Ring in the holidays with great music, good company, and free coffee in Downtown Bay City

There isn’t a shortage of good coffee in Bay City, but there is a special event that sets Populace Coffee, 810 Saginaw St., apart from its coffee cohorts in the community – free coffee day.

With the busy-ness that accompanies the holiday season, it’s crucial to take some time to relax. How better to do that than over a free cup of coffee? Free Coffee Day is 8 a.m. to noon Sat., Dec. 21 at Populace Coffee.

“We get lots of groups coming in together for coffee and baked goods before they hit the rest of the rest of the town for the last Saturday before Christmas,” says Dave Daniele, co-owner of Populace Coffee.Free Coffee Day started in 2012 at Populace Coffee’s first location on Washington Street. Now, Populace continues the tradition a few times each year. On Dec. 21, all drinks on the menu are free — including specialty drinks such as Peppermint Mocha, Spicy Mocha, Michigan Fog, and the Grinch.

Customers can purchase baked goods or Populace merchandise, as well as gift bundles for the coffee lover on their Christmas lists, but no purchase is required to take part in the free coffee. There will be music courtesy of Lightning Licks Vinyl Preservation Society, fresh baked holiday pastries from an in-house bakery, and loads of people getting together before heading out to finish their holiday shopping.

“The why behind free coffee day is pretty simple,” says Dave Daniele, who owns Populace along with Andrew Heppner. “We want to create a connection between the people in our community and our cafes and roastery. It’s super fun having a ton of people come by and hang out for a morning in the café, it’s kind of like a party!”

The past Free Coffee Days have been very successful and this one is expected to be no different. “People love free coffee day and the Holiday week Free Coffee Day is always a fan favorite,” says Daniele. “We get lots of groups coming in together for coffee and baked goods before they hit the rest of the rest of the town for the last Saturday before Christmas.”