Every year about this time winter fatigue begins to set in, and I start to dream about sitting out in short sleeves in the warmth of the summer sun, enjoying a cold beverage and the laughter of good friends. If I have the money and the time, I plan a vacation away somewhere warm, returning in a week or two refreshed and able to face the remaining months of Michigan gloom and snow.

This year I don’t have either money or time, but I can still enjoy sitting outside having drinks with friends—and so can you.

OK, maybe “endure” is a more accurate word than “enjoy.” This coming Saturday, Feb. 6, is Winter Warriors, an event sponsored by the Main Street Area Association and Ann Arbor Get Downtown aimed at rewarding those brave—or crazy—enough to take a seat out on the sidewalk and enjoy a nice beverage and maybe a snack to go with it. Participating bars and restaurants include:

• Arbor Brewing Co.
• Arena Sports Bar & Grill
• BD’s Mongolian BBQ
• Blue Tractor BBQ & Brewery
• Café Felix
• Grizzly Peak Brewing Co.
• Jolly Pumpkin Café & Brewery
• Mighty Good Coffee Roasting Co.

Your reward for braving the elements includes discounts on your drinks (Arbor, for example, is offering $1 drafts) and, in some cases, food. Plus, when you get your receipt stamped, more discounts on merchandise are available at participating downtown retailers like ACME Mercantile, Sole Sisters, and the Ann Arbor Art Center.

For more details on the discounts and who’s doing what, see here and here.

See you on the sidewalk!

David Bardallis is a freelance writer and editor, blogger, bon vivant, and man about town. Visit his Web site, DavidBardallis.com, to engage his services or read his latest. Email your beer-related thoughts to annarborbeer@gmail.com or follow @dbardallis on Twitter.