Dateline, Friday night July 24th 2009.  The weather?  Perfect.  The beer?  Outstanding, as always.  The crowd?  It's usual jovial, eclectic, laid-back self.  It was the Michigan Summer Beer Festival at its finest...once again.

My own MSBF history dates back to 2002, when Frog Island Park (on the other side of Ypsilanti's Depot Town) hosted the event.  I remember thinking i'd died and gone to heaven...a vast array of exquisite craft beers, delicious food, and hundreds of my fellow Michigan microbrew-loving bretheren.  What else could you ask for?

Even though the festival now stretches over two days, has more participating breweries, and is at a different venue, I still get that same heavenly feeling each and every year.  And I think we Michiganders should be proud that we host an event where no matter your gender/race/creed, no matter where you live, no matter whether you prefer light or dark beers, everyone can come together in harmony and celebration of some truly fantastic brews.

I repeat: What else could you ask for?