Pig and Whiskey is a great time-beers, BBQ, and great music. The festival takes place every year in Ferndale in mid-July. The stage for music is located right next to WAB and beer and whiskey tents are set up in the parking lot behind WAB, The Emory and surrounding restaurants. Admission is free and you can bring your own bottled water with you. It's also a dog friendly event and lots of people walk their dogs around the fest. You purchase tickets at designated tents similar to Arts Bears and Eats. Tickets are $2 a piece. Most beers are about 3 tickets and whiskeys are between 4-7 tickets. I usually start with a sheet of tickets for $20 but you can buy as few or many tickets as you like but they are non-refundable. Food vendors for the BBQ portion were located further down, past the whiskey and beer vendors this year. Surprisingly BBQ/food vendors only accepted cash or credit this year and didn't accept tickets which was kind of annoying because last year they only took tickets and wouldn't take cash and I wish they had posted that somewhere before I had bought extra tickets. The food is good. I had BBQ ribs from Bad Brad's BBQ with a Mexican style watermelon salad with cojita cheese and cilantro which was light and refreshing. Their Pig Candy-candied bacon is delicious! There were lots off BBQ vendors with pulled pork sliders and tacos, ribs, mac and cheese, jalapeño cornbread, and Cheeto covered street corn. Picnic tables were all the way at the other end of the festival this year and it would be nice if there was seating near the food tents. Lots of great beers too from Dogfish Head, Griffin Claw, Shorts, B. Nektar and more. They have whiskey from Jack Daniels, Jameson, Old Forster, Four Roses, Woodsford Reserve, and more. Last year they had some tents that mixed craft cocktails with whiskey and bourbon. I had a Woodsford Reserve mint julep that was amazing and a pineapple upside down cake cocktail with brown sugar bourbon mixed with pineapple juice that was delicious. This year I didn't see many cocktails, just strait whiskey or bourbon or you could add a a mixer but mixers were only limited to lemonade or Faygo soda. The main reason I go every year is for the music. A friend and I love Electric Six and we attend to see them perform every year. Electric Six has closed out the festival on Sunday night for the last six or seven years. They always put on an awesome show. Last year there were torrential downpours and they had to call the festival due to rain, so lots of people got stuck with drink tickets which were non-refundable. However they didn't cancel the music and moved Electric Six's set down to The Loving Touch and it was a really great show. This year we also saw Ann Arbor band Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers who are a lot of fun to see. Verve Pipe also played on Friday night. The festival runs Friday through Sunday. It starts at 6 pm on Friday and around noon on Saturday and Sunday and goes until midnight with music ending at around 9:00 on Sunday. I always have a blast and I'll definitely be back next year. read more

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Super fun event. It was cold but not too busy when we went. I love the location! Great fun stuffs to do.

Fun times had at the 2016 edition. First time doing it big and was finally able to catch the yearly The Blueflowers performance. Nice to catch the show or just hear the music in the near distance. Everything was laid out well, though I didn't realize at first there was a whole another grilling section. I really enjoyed @smokeringdet's burnt ends. Their sauce was unique and addictive. Wanted to try more. Rub's ribs were just okay, but liked that they were grilling corn and buttered it well. I'm familar with Woodpile so passed them by, but they are the real deal. Rockefeller's (Jai Lee Dearing) had some great bbq going: ribs, outstanding chicken wings, sausages, grilled corn, and 1lb burgers! Union Woodshop or was it Vinsetta? had a nicely priced slider Macon Bacon sandwich that was so damn good. Lots of whiskey choices but I didn't partake. Liked the beer tent choices esp. Lagunitas. Pricey but they have good strong beer. Definitely dog friendly as there were quite a few. Seating can get dicey. Expect to communal share a table. Which can be nice brief meetings amongst strangers. And can offer insights into what others are or have tasted. Fun times. Great yearly summer event. Not too massive. read more

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2023. I remember it being a lot better a few years ago. Food is still good, except the pierogies. They probably don't fare too well when prepared and stored in foil trays for God knows how far in advance. Outsides we're dark and texture was way off The whiskey situation is cause take "whiskey" off the event name. Years back, there were individual stands for many different producers. You bought tickets and sampled what interested you. Now you have to go into the loving touch bar and buy a sample. They were expensive and the pours were stingy. The cocktails at the cocktail stands were not great either and they weren't cheap. read more

Parking situation was a cluster F! Ferndale needs to improve on that with all the festivals they have, DIY fest is the same way. I think it's ridiculous to charge people $10 to park their car to walk around and eat food, silly. The festival itself was ok, nothing special. It's essentially just a bunch of BBQ vendors competing for you to live the BBQ best. While I found the BBQ prices to be appropriate the drinks were expensive and watered down. Most places had their drinks premixed so who knows if there was even alcohol in them, as you didn't see someone make it. The BBQ I had was good but I could easily go to the actual restaurant location and get fresher food and pay less. I get that it's a festival but I feel that there could be more going on overall to draw people in and get them to stay for awhile. read more

Candied pork, Bacon Ice Cream, Chorizo Sliders, St. Louis Ribs, Pig Candy Brownies, Pork Belly, need i say more....left me in foodie heaven this past Saturday! : ) I believe this is the first year of the Pig & Whiskey festival, and it def needs to be a recurring summer tradition. Walking to P&W there was that amazing smokey/bbq aroma wafting in the wind from the great variety of vendors like: Lockhart's, Roast, Lazybones, RealBarBQ, etc etc. I didn't get in line for the whiskey, since it was about 100+ people deep...so we opted to get our libations next door at the WAB. My only beef (no pun intended) with this festival was the tight and VERY crammed location. Hopefully they can extend the festival a couple more blocks next year, b/c it was literally shoulder to shoulder crowded. Other than that, we had an awesome time! Great food (my personal favs were Roast's 'Pork Belly & Peaches' and Lockhart's 'Burnt Ends'), loved the bands playing, and an overall good time! read more

Pig and Whiskey - Festivals Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

Sososososoooo much fun! The BBQ was really good but a little pricy for the amount that you get. I really enjoyed the loaded Mac with brisket form red smoke! Slows is also veryyy good so you can't go wrong with getting from them! It was packed with an interesting crowd and music was going all night. This was a ton of fun, the food was great and so was the overall atmosphere :) I can't wait for next year :) I ALMOST forgot about the candied stout bacon from Wab! Ughhhhhh sooooo good! read more

Despite all the gripes, I think this is the best run festivals in Ferndale. Granted, if you are looking for a true Whiskey and/or BBQ festival, you will probably will be disappointed. Despite the name, this is just glorified block party. They do serve wide varieties of whiskey and pork products, but I have always found these parts to be more of an afterthought. There is not much covered seating, but there are plenty of places to sit down to eat or chat. Also, the people watching is truly second to none. In sum, not for any serious boozers or pig lovers, but still worth a visit, so long as the weather cooperates. read more

This was a really disappointing event for me, as I love pork, almost as much as I love whiskey. I think what killed it for me is the complete lack of samples. It takes away from the festival idea when you're forced to pick from 1 restaurant to eat and at most, a couple of whiskeys. The average item on the restaurant menus was around $10, and the portions were huge. So instead of trying to compare Slow's, Lockhart's, RUB, and other restaurants, I just went with Slow's. Admittedly, it was phenomenally good, but I can get Slow's any time. I know it's good. And as others have said, the layout was terrible, with restaurants and liquor vendors staggered haphazardly around. Everything was made worse by the long lines to buy drink tickets, which could only be bought in sets of 5 or 10. And drinks typically cost 3 or 4 tickets. So, inevitably, you paid for drinks you didn't drink. It was a needless cashgrab for an event that was already overpriced. read more

A festival of sorts featuring booze and pork products. How can you go wrong? Sadly we enjoyed more booze than pork. But we had a ball!! read more

Decent idea but clearly a ploy to get people into the WAB and Emory since it was ridiculous trying to get a drink. The food also smelled better then it tasted and the stifling heat wasn't helped by the bbq's. The craft beer at the event was marginal at best. With all the crafts made in Michigan there should be a much better selection. Sorry WAB but your beer isn't that good and it was simply to hot for whiskey. One more thing... $3 sliders and $2 shots of whiskey? You tell me what's wrong with this picture. The music was the best part of the party and I was able to cool off in a few other local joints. The Grasshopper (across Woodward from P&W) had a nice groove vibe and Dino's (same block as the Emory) has STRONG drinks (Air Cond. was almost to cold). BTW Someone PLEASE tell the many people at this event that patchouli is not deodorant and it DOESN'T make you smell better. read more

As a girl who did a whiskey tour of Scotland's leading distillery, you might say I know a bit about scotch and the drink du jour. As a Canadian, I have an inherited understanding for many things pig, particularly the big three: bacon, pork chops, and ribs. Yes, Homer's magical animal really does exist. Put whiskey and pork together, you should have magic. The WAB and other pork-friendly institutions of spirits and drink have put their collective heads together to make this equation work. Smoky barbeque brings a sliver of Austin to the D, the beloved taco carts show up to offer their marinated pork delights, and the Emory and WAB get into the spirit serving up delicious pig dishes. Music from good local bands, with largely an indie or alternative flavour, serenades diners crowded around little tables or squashed under the tents. What could possibly be missing? A reasonable time of year. I don't know who came up with the idea to host this in the middle of summer but I beg them to reconsider a better time. Smoked ham, maple-crackled pork, and pulled pork sandwiches are much better suited to the cooler days of autumn or even the first thaw of early spring rather than the height of summer. The blistering temperatures prevent a comfortable experience for a crowd-going event anyways. Now add to that at least three smokers or open-flame barbecues going, and you have a stifling, choking atmosphere. Whiskey does not improve this any. Dehydration became a real concern and I ended up leaving early with the beau and friends because we were all feeling sick and lightheaded. I really hope they put this earlier or very late in the summer/early autumn when the temperatures are less likely to wreak havoc on those of us who don't actually go out to the bar every night. That said, it's a fun festival. Lines are manageable and you can show up any time of the day or evening for a fun time. I love seeing Ferndalers out with their dogs on leashes and Grandmas or kids, which gives it a friendly feel. Of course the kids aren't drinking but they still have fun, and someone shows the foresight at these festivals to have craft tables, chalk, and a good time for the little ones. The alcohol is served by ticket and they boast a pretty wide variety. If you're not up for the whiskey, the local craft beers and Michigan pours on tap are good. I'm not a beer drinker so I can't tell you about any of them, but I reserve all my love for the honey and lemon-distilled whiskey that gets served up like licentious lemonade. I could walk off with the whole glass keg for myself and consider myself set for the summer. That stuff is potent, flavourful, and magical. I never remember who brings it, but I love it. Good times, though seating is hard to find and the weather made it really not as much fun as I wanted. read more

Was there on Saturday late afternoon-early evening. First of all it was hotter than h#$%! and pretty crowded. All the tables that they had set up were completely full so you couldn't really sit down and try to eat anything. First the libations - I was really disapointed in the beer selections. Been to the DIY festival and last years P&W. There seemed to be a lot less variety this year. Most of the selections were IPA's (can you tell I'm not a fan of them?). Anyway tried one of the non-IPA WAB beers. Decent. Headed over to the whiskey tent. Had the Knobs Creek (smooth) and an awesome Bloody Mary. McClure's Bloody Mary Mix - really spicy YUM! Ended up getting another to spend out my tix. Tent was really crowded but you could manage to belly up to the bars and get your fix. Food - Again I felt that there were less selections than last year. What I like about going to these events is trying things from places you haven't been to. Unfortunately, I must be getting out too much 'cause there was really only one joint - Vincenta's Garage that I hadn't been to. Rub - been there, Slows - ditto, Red Smoke.. etc. On the up side had the Macon Bacon Slider - this was the most awesome slider I've every had! I think it had three different bacon's on it and bacon jam (which I really think made it!). All in all if you're looking to kill an hour or two, you can go to this event and try some food and drink and be on your way. If they have this again next year - - I hope they bring it back to the level it was the first year. read more

I was there on Sunday evening/night. It was crowded but there were not long lines for anything, at most a couple minute wait. Some of the food vendors were out of certain things but that is to be expected at that point in the festival. We had fun drinking some whiskey cocktails and playing corn-hole. People watching of course is always a hoot, such a great mix. The bands were great as usual. It would have been nice if they had hired some people to go around to wipe down tables and pick up trash. Things were getting pretty sticky around there. Also would have been nice if they offered some sort of cooling station or misters considering the heat. I will be back next year!! read more

As I get older I get more and more pissy Growing up with Goober and the Peas, I always want to see them when they do play. Was it worth it? Not a chance. Its crazy to see people waiting in these massive lines to pay substantially higher amounts for lower grade food. This isn't anything new or anything I haven't done several times in my life, I guess I'm just finally understanding what a waste this is. The are a few highlights. One was watching people buy Red Stag from the whiskey tent. Yes, I'm being a total @@@@@@@ and a snob but a congested, long lined, expensive event just isn't for me. The real highlight is when I walked down some of the neighborhood streets before the show started and people were on their porch drinking and grilling or BBQing and were close enough to hear the music but far enough away to avoid the crowds. read more

Venue was a good idea. Sandwich and liquor was a bit pricey at $9 for a small drink and $9 for a sandwich. Think it was my fault that we got there late. People were also rude. They bumped you and almost knocked you over without an excuse me. Guy knocked a sandwich out of my friends hand and did not say excuse me. I held my tongue. It must have been the drunk hour. The vendor did give us another sandwich which was cool. Most of the vendors were out of certain items. There was a choice between an average of 2 items from some vendors. Make sure you get there early enough. The pulled pork sandwich was good. Good smoky taste and good bbq sauce. To add, you have to get drink tickets. Most drinks are 4 tickets and you get 10 for 20. Odd number but ok. Must be a ploy to get you to come back for more. Glad I went to check it out but would not plan on going back. read more

This was definitely Pig and Whiskey's biggest year and I saw a lot of improvements although they seem to be victim to their own buzz. What I liked was all the additional seating for the food-goers. And they had a lot more shade provided by umbrella coverage which was not only much needed but greatly appreciated by the masses I'm sure. That said, it was crazy hot again this year so I standing in drink and food lines was a little tiring and bothersome given some of the disorganization by the vendor volunteers. I stood in line for 45 minutes after paying $20 for ten tickets. Ultra-premium whiskeys were around 5 tickets ($10) for a normal shot pour which is way way over-priced. If you were interested in sampling whiskey it would've been worth your while to just go to Dino's or Public House since they have a nicer selection at far more reasonable prices. I heard recommendations for the Oakland too but it's still way overpriced for their volume by pour FYI. On top of that, food prices were outlandish this year. A pulled pork sandwich and slaw was $7, bacon-wrapped sausages $7, and small platters were around $15+. Of course this is a festival so you've gotta expect that prices will be inflated but aside from getting something in your belly this isn't the venue to taste and sample. That aside I liked the few plates I had and the turn out this year was great. Great bands, a good crowd of well behaved peeps and again, I saw lots of improvements from the organizers' side so kudos to them. Hopefully next year they'll drop the prices and organize the liquor tent a little better but much improved overall. read more

The pork Lángos from The Grindhouse Food Truck is outstanding! The tempeh sausage is a great vegetarian option. read more

Pig and Whiskey - The Grindhouse Food Truck - Festivals Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

Good times. Great times even. I mean you can't go wrong with whiskey, beer and some good ol' bbq.

This is an event that I look forward to every year. I missed last year's event. However, previous years have been fun. This year was kind of meh. It was bigger. More food. More booze. Not many food vendors offered sample size options which was a bummer because it was very expensive. I paid $9 for a pulled pork sandwich from Detroit BBQ. The meat was pretty good, but it was huge. It was so moist, it made the bun totally soggy. I couldn't pick it up. Union Woodshop did have Macon Bacon sliders and Mac & Cheese in smaller portions, so kudos to them. There were very few vendors that didn't offer food. That was kind of a bummer. The drink tickets were just like any festival. They sell them in 10s, and drinks are either 3 or 4 tickets. It was cool to see that Short's had their own beer rent, but nothing special on tap. Pig & Whiskey usually has a good band line up. Goober & The Peas were awesome. Hopefully this event doesn't get too big for it's own good. We enjoyed ourselves more when it was smaller and less commercial. read more

One of the great joys of moving to the rustbelt are the summer festivals. While of course no one will mistake Detroit for Memphis or Lockhart, there was still a ton of great stuff on offer. The beer was reasonably priced and the music was beyond entertaining. I was out here all weekend in the heat and had an amazing time. Vinsetta Garage's Macon Bacon was spectacular and I cannot wait to get to the actual garage. I love that there were plenty of sampler sized portions so you do not break the bank at the various stalls. Saturday afternoon was crazy with the lines, but it eventually became manageable. Just grab a drink before hopping in line and you are set. This was way better than $6 chicken on a stick and $8 miller lite. read more

Overrated. They sell tickets 10 for $20... For a thimble of whisky it's 4 tickets which equal $8 plus tip . Then you're stuck with two tickets that you can't use... So about 2oz of liquor costs you $20. Total ripoff. The bartender greeted me with "hi, I pour for tips." - Bring a flask. Way to many people, spend the whole time trying to squeeze through the packed crowd. read more

This was my first time attending this event. What a great summer activity... BBQ and drinking outdoors! I really thought the cocktail corner was unique...a different drink every hour and the candy bacon was one of a kind! It was a bit crowded on Saturday but not too overwhelming! Super casual and Very diverse crowd! The only thing that could improve is the music...but who attended just for that anyways?! Will definitely go again if i'm in the area next year! read more

Had a nice time! Lots of beer choices but I thought there would be more cocktails. The food was awesome! The down side is there was only one bbq place that sold samples. Lockharts bbq from Royal Oak was selling ribs for $2. I wanted to try a few bbq places I haven't ate at like RUB and Det Bbq but you had to spend $8 or more to get meat. Mac n cheese was $4 everywhere. Drink tickets are 5/$10 or 10/$20. Most dinks/beers are 3 tickets. The lines were short and moved fast. Over all it was fun and I will go next year. read more

I've been going to rib fests in the area for a few years, now. I think this is my 3rd Pig & Whisky. It's always a good time. It's worth going, for sure. The BBQ runs from great to garbage, so you have to be cautious! Avoid Slows to Go at all cost! As awesome as the restaurant is, the food truck makes the McRib look good! Anyway...this is about Piggy, not Slows. The event seemed a little smaller this year and some of the vendors I was really hoping to see were missing. These type events do vary though, so you never know who will be back and who won't. Lots of whisky & booze, craft beers everywhere. Not cheap, but hey...if you want cheap you're in the wrong place! There was one thing missing this year that really was disappointing to me. There was one booth that sold 24 oz PRB's the last few years. The booth was there, but NO PBR! Now I love craft beer, but when it's really hot (like it WAS) there's nothing like an ice cold PBR. Very thirst quenching and in 24 oz size, enough to get you there! (Attn snobs...PBR won the Gold Medal for American Lager in 2012 & 2017 at the Great American Beer Festival!) So come on Piggy...get with it! As usual, the people watching at Piggy is top notch. Wow...what a eclectic bunch. If you missed Piggy, shame on you. Just get there next year! read more

A decent festival to wander a round and drink some whiskey/beer and then buy some t-shirts while you're tipsy (and can't truly decide which size would be the best for you...). read more

Like the idea.. But NOT impressed with the LOOOONG lines at every food tent and I' not just saying 20 people in line.. You waited in line for over an hour. Ridiculous. SOmething needs to be done about that.. The drink line was also long but seemed to move a bit faster. Other than that, we like Pig & Whiskey. Keep improving it! read more

This festival was a little underwhelming. Prices were really high. The selection was really great, however. It definitely hurt our wallet though. People was cool and so was the ambiance, but I didn't expect it to be so expensive. read more

on the hottest weekend ever, i drank whiskey and beer and enjoyed myself thoroughly. the pig part of the festival, i actually never enjoyed. my bbq decisions rested on a really tasty macon bacon slider from vinsetta garage and a smoked turkey leg. both were above average. the turkey leg was the best i have ever had. i chose a vinaigrette bbq sauce with it and decided to scrape it off. the meat was better by itself. the macon bacon slider with a small beef patty, canadian bacon, regular bacon and on a pretzel roll was worth a second try. i found it even better with the tennessee bbq sauce that was available. to try to explain how much i enjoyed my day i will explain it this way. it was 96 degrees out, there were hot ass bbq grills close by, and i still hung for 6 hours and drank myself silly. the clemontine lemon thyme beer that has been available at the last couple DIY's and pig and whiskeys is amazing. its from a brewery in plymouth that i never have been to. i think its called liberty street brewery. i love it because of the amazingly refreshing taste on a hot day, plus i wait to drink it only during the festivals. treat dreams had a pretty amazing bourbon peach ice cream to cool me down. the music provided by the hard lessons and electric six was the cherry on top. i loved hanging in the grass, drinking some suds, eating some meat and soaking in the sun. love, juston read more

glad to see my favorite t-shirt detroit slingers are there this year in 2017 LOST IN SOUND DETROIT

Food and booze was great but event was very poorly organized.... Cash for food and having to buy tickets for liquor makes no sense and is truly frustrating for attendees. In addition the layout is horrible and needs to be entirely redone. We spent most our money in one area not realizing that there was another entire area l. read more

Great event good food music and whiskey. Avoid meter parking and use pay lots while in ferndale

First time here. So much BBQ beer and whiskey. Great time coming back again. Discovered some good BBQ places that will become my goto BBQ places. Big fan of Detroit BBQ. read more

had a pretty good time there and i would go again! drinks are a bit overpriced but i guess i'd go for the experience. bbq items were delicious. read more

always a fun time with good BBQ and samplings of whiskeys with the cool atmosphere of ferndale. discovered detroit BBQ company here many moons ago and have been a fan ever since. read more