KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Downtown Kalamazoo is getting ready for a famous day: Oberon Day. Coming up on Monday, the celebration of the annual release day for the beer is a sign of the changing seasons in West Michigan.
The event starts at 11 a.m. at Bell's Brewery. People line up far before then.
From the popcorn shop, Pop City on the Kalamazoo Mall, to the brewery, Kalamazoo is preparing as Michiganders everywhere get ready to shake off the winter blues.
At Pop City Popcorn, they are making a citrus blossom caramel corn drizzled with two shades of blue—an Oberon Day specialty. Multiple local businesses do Oberon-themed food and beverages.
"It’s like the official sign of spring in Kalamazoo," Becky Bil said.
Val Walters, customer experience manager at Bell's Brewing, has her nails painted in picturesque colors for the event.
"It’s about turning that leaf over, and celebrating something new," Walters said.
"I will say folks do line up early. So expect a little bit of a wait," Walters said.
A rideshare scheduled ahead of time costs around $40 to get to Bell's from Portage, when FOX 17 checked on Friday.
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For Discover Kalamazoo, this day brings a big crowd to the city, which they estimate is in the top five for events all year. Discover Kalamazoo says 15 percent of attendees come from 50 miles away or further.
Dana Wagner, director of marketing and communication for Discover Kalamazoo, highlighted the economic impact.
"It brings thousands of people here. Which, we love. It’s bringing people to our businesses," Wagner said.
"Looking at the geolocation data, from 2025 vs. 2024 — there was twice the amount of people downtown. So thousands. And what we’re seeing is they're spending around two and a half hours just at Oberon Day," Wagner said.
Aside from the impacts on business, this day is a pleasure no matter the weather, though attendees are encouraged to bring layers.
"Last year we had sideways snow, and the day still continued," Walters said.
As a reminder, be safe. Drinking and driving hurts so many. Bell's also offers three non-alcoholic beers for the designated driver of the group.
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