Sleeping Bear Surf

The 2nd Annual Beryl Days
2025-06-20 18:00 - 2025-06-22 14:00 (America/Detroit) | Sleeping Bear Surf, 10228 W Front St, Empire, MI, 49630, United States
‘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!

Paddle with Pride
2025-06-26 18:30 - 20:30 | North Bar Lake, 44.8399° N, 86.0635° W, Empire, MI, United States
We are kicking off our first community paddle of the season, Thursday, June 26th, with pride!
Paddle with Pride is a connection-centric community event brought to life with our partners at Up North Pride.
What to know:
Date: Thursday, June 26th
Location: North Bar Lake
Time: Be ready to hit the water at 6:30pm!
There will be a quick orientation and safety briefing at 6:20pm before we enter the water.
Weather: TBD
What to bring:

Non-motorized watercraft of choice
Board / Boat
Paddle
Life jacket (per Coast Guard regulation, PFDs must be on the bodies of all kayak & canoe paddlers, and either worn or strapped to all SUPs)
Leash (for all SUPs)
Drinking water
Swimwear *if you plan to get wet*
Fleece and/or neoprene to stay warm (bring an extra cozy fleece for post-paddle)
A buddy!
A snack or beverage to pass if you wish to hang around at North Bar Lake to cheers at the conclusion of our paddle.

If you are in need of watercraft, Paddleboard rentals are available for $40 at Sleeping Bear Surf – just give us a call to reserve at least 12 hours prior to the event and we’ll take care of the rest!

Spring Social at the Shop!
2026-05-09 11:00 - 17:00 | Sleeping Bear Surf, 10228 W Front St, Empire, MI, 49630, United States
The birds are chirpin’, the flowers are bloomin’, the water’s a-warmin’, and the shop is comin’ back to lilfe!
Join us Saturday, May 9th as we ring in the season with a classic, casual & kewl community shindig at the shop!
11am Water Safety & Surf Rescue with GLSRP:
We’re divin’ in with the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project to learn & converse about water safety, drowning prevention & identification, and surf rescue, so you can keep yourself, and those around you, safe in the water this season! Presentation & conversation at the shop!
1pm – 4pm Surf Swap:
Bring your gear, boards, suits, beers(?!) to swap, sell, or trade!
Got old gear collecting dust? Hunting for some pre-loved gems? This is your moment.
How it works:
~ Check in at the counter to grab a seller tag
~ Label all items with name, phone number, and price
~ You handle your own sales (cash, Venmo, etc.)
~ Once you make a sale, check back in at the counter so we can log it
~ You keep 90% / 10% goes to support Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project
Bring your items day-of, hang out, and enjoy the shindig.
Can’t make it? We’ve got you.
Email ella@sleepingbearsurf.com
to coordinate a pre-event drop-off.
We’ll handle pricing guidance, storage, and selling for you.
You keep 75% / 25% supports the shop + Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project

Surf Rescue Training
2026-06-12 18:30 - 21:30 | Frankfort Pier, 44°38'01.2"N 86°14'48.0"W, Frankfort, MI, 49635, United States
The Great Lakes are powerful, unpredictable, and often highly underestimated. Each year, they take lives that could have been saved with the right awareness, knowledge, preparation, and support from the shore.
That’s why we’ve partnered with the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project to bring back our annual Water Safety & Surf Rescue Clinic — a hands-on training designed to equip our local surf and beach community with real, life-saving skills.
Our goal is simple: to build a more equipped, capable, and knowledgeable water community— participants will walk away feeling confident and prepared to keep themselves and those around them safe in the water this season.

The training will teach participants how to:

Expand Awareness in the Water
Identify Hazards including Dangerous Currents
Prevent themselves from Drowning
Recognize the Signs of Drowning & Identify a Person in Trouble
Learn to efficiently & effectively throw a life ring
Perform an Open Water Rescue with your Bodyboard, Surfboard or SUP
Take Precautionary Measures in the Case of a Spinal Injury
Perform basic CPR

What to bring:

Your preferred watercraft (surfboard, stand-up paddleboard, or bodyboard)
A buddy! You will be paired up during simulations, therefore you only need to bring one board per 2 people.

Can’t get a buddy to join you? No sweat, we’ve gotchu’!

Your wetsuit. We highly recommend a 4/3mm full suit. Have ~5mm boots & mitts? Bring ’em!

If you don’t have a suit of your own, you may reserve a rental up to 24 hours in advance of the event.

Water, towel, swimmies, and dry, warm layers are also encouraged

After the training, we shift gears and unwind!
Stick around for a more relaxed community gathering — we’ll have fires rippin’ in the Solo Stove, a fire rippin’ in the sauna from Sleeping Bear Saunas, pizzas provided by our buddies at Surfrider Northern Michigan and beverage by our sponsors at Stormcloud Brewery! A super-fun chance to warm up, connect, and celebrate a shared commitment to lookin’ out for one another!

This event is free to attend.If you’re able, donations are highly encouraged to support the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project and help continue this wildly important work. Donations will be so graciously accepted at the event!
About the Course Presenters:The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, Inc. (GLSRP) is a nonprofit 501c3 corporation that is about saving lives through water safety education, outreach, and research. They are dedicated stewards who specialize in Water Safety Surf Rescue in the Great Lakes region. Their mission is to eradicate drownings by being the leader of Great Lakes water safety by providing training, public preparedness, and public awareness.

We highly encourage you to watch the following short, engaging, educational videos before you join us, or if you can’t join us:

GLSRP Signs of Drowning Compilation – Know the True Signs of Drowning, Know how to Survive: https://youtu.be/TDdCBqxbCAw
GLSRP Premier Video Debut – Dangerous Currents: https://youtu.be/71D8Y8YlsRA
