JACKSON, Mich — This weekend, Farm Lane at Ella Sharp will be lined with art, beer, and wine, bringing in thousands of visitors to Jackson.
- The Art, Beer, and Wine Festival at Ella Sharp attracts about 4,000 visitors annually, with 20% coming from out of town.
- Local businesses like Sandhill Crane Vineyards see new customers who discover them through the festival.
- Race Weekend at Michigan International Speedway draws visitors from 48 states and six countries to the area.
The economic impact of these events extends beyond the festival grounds as visitors explore and spend money throughout the region.
WATCH: Local festivals boost Jackson area businesses
Tucked away in Jackson is the winery, Sandhill Crane Vineyards. However, this Saturday, Owner Holly Peterson is packing up 10 cases of wine and taking them to the Art, Beer, and Wine Festival.
"I do believe we have seen impacts from the festival. Every year, we get new people drawn to us that maybe didn't know we existed," Peterson said. Peterson tells me she's been a vendor at the festival since day one, 20 years ago. "When we have our booth there, there's always new people that find us, and then they end up coming out here!" Peterson said.
I went to Ella Sharp to see how preparations are coming along before one of Jackson's biggest festivals kicks off. "It's just really set the tone locally to be the kickoff to summer," Kyle Liechty said.
Kyle Liechty, Festival Coordinator, and Paula Crow, Marketing and Communications Lead, tell me each year, they see about 4,000 guests, 20% of them coming from out of town. Visitors travel from Detroit, Chicago, and Grand Rapids, all to this little historical village to enjoy local art, beer, and wine.
"Speaking with a few of our community partners, they'll tell you at the end of the night, they're going to see some of the same faces. If somebody's traveling from out of town, they might sit down at a relaxing downtown restaurant to end the day," Liechty said.
Tickets to this event not only benefit the vendors, but help make visiting this attraction more accessible than ever. "We're able to have free admissions right now through the end of October, which is really huge," Paula Crow said.
That's not the only fun bringing in visitors across Michigan this weekend. Race Weekend is back at Michigan International Speedway (MIS). MIS President, Joe Fowler, tells me race weekends like this one bring in visitors from 48 states and six different countries. Tens of thousands of visitors, right here in our neighborhood. "We're bringing people from all over, so it's jam-packed," Fowler said.
"They're shopping at our stores, staying at our hotels, eating at our restaurants, and we're always so proud to show off the Irish Hills too, because it's such a beautiful area," Fowler said.
Tickets are still available for both the Art, Beer, and Wine Festival, and the NASCAR races at MIS.
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