Tashmoo Biergarten kicks off year with spring fling in West Village

The first installment of the 2012 Tashmoo Biergarten kicked off last weekend in Detroit's Villages.

The initial community outdoor beer drinking extravaganza at 1420 Van Dyke was a tester for this year's round of events, which will be begin in earnest this fall. "This was a one-weekend spring fling," says Aaron Wagner, co-founder of Tashmoo Biergarten.

Wagner participated in the initial class of the BUILD program at D:hive, which teaches local residents the basics of starting a business and organizing an initiative. Wagner and his fellow co-founder, Suzanne Vier, are looking at expanding the Tashmoo Biergarten this year so nonprofits and other community groups could use Tashmoo's expertise to host their own biergarten parties.

"We're looking at doing a pop-up biergarten in a box," Wagner says.

Tashmoo Beirgarten got its start last fall as a way to build community and buzz in the Villages area on Detroit's East Side. The duo took over a vacant lot, fenced it off and built picnic tables out of old doors, creating a space to serve high-quality beer and for locals to congregate. The mixture proved to be an instant hit with hundreds of participants at a handful of events last fall.

Wagner and Vier plan to do a repeat performance this fall and are also looking at expanding the idea to other neighborhoods in Detroit.

"We're definitely looking at it," Wagner says. "Nothing is set in stone."

Source: Aaron Wagner, co-founder of Tashmoo Biergarten
Writer: Jon Zemke

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