ESCANABA – U.P. Craft Beer Week in the Upper Peninsula celebrates the combination of food and unique beers from Michigan. It starts Monday with a variety of events in Escanaba, Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie and the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Josh Marenger with Bay de Noc Brewers says the week-long event highlights a growing industry.

“Craft beer is growing a lot. The industry is just blowing up,” Margenger said. “U.P. Craft Beer Week is a series of events that highlight so of the different things that Michigan brewers are doing, what restaurants have available, things like that.”

Among the events on Tuesday in Marquette is a four-course beer dinner at Das Steinhaus and Founders tap takeover during the week. The Ore Dock Brewing Company with feature a speed-dating event and Chef Kevin Amelio from Elizabeth’s Chop House will provide food pairings, with pours of Ore Dock brew.

Wednesday, the Soo Brewing Company will hold a U.P. Beer Cook Off where contestants make a dish that uses any U.P. beer as an ingredient.

On Thursday in Escanaba, there will be an Arcadia firkin pouring of Loch Down Scotch Ale at Hereford & Hops, a pairing of beers and appetizers at the Island Resort & Casino and beer pairing dinner with Rockford Brewing Company at Pacino’s.

The week ends with the Michigan Brewer Guild’s U.P. Beer Fest in Marquette. Marenger said about 2-thousand people attend the event at Marquette’s Mattson Lower Harbor Park.

“It’s usually several hundred beers and a couple dozen breweries from all around the state. You get to sample a bunch of beers, they have food vendors, music. It’s just a great time,” said Marenger.

A complete list can be found at upcraftbeerweek.com.