Festival set to begin Tuesday in the ‘Nautical City’

Tuesday is the first day of the Nautical City Festival, begining a week of events in Rogers City. A variety of events are planned each day, with acitivities centered at the festival tent and the downtown area.

First up is kick-off Tuesday featuring a patriotic concert by the St. John Lutheran Church choir at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Sailors? Memorial and a concert by the City Band. The festival tent will be filled with musicians for six consecutive nights. Tuesday will be the ?Happy Wanderers,? Wednesday it is DJ music by ?Airwaves DJ,? and Thursday, August 4, the music comes from a festival staple, the popular country band ?Gamblin? Fever.? Friday, August 5, ?Gamblin? Fever? will alternate with the variety band ?Main Street? in the festival tent.

FESTIVAL WEEK Saturday, bands include the oldies group ?The Classics? which alternates with ?Main Street.? Sunday, August 7 is free admission all day with music starting at 4 p.m. by ?The Polish Kid? who alternates with ?The Classics? on the festival stage.

This is the 29th annual Nautical City Festival, but Rogers City has

sponsored a summer celebration each year since 1956. The Nautical City Festival Committee was organized in the mid 1970s by the Rogers City Chamber of Commerce to include representatives from the Optimist Club, Kiwanis Club, Lions Club, Servicemen?s Club, Knights of Columbus, and the Chamber. Each group has two voting members on the committee. The festival employs a part time secretary and executive director. Bob Urlaub, one of the representatives from the Lions Club, is festival chairman.

The original goal of the committee was to funnel any profits realized from the activities right back into the community.

THE FESTIVAL committee is concerned with providing the best festival for the dollar. Two of the most popular events, the grand parade and the fireworks show, are two of the most costly to put on. Each is a favorite of the crowd, but generates no income on its own. In the past 10 years, the festival has received much monetary support from sponsors. Generous area merchants have signed on to sponsor various events.