Antique & Vintage Snowmobile Show set for March 9 & 10

The consensus is in, and it is widely agreed upon that the Antique & Vintage Snowmobile Show, which plans to celebrate its third year in Rogers City on March 9-10, is not only a popular event among snowmobile enthusiasts, but among the general community as well. During the Monday morning city council meeting, organizers Tina and Dan Derry were met with overwhelming approval from the mayor, city manager, and each city council member.

?THEY ARE doing a lot of good stuff here and they are doing a lot for Rogers City,? said city manager Mark Slown. ?This is the third annual show?and it is getting better every time.? Mayor Beach Hall extended gratitude toward the snowmobile show and its organizers, stating it was due to their hard work that Rogers City was gaining added tourists? dollars during the usually quiet winter. ?Thank you for what you do,? said Hall. ?We?ll pray for snow, but not so much for the cold.? The third annual Antique & Vintage Snowmobile Show is set to kick off on Friday, March 9 at about noon with the ?Vintage Ride? at the 208 Club located off of M-68. ?Anyone can come out and ride,? said organizer Tina Derry. ?We have parking available for trailers, and we?ll have a bon fire and hot dog roast.? Last year, the Vintage Ride attracted about 25-30 people and just about as many sleds. The trail is groomed beforehand, and this year, it might be longer than last. The celebration will continue Friday evening at The Water?s Edge Restaurant in Rogers City, located on Third Street.

?We?ll head back to The Water?s Edge on Friday evening where we?ll be showing old movie clips of snowmobile races from years ago, such as the I-500 in Sault Ste. Marie from the 1970s,? said Derry. ?We have videos from many races that were from more than 30 years ago.? Participants will be able to have dinner and drinks at The Water?s Edge, while taking in vintage film from past races in and around Michigan. This event is also open to the public.

THE ANTIQUE & Vintage Snowmobile Show is slated for Saturday, March 10 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at The Water?s Edge Restaurant. There is no cost to register a sled. Registration will be from 9 a.m. to noon. A swap will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and there is a $10 fee to participate. ?The swap is like a big garage sale,? said Derry. ?People can bring parts or machines in and sell them.? Last year, the show attracted 227 vintage and antique sleds, and Derry is expecting at least that many this year. ?The show gets a little bigger every year,? said Derry. ?We would have been even bigger last year, but the weather held many people from downstate off ? it was supposed to rain. For the most part, it gets a little bigger every year ? we?ve never gone smaller.? The numerous sleds offer a splash of color to Third Street as they line up along the parking lot of The Water?s Edge. A trail that loops behind the restaurant and toward the water treatment facility is groomed fo

r the classic sled riders. Children are encouraged to bring their machines to ride the trail as well. Throughout the show, a Chinese Raffle is held inside The Water?s Edge. Derry said this year the raffle has attracted bigger and better prizes. ?We have some awesome gifts this year,? said Derry. ?We?ve gotten some real nice donations from local businesses. Everyone has been more than willing to support the show.? The Water?s Edge will offer a full bar menu throughout the day for show participants. At approximately 5 p.m., a giant pig roast buffet meal will be available at $10 per plate. This is open to the public.

DERRY HOPES the show will not only attract tourists to the area, but locals as well. ?We had a lot of locals come down last year ? it was a real nice sunny day,? said Derry. ?A lot of families come and check it out, and that is why it is totally free to come view the machines or to register a sled ? if we start charging, we might not get as many people.? Coinciding with the snowmobile show this year will be a city-organized Snow Sculpture Contest (see related story). Participants can register at city hall. The snowmobile show committee is non-profit and boasts about 12 members. Derry said the show would not take place without those people. ?This is all volunteer, and it wouldn?t be possible without those volunteers,? said Derry. ?The only thing we make money for is to make sure we are able to do the show again the following year.? The annual show is sponsored this year by PIE & G, as well as Budweiser. The show participants will vote for the following awards: Best Original Antique (1968 and older), Best Original Vintage (1969 to 1980), Best Restored Antique, Best Restored Vintage, and Best of Show. Local artist Steve Witucki, who is also etching a mirror to raffle off, creates all trophies. For more information on the snowmobile show, call Tina or Dan Derry at (989) 734-7039, or email budman2@speednetllc.com.