The annual Summer Celebration is back at Beacon Hill this summer!
Thursday, August 6, 2026. from 5:30 to 8:00 PM
1919 Boston Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506
Located on the front lawn.
Beacon Hill at Eastgate is excited to welcome residents, families, team members, neighbors, and friends from across the community to its annual Summer Celebration—an evening of delicious food, live entertainment, and great company.
Join us from 5:30–8 p.m. on Thursday, August 6, 2026, on the front lawn at Beacon Hill at Eastgate, 1919 Boston St. SE, for one of our favorite traditions of the year. For more than 50 years, this beloved event has brought people together to celebrate summer, enjoy handcrafted cuisine, and connect with neighbors old and new.
Guests can stroll through a variety of culinary stations featuring hand-held bites prepared from scratch by Beacon Hill’s talented chefs. From global-inspired flavors and plant-based favorites to gourmet comfort food and garden-fresh creations, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
This year’s celebration will also feature live music from The River Rogues and a special visit from The Critter Barn, making it a fun evening for guests of all ages.
The Summer Celebration is our way of saying thank you to our residents, their loved ones, and the surrounding community for the support and friendships that make Beacon Hill such a special place. Our culinary team has created an incredible menu showcasing fresh, seasonal ingredients—including produce grown right here in our own half-acre community garden. Sharing great food has always been one of the best ways to bring people together, and we can’t wait to welcome our neighbors to the table.
More than 600 people attended last year’s event, and we’d love to see even more familiar and new faces this summer. The event is free and open to the entire community, with complimentary food and beverages for all guests. Limited on-site parking is available, and community members who live nearby are encouraged to walk, bike, or use street parking in the surrounding neighborhoods whenever possible.
This year’s culinary showcase will feature more than a dozen handcrafted dishes created by Beacon Hill’s award-winning chefs. Our commitment to fresh, local ingredients is at the heart of every menu, with produce harvested from our community garden whenever possible. When we can’t grow it ourselves, we proudly partner with outstanding local businesses including AP Baked Goods, Field and Fire, Louise Earl Butcher, and Rowsters.
Guests can also stop by The Traveling Plate, Beacon Hill’s food truck, which will be serving selections from its rotating menu as one of the event’s featured dining stations.
Whether you’re craving a favorite comfort food or looking to try something new, this year’s menu offers a delicious mix of familiar classics and creative new dishes—all thoughtfully prepared with locally sourced ingredients.
A Tradition Rooted in Community
Beacon Hill’s Summer Celebration traces its roots back to the 1970s, when it began as the Strawberry Festival, a fundraiser organized by the Women’s Auxiliary of Michigan Christian Home, the original name of Beacon Hill at Eastgate. The festival became a cherished community tradition, raising thousands of dollars through homemade strawberry shortcake, sundaes, and other sweet treats.
Over the years, the event has evolved into the culinary celebration it is today. Now hosted by Beacon Hill as a complimentary community appreciation event, the Summer Celebration honors the residents, families, neighbors, and friends who have supported the community for generations.
What began as a small volunteer-led fundraiser has grown into one of Beacon Hill’s most anticipated annual traditions. Decades later, the spirit of the original Strawberry Festival lives on—bringing people together over exceptional homemade food, warm hospitality, and meaningful connections that continue to strengthen our community year after year.
