Key Partnerships

Employees of Bell’s Brewery are lacing up to Run Hoppy; for the first time, Bell’s beer fans are invited to join in! Bell's Run Hoppy 5K & Stroll, originally a Bell’s employee wellness event held annually at its Comstock Brewery, has gone virtual. This year’s race is open to the public (those 21 and up). Participants can run (or walk) their 5K the week of Sept. 28, 2020. You can register here. For this year’s Run Hoppy 5K & Stroll, a portion of proceeds will go to support To Write Love on Her Arms, a non-profit dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery. “Giving back to the communities we sell our beer in is an important aspect of all of our partnered events. It is one of our guiding principles,” Larry Bell, Bell’s President and Founder said. The virtual race follows in the footsteps of this year’s Oberun 5K. That annual race also went virtual this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s Oberun helped raised money for Karen’s Trail and the construction of a 70 mile trail system in Michigan with race partner Running Fit Events. Registration opened Aug. 28 with two pricing options for those who want to participate. For $35, racers will receive a finisher’s medal and race shirt. There will be no cost to those who do not wish to receive either piece of swag and just want to run or walk. All racers will receive access to an exclusive Facebook community and content, a custom bib to print out at home to use for their run or walk, a digital finisher certificate and a one-time online discount code for 15% off all branded wearables and glassware at Bell’s General Store. Race week challenges are also planned to help keep participants motivated and have fun. “Run Hoppy has been an incredible event for us in the past and going virtual allows us to continue offering this benefit,” Sara Burhans, Bell’s Wellness Coordinator said. “Being able to open this up to a wider audience of Bell’s fans and enthusiasts takes this event to another level.” “We hope this virtual race will help people stay inspired and feel part of a larger group with a common goal,” she added. Physical, emotional, social and financial wellness are all cornerstones of how Bell’s approaches its employee benefits program. Bell’s was a winner in this year’s Governor’s Fitness Awards presented by the Michigan Fitness Foundation and Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports. Key dates for Bell's Run Hoppy 5K & Stroll 2020 Aug. 28: Registration opens Sept. 18: Last day to register and receive t-shirt and medal Sept. 28: Run Hoppy Race Week begins Oct. 2: Last day to register. Oct. 3: Final day to run and submit finish time (required to receive swag).

Bell’s Brewery and the Kalamazoo Wings have teamed up to help support two local organizations with a special, limited edition Two Hearted hockey jersey auction. Thirty-four jerseys will be available to bid on beginning July 13 and ending the week of Aug. 10, coinciding with our national celebration of Two Hearted Day.  “Unfortunately, the event we were supposed to have back in March was canceled for safety reasons due to COVID-19. Thankfully, by working together, we are still able to support two fantastic organizations with these unique, one-of-a-kind Two Hearted jerseys,” Larry Bell, president and founder of Bell’s Brewery said.  Proceeds raised from this auction will benefit Kalamazoo Friends of Recreation and the Comstock Community Center. The Bell’s Scrambled golf outing, another annual Bell’s event, was also canceled due to COVID-19. As such, proceeds from this auction will also go to supporting that organization. “The K-Wings are very excited to be able to auction these unique Bell's jersey's to the masses.  Due to the nature of not being able to gather we are utilizing our collective social networks to raise monies for two great local community non-profits,” Toni Lentini-Daniels, K-Wings Governor and Director of Business Operations said.  All online jersey auctions will be held through DASH Auction. Seven jerseys will be auctioned off every week leaving six jerseys the final week. Each auction will begin on Monday and end at 11:59 p.m. the following Sunday. A special broadcast will walk viewers through the entire auction process live on the K-Wings’ Facebook page this Monday, July 13, at 10 a.m. The online auction can be found here. Two Hearted has earned the honor of being voted Best Beer in America three years in a row by members of the American Homebrewers Association.  Two Hearted Day celebrates the debut of Two Hearted which was on Aug. 15, 1997. We will celebrate all week long.  Our Two Hearted Night with the Kalamazoo Wings was originally scheduled for March 21.   

The Brewers Association reacted quickly to the cancellation of events and brought us CBC Online (a virtual version of their annual industry gathering) back in April.   They have taken what they learned there to bring us Homebrew Con Online! For 42 years, Homebrew Con (and the American Homebrewers Association) have brought homebrewers from all over the globe together with experts in the field and supplies to enhance homebrewing skills (and have a great time).  While homebrewers cannot share their beer together this year, the BA will host three days of seminars, demonstrations and meet-ups along with a virtual expo and happy hour for attendees to enjoy. Our Bell’s General Store is excited to have a booth as part of their virtual expo and host our very own live 20-minute showcase followed by a Q&A session. We are very excited to continue to share the story of our homebrew roots here at Bell’s as well as talk about the high quality homebrew kits and ingredients we have to offer.  In addition, we are very proud to be the presenting sponsor of the Closing Ceremony and Awards Show at the end of this year’s online conference. Larry Bell got his start homebrewing (homebrew roots!) and this marks our seventh year partnering with the AHA. So, what are you waiting for? (Fun fact: did you know that AHA members get 10% off every homebrew purchase at our General Store?) The cost to attend Homebrew Con Online is $99 for AHA members and $132 for new members (includes a 1-year digital AHA membership). More about Homebrew Con Online is available here.

Bell’s is very excited to party with one of our favorite festival partners, Blue Ox, to bring you a truly unique virtual festival experience in our new (COVID-19) landscape.  Blue Ox Music Festival will offer fans a mix of live streamed performances from the festival site in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and artists playing from their homes on June 12 and 13.  Pert Near Sandstone will host and perform both nights on stage. Other live performances include Charlie Parr and Them Coulee Boys. Artists performing from home include Sam Bush, Del McCory, Molly Tuttle and more.  One of the other best parts (aside from incredible music)? The festival will be streamed for free on YouTube and Facebook – and right here on the Bell’s website.  For those who can, we encourage you to help support the performing artists as well as the event’s non-profit partners; The Cleghorn Lion’s Club National T.T.T. Society CVTC Radiology Department Feed My People Food Bank Donate via PayPal (@blueoxmusic), Venmo (@BlueOxFest) or the Blue Ox GoFundMe Page.  For more information on the upcoming virtual event, go here. Live stream embeds are below.  Blue Ox 2020 was rescheduled for Au. 27-29. You can read more about that here.  Friday night show (June 12)   Saturday night show (June 13)  

For eight years, Bell’s Brewery has been proud to support our local Kalamazoo Pride event in downtown Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo Pride is the largest fundraising event of the year for OutFront Kalamazoo, whose mission is to create a just, inclusive, equitable, and supportive environment in Southwest Michigan for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions. This year is no different; while we cannot celebrate in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic we are very proud to continue our support of OutFront with #StillProud, the first-ever virtual Pride Fest in Kalamazoo. This year’s Pride event will be held virtually with events and programming throughout the month of June ranging from book clubs, civil rights panels and musical performances. “We believe in the great work that OutFront does in our community and in fact, their message about diversity and inclusion needs to be heard now more than ever before. While we can’t be together in person, we will be united online,” said Larry Bell, president and founder of Bell’s Brewery.  “With that said, let’s get our sparkle on!” he added.  As the presenting partner for the month-long celebration, Bell’s is the also the Signature Sponsor for the #StillProudStillPerforming Drag Show on June 12 at 8 p.m. and the final Friday night event, a musical performance from Hannaniah on June 26, at 6 p.m. The kick-off for virtual Pride Month was postponed from June 5 to clear the way for online and social media attention to be focused on uplifting the messages of Black Lives Matter.  “Over the past several days we have watched as historic events have unfolded,” said OutFront Kalamazoo Executive Director, Amy Hunter in a press release on June 3. Rallies and protests against the brutal killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and others echo a familiar rallying cry; the end to deadly oppression of marginalized peoples. “Demands for liberation are not unlike the pleas of Black trans women that started the 1969 uprising at New York’s Stonewall Inn,” Hunter continued. “Then, as now, police brutality and injustice are fueling heartbreaking expressions of rage and pain.” Sparkleberry Ale, a Belgian Triple brewed with raspberries, has annually been released in celebration of Pride in June. This year, it will be released in July, giving all an additional reason to continue the celebration beyond the month of June. For a complete schedule of events and additional information, go here.  About OutFront Kalamazoo  OutFront Kalamazoo's mission is to create a just, inclusive, equitable, and supportive environment in Southwest Michigan for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions. To be ‘out front’ means to be honest. To be visible. To lead. OutFront provides a place to be seen and heard; and is dedicated to co-creating a community that is safe, strong and #AlwaysOutFront.

Can't make it to this year's Blue Ox Music Festival? Along with our friends at The Bluegrass Situation, we've got you covered.  Below, you can tune in live to JamGrass TV from the festival this Thursday through Saturday (June 13-15). Catch performances by Pert Near Sandstone, The Infamous Stringdusters, Railroad Earth, Billy Strings, The Lil Smokies, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades and more! Enjoy (preferably with your favorite Bell's beer)! Check out the schedule below.      Schedule Thursday, June 13 5:00 – 5:30 PM CT – Grassfed 5:30-6:30 PM CT — The Lowest Pair 6:30 – 7:00 PM CT – Grassfed 7:00-8:15 PM CT— The Lil Smokies 8:15-8:45 PM CT – Old Salt Union 8:45-10:00 PM CT— Horseshoes & Hand Grenades 10:00-10:30 PM CT – Old Salt Union 10:30 PM – 12:00 AM CT – The Infamous Stringdusters​​​​​​​ Friday, June 14 11:00-11:30 AM CT – David Huckfelt 11:30AM-12:30 PM CT — Pokey LaFarge (solo) 12:30-1:00 PM CT – David Huckfelt 1:00-2:00 PM CT — Sarah Shook & the Disarmers 2:00-2:30 PM – Barbaro 2:30-3:30 PM CT— Jeff Austin Band 3:30-4:00 PM CT – Barbaro 4:00-5:00 PM CT— The Del McCoury Band 5:00-5:30 PM CT – Cascade Crescendo 5:30-6:30 PM CT— Fruition 6:30- 7:00 PM CT – Cascade Crescendo 7:00-8:15 PM CT— The Travelin’ McCourys Tip Their Hat to Sam Bush 8:15-8:45 PM CT – The Larry Keel Experience 8:45-10:00 PM CT— Pert Near Sandstone 10:00-10:30 PM CT – The Larry Keel Experience 10:30 – 11:00 PM – Trampled by Turtles* *Trampled by Turtles will only be available for the first 30 minutes of their set on the JamGrass.TV live stream Saturday, June 15 11:00-11:30 AM CT – Dusty Heart 11:30 AM -12:30 PM CT — Them Coulee Boys 12:30-1:00 PM CT- Dusty Heart 1:00-2:00 PM CT— Peter Rowan’s Carter Stanley’s Eyes 2:00-2:30 PM CT – Feeding LeRoy 2:30-3:30 PM CT— The Earls of Leicester feat. Jerry Douglas 3:30-4:00 PM CT – Feeding LeRoy 4:00-5:00 PM CT— Charlie Parr 5:00-5:30 PM CT – The Wooks 5:30-6:30 PM CT – The Dead South 6:30-7:00 PM CT – The Wooks 7:00-8:15 PM CT— Billy Strings 8:15-8:45 PM CT – The People Brothers Band 8:45-10:00 PM CT— Pert Near Sandstone 10:00-10:30 PM CT – The People Brothers Band 10:30 PM – 12:00 AM CT – Railroad Earth *The Dead South will not be available on the JamGrass.TV live stream