of State & Pleasant)
    2:30p - Silver Beach Center
    4:00p - Silver Beach Center

Thank you to the Silver Beach Carousel, Curious Kids' Discovery Zone & Shadowland on Silver Beach for hosting!

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9
View completed sculptures on the last day of this magical weekend! 

Stay with us for a night or the weekend! Visit stjoetoday.com/stay for accommodations. 

Get a taste of Southwest Michigan as select restaurants throughout SWMI offer specials during St. Joe Today’s restaurant month celebration, Savor the Shoreline, held March 2-31!

Start your culinary adventure by picking up a passport from a participating location or the St. Joe Today Welcome Center, located at 301 State Street in downtown St. Joseph. Complete your passport by dining at a minimum of five participating locations. Turn in completed passports to St. Joe Today by Friday, April 3, for a chance to win prizes!

Participating restaurants will offer a $25 meal option during restaurant month - either $25 per person or $25 per couple, varying by location. 

Visit stjoetoday.com/savortheshoreline to view the special menus!

2026 PARTICIPANTS: TBA

Watch storefronts of participating businesses come alive during March Mannequins in downtown St. Joe. Windows will display community volunteers as they pose perfectly still, like mannequins. Vote for your favorite window at stjoetoday.com/vote!

Voting will be open from 7:00p on Friday, March 6 until 11:59p on Sunday, March 8.
 
2026 Theme: TBA

MAP OF PARTICIPATING LOCATIONS 

 VOTE HERE! - voting will open at 7:00p on Friday, March 6  
Limit one vote per email.

 
2026 PARTICIPANTS: TBA

Merry & Bright Weekend hosts a number of festive events to put you in the holiday mood! From holiday stories to magically lit wonderland strolls, open houses, holiday shopping and last-minute wish lists, we’ve got you covered. Celebrate the holiday season here in Michigan’s Great Southwest!

Getting into the holiday spirit is easy when you visit downtown St. Joe! On Friday, November 21, kick off the holiday season with two great community events - Luminary and Countdown to New Year. This night will also feature sneak peeks of specials, one-of-a-kind gifts, free gift wrapping, live music, new merchandise, events and festive fun throughout Southwest Michigan! 

Double, double toil and trouble. We’re on the search for all things spooky in Southwest Michigan! It’s been a fun-packed fall with even more to come through the end of the month. With everything from trick-or-treating and spooky-themed classes to Halloween parties, activities for the whole family and more! Keep reading for festive events leading up to Halloween. 

The third weekend of the month, May through September, celebrate all things Southwest Michigan (SWMI) during the Love Local weekends! This month, attendees will enjoy sidewalk sales, live music, a Farmers Market, Fall Fest, special offers throughout SWMI and more. Read on for a complete weekend guide! 

Love Local is sponsored by The Boulevard Inn & Bistro and Silver Harbor Brewing.

Summer’s not over in Michigan’s Great Southwest! Keep reading to maximize your holiday weekend plans. This holiday weekend features everything from business anniversaries and sales to sun-filled beach days, a tri-state Regatta, a Farmers Market, Lighthouse Tours, and an Artisan Fair!