Exciting Weekend Ahead at Charlevoix Venetian Festival
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Exciting Weekend Ahead at Charlevoix Venetian Festival
Kids Day, Fireworks, Footrace, Live Music, Street and Boat Parade and More!
By Jim Akans
There is plenty of excitement ahead at the 80th Annual Charlevoix Venetian Festival, which began last Saturday, and continues through this Saturday evening with more live music in East Park, a Kids Day at Michigan Beach on Thursday, fireworks both Friday and Saturday nights, a footrace, street parade and the festival’s anchor event; the Venetian Boat Parade on Round Lake Saturday evening.
“This is a family friendly event,” states Dan Barron, president of Charlevoix Venetian Festival, Inc, “and a Charlevoix homecoming occasion for many. We have Kids Day on Thursday at Michigan Beach, with the entire park devoted to kid’s activities. The Venetian Games includes over a dozen athletic events during week, such as foot races, basketball, tennis, volleyball, golf, sailing… there is something that will appeal to everyone who would like to participate.”
Those athletic events range from just for fun to downright serious competitions. The Drenth Memorial Footrace will take place on Saturday, July 24th, with several categories including the “family mile,” a 5k and 10k race, and the invitation-only Ryan Shay Mile, held in memory of a young, all-American runner from Central Lake who passed away
“The event is comprised of top runners who run one mile from M-66 to downtown,” states Dan Barron, “and we have both men and women in field this year. About half the runners have broken the four-minute mile during their careers. These are world class, top performing athletes; including a couple of runners from Kenya this year.”
Just after the race, the Street Parade gets underway downtown at 11 am on Saturday. Among the many local dignitaries in the parade will be the 2010 Charlevoix Venetian Queen, fresh from a coronation ceremony held in East Park on Frida evening.
Live music is a constant backdrop all week long at the Charlevoix Venetian Festival. This weekend there will be something to please every musical taste, including local Irish/American folk band Pub Runners, and Big Kenny (from the popular country band Big & Rich) at the Performance Pavilion on Thursday night. Friday, the bluegrass sounds of Charlevoix’s Horton Creek and a Beatles cover band; 1964: The Tribute will take the stage in East Park.
Music in East Park on Saturday afternoon includes the Sault Ste. Marie Canada Pipe Band and Chicago’s reggae-influenced Dub Dis, and evening performances include The Prouix Brothers tribute to the Kingston Trio, the Saline Fiddlers, and Motor City Women & Detroit Express.
Of course, there will be fireworks, two nights of them in fact. Friday night large shells will be launched from a barge off DeVoe Beach, and on Saturday evening a low aerial high intensity display will take place over Round Lake Harbor.
We pride ourselves as being the big time festival with small town appeal,” states Dan Barron. “We have exciting events and activities characteristic of a large city festival, yet it is held amid the friendly, small town charm of Charlevoix.”
For a complete schedule and more information about the Charlevoix Venetian Festival, visit www.venetianfestival.com or call (231) 547-3872
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