Nautical Festival Kick-Off Day is Tuesday at Lakeside

After months of planning by a revitalized committee, the 2009 Nautical City Festival will start Tuesday. Enclosed in this edition is a special tabloid publication with a schedule of events and stories highlighting the festival. The festivities kick off with a dinner at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 4 in the big tent at Lakeside Park.

The dinner, sponsored by the Rogers City Kiwanis Club, will consist of a choice of whitefish or chicken, French fries, coleslaw, dinner roll and dessert. The dinner is $10 and open to the public.

Following the dinner will be the Sailors? Memorial at 6 p.m. at the band shell. Some highlights of the memorial will be a low altitude fly-over o

f a Coast Guard helicopter during the laying of the wreaths. A Coast Guard cutter from Sault Saint Marie will be anchored off shore and the helicopter will be on display after it lands near the tent.

The Nautical City Festival Committee will present gifts to the families of sailors who sailed aboard the Carl D. Bradley, an ore carrier that sank in 1958. A Coast Guard Chaplin will be a guest speaker, along with a Commander of the Coast Guard, Veterans of Foreign War honor guard and many other dignitaries. Following the memorial will be a reception in the tent for speakers, dignitaries and the families.

At 7 p.m. the Rogers City Band will perform at the band shell. Later at the big tent ?Fabulous Oldies but Goodies? Band will perform from 8:30 to 12:30 p.m. as the festival ends its first day.

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