How do you break that Michigan winter cabin fever? DeWitt City Council says, come have a beer!
Eli McKown
The DeWitt City Council on Feb. 14 unanimously approved its second Cabin Fever Reliever and the consumption of alcohol on the streets for the event. The city plans to block several streets for the March 19 event. The Reliever will be run with the DeWitt Downtown Development Authority and the Lions Club of DeWitt.
The final obstacle is that the DeWitt Downtown Development Authority still has to be approved for the liquor license.
“It’s a big party, invite all your friends, it’s a great time,” said DeWitt Mayor Sue Leeming. We’ll approve alcohol in the streets, I hope.”
The event was last held in 2020, just days before the world stopped spinning due to COVID-19. With two years of being held up, the DeWitt City Council hopes to get a good turnout.
“It was a super fun event, really popular,” said DeWitt City Council member Matthew Cooper. “I remember talking to a lot of people, I would imagine seeing more this time.”
The event will require 85 volunteers to help run alcohol booths run by local breweries in the state of Michigan. Volunteers will be given a glass and two drink tickets for working the event. In addition, the Lions Club of DeWitt will take in 20% of the proceeds while the Downtown District Authority will take the other 80%. This is an increase of 2020’s 10% cut for both organizations.
“Considering what we took in, we probably should have given them more than that,” Leeming said. “But that is what our contract was, so this year they’re going for 20%, but they’re not providing any volunteers or assistance like they did two years ago.”
Tickets will cost $12.50 online and $15 in person. In 2020, the event experienced long lines, so organizers hope by having two cash lines, a credit and debit card line and an online order line — that it will help increase the lines’ speed.
Council members unanimously approved the event and seemed eager to interact with the town as well as maybe have a drink or two.
“To me, it’s quite different from a family orientated Christmas event where we have to have alcohol,” said City Council Member Denise Donohue. “This is what it is all about. Don’t bring your kids to the Cabin Fever Reliever.”
While there is still a lot of winter left, DeWitt can look forward to a light at the end of the tunnel… or the bottom of a beer.