‘Beryl Days’ (Beryl (pronounced “barrel” – yes, like a barrelling wave!) is a weekend-long, freshwater festival rooted in joy, community, and caring for what you love.
This grassroots event merges surf, stewardship, music, and play to cultivate a culture of connection — to the Lakes, and to one another. From comps to cleanups, live music to laughter, Beryl Days is a solstice shindig not to miss ~ Join us!
Here’s the full weekend breakdown!
6:00pm @ Empire Public Beach Lighthouse
A simple gathering on the water to arrive together, foster unity, honor the Lake, and kick off the weekend with intention & connection. We’ll paddle out, take a breath, and let the lake hold us for a moment in community before the festivities begin.
Meet at the Empire Public Beach Lighthouse at 6:00pm to prep your gear – we’ll paddle out together at 6:30pm – all human-powered watercraft are so very welcome! Don’t forget your leashes, PFDs etc!
~7:30pm onward through the evening
A long-standing tradition of gathering on the wall at the Empire Public Beach Lighthouse for a classic tailgate with friends new & old. Bring a beverage, munchies, or dish to pass! This is a casual community potluck – don’t feel pressure to bring anything if it’s a push – the most important is showing up yourself!
Join us Friday nights through the summer for this weekly event. But don’t miss this one – as it’s a little extra special.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm (Registration at 10:30am) @ the Lighthouse
A silly-high-vibe, extremely ridiculous, laughter-inducing bracket-style relay race! This event is designed for the child at heart & is open to all ages.
1 sack / 2 crawl / 3 paddle / 4 sprint / 5 swim
We recommend teams of five although you could partake with less, doubling up on segments of the race.
Wear attire that can get wet! This is, of course, a Sleeping Bear Surf event! (And bring dry clothes to boogie in later!)
12:30pm-1:30pm (Registration at 12:00pm) @ South Bar Lake
A high-vibe, low-key, and equally super-duper-serious stone skipping competition to share in the simple and joyous art of bouncing rocks across water!
- You will have five consecutive throws each
- The participant with the highest number of skips in one throw wins
- There will be a tie breaker if we do come to a tie
- Skips will be counted to the best of our abilities
BYOS (Bring your own Stones!)
2:00pm – 6:00pm @ the Shop
Swap, Sell, Buy, Upgrade… this is your moment. Got a pre-loved board collecting dust? A not-so-stinky wetsuit looking for another run? Maybe some fins, a board bag, or extra gear you’re ready to pass along? Bring it on out!
We’ll hook you up with a fancy shmancy price tag so you can name your price. Then, set up just outside the shop on the green and get to swappin’, sellin’, or donatin’. This is a fully self-hosted-style swap — if your gear finds a new home, you pocket the cash — unless you feel moved to donate to support the event & initiative!
2:00pm – 4:00pm @ the Shop Alley
The alley will be closed off, swept down, and ready for shred! Get ready for a throw down! This event is designed to let your creativity & classic fun rip wild on boards!
Pig style games judged by the crowd (with support of our team) including a hippy jump, slalom course, quarter pipe…
Open to all ages & skill levels. Helmets highly encouraged.
4:00pm – 10:00pm @ the Shop Green!
Hot dog we are SO grateful to have such wildly-talented friends!
Stick around, come out, or come back for an insanely mesmerizing, majorly-magical musical masterpiece as we experience four different & perfectly paired Michigan bands. We can’t wait to share them with you!
We’ll be kickin’ off the evening with local legend & finger pickin’ hound, Patrick Niemisto, followed by the soul-filled song of I.Am.James. Next up we’ll sway & groove to the surfy sounds of The Skinny Limbs, and boogie on down to The Go Rounds til we can’t boogie no mo’!
9:00am @ the Empire Public Beach Lighthouse
Wind down & refresh with a gentle morning yoga practice at the water’s edge guided by the sweet Jess Shelton of Sleeping Bear Yoga.
If weather allows, class will be held on the shores of Lake Michigan – but if too windy, across the parking lot at South Bar Lake.
10:30am @ the Empire Public Beach Lighthouse
In the spirit of protecting what you love, a beach cleanup is an incredible, hands-on way of doing just that, and giving back to this superbly special place.
We’ll have all necessary bags or buckets unless you wish to bring your own! We will have disposable gloves, therefore if you wish to avoid creating more trash we encourage you to bring your own! Hand sanitizer & a slew of grabbers will also be provided.
11:30am @ the Empire Public Beach Lighthouse
As we began, here shall we end ~ together, in the water.
Join us for a community plunge to round out the weekend. Saunas by Sleeping Bear Saunas will be hot & ready upon your exit from the lake, and maybe even some caffeine & goodies, too!
“You never regret a swim!” ~ Wise words by Mama Beryl
Spend the whole weekend with us and bunk up with our buddies at Lively Acres! Sweet spots for a Tent, Van, Camper, or RV, Rustic Cabins for rent, and the Neighborfood Market right on site! 
Use “Beryl” at checkout for 20% off your stay Friday & Saturday!
If you feel moved to donate, you’re not only helping bring to life a silly-fun event, but you’re also supporting The Beryl Initiative — expanding access to surf and freshwater fun across the Great Lakes. Your support powers programming rooted in joy, water safety, and environmental stewardship from scholarships to our Jr. Waterman Camps, surf lessons & clubs, to free community events like our full moon paddles, the paddle-with-purpose series, beach cleanups, and more.
Thank you for supporting Beryl’s message & mission.
May we all live a little more like Beryl – with care & joy front and center.
Super-duper fun exclusive Beryl Days swag coming soon!
Big gratitude to Beth Price Photography and Liam Kaiser Creative for capturing imagery of the first inaugural Beryl Days – showcased here! And to Nate Knoth, of The Skinny Limbs(!) for the 2025 Beryl Days Artwork & Poster!