Festival hits Nautical City this week

Festival time has come again in the Nautical City. After the Queen?s Pageant began the festival last week, the events of Tuesday and Wednesday kept things going heading into the weekend. Wednesday?s only event in the tent was the teen dance, which followed the kiddie parade at 6 p.m. An afternoon of bingo on Thursday at the festival tent runs from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m., then comes a spaghetti dinner at the Rogers City Senior Center from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m.

A hands-on arts and crafts event for kids is free at the festival tent from 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. both Thursday and Friday. The tent entertainment Thursday begins at 8 p.m. featuring the country sounds of ?Gamblin? Fever.?

FRIDAY IS A FULL day at the festival. The arts and crafts show starts its three-day run on the courthouse grounds. A one-day fishing tournament starts at 9 a.m., with final weigh-in ending at 9 p.m. at the festival tent. Bingo in the tent begins again at 1 p.m. and a pet show starts at 4:30 p.m. with registration at the tent. St. Ignatius hosts the Polish Festival Dinner from 5-7 p.m. and a dance at the tent, featuring ?Gambin? Fever? and ?Main Street,? from 8:30 p.m. until 1:30 a.m.

SATURDAY IS jammed with events and things to do. A breakfast, hosted by the Knights of Columbus, begins at 8 a.m. The arts and crafts show continues on the courthouse lawn. Registration begins for the Nautical City Run for Health at 7:30 a.m. at the Lakeside Park Pavilion for the fun run which begins at 8:45 a.m. and the 6K run which starts at 9:05 p.m. Beginning at 8 a.m. on various fields and continuing through Sunday?s finals at Sports Park are the men?s and women?s softball tournaments. The annual Spitzer tournament will be played starting at 9 a.m. at the Servicemen?s Club.

An antique and classic car show will be staged at Westminster Park from 9 a.m. until the parade at 3:30 p.m. For the children, the Rogers City Area Zonta Club is hosting kiddie games for ages 4-7 beginning at 9:30 a.m. From 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. a strawberry shortcake and social will take place at Westminster Presbyterian Church. The ?Big Show? at the festival tent at 1 p.m. will feature Rosco the Clown, Gordon the Magician, and Tim Salisbury, comedy juggler. Dancers from 4-D Second Street Dance Company will entertain at 2:15 p.m.

Archery and handgun shooting will be offered to children ages 7 to 13 by the members of the Presque Isle County Sportsmen?s Club from noon until 4 p.m. at the club located on West Cedar Street.

IN THE FESTIVAL tent, music will be provided by ?The Classics? and ?Main Street? from 8:30 a.m. until 1:30 a.m. The festival concludes with a big day planned for Sunday. A breakfast at St. Ignatius begins at 9 a.m. and runs until noon. The strawberry shortcake social again runs at Westminster Presbyterian Church from 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. The arts and

crafts show begins at 11 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. while the Sportsmen?s Club?s delicious chicken barbecue runs from 11 a.m. until sold out. The big event of the weekend, the grand parade, begins at 12:30 p.m. at Gilpin Field and runs north along Third Street. Parade bands will perform in the festival tent after the parade. ?The Polish Kid? and ?The Classics? will fill the tent with music from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. Tent admission is free on Sunday. Schmidt Amusements returns to the festival with all rides set at $1 on Wednesday. For a $10 fee, riders have unlimited number of rides Thursday from 4 p.m. until 11 p.m.

THE FIREWORKS are set for Sunday at 10 p.m. with Saturday, August 13 set as the rain date.