Bands at big tent, fine food are some highlights of the festival

by Richard Lamb, Advance Editor

The events of the 34th annual Nautical City Festival continue through Sunday?s fireworks at 10 p.m. The big 270-foot by 80-foot tent is one of the hubs of activity for the festival, featuring live music each night. The grand parade, featuring grand marshal E.H. Tulgestka, Miss Rogers City Rachel Lewandowski, Miss Michigan 2009 Nicole Blaszczyk, the Sault Ste. Marie Pipe Band, the Royal Canadian Legion Band, the Navy League Cadet Band and many other floats begins at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. It runs the usual course, starting on South Third Street at Gilpin Field and running north through town. The juried arts and crafts show on the courthouse grounds begins Friday and runs through Sunday afternoon.

In the festival tent, the country-rock band Stolen Horses comes to the Nautical City Festival on festival Thursday and Friday beginning at 8:30 p.m. each night. Billed as ?West Michigan?s premier country band,? Stolen Horses plays covers from today?s charts, traditional country to the core, and best of all, originals from this high-energy band. A mechanical bull will test the balance of those brave enough to try it out. The featured band in the big tent on Saturday is No Baloney, a rock and roll band out of Oscoda. A special appearance by the Birmingham Concert Band is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday at the big tent. Their concert, entitled ?A Great Lakes Salute Concert? will feature members of the Rogers City Concert Band, under the joint direction of Ben Witter, of Rogers City, and Grant Hoemke, of Birmingham.

The polka band Diddle Styx will not only play in the festival tent on Sunday from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m., they will play at the polka Mass for the 9:15 a.m. mass at St. Ignatius Catholic Church. A highlight of any festival is the supply of delicious foods available. Restaurants will cater to those here for the events by offering special foods and hours during the big week in Rogers City, as advertised in this week?s Advance. Also, many special events bring their own food for festival week.

The Rogers City Senior and Community Center at 131 E. Superior Street hosts a spaghetti dinner Thursday for from 4 until 7 p.m. St. John Lutheran Church takes its turn hosting the German Festival Dinner Friday from 5-7 p.m. at the school on Fifth Street. Saturday morning breakfast is taken care of thanks to the Knights of Columbus and their scholarship breakfast fundraising event. The breakfast, featuring potato pancakes, will be served from 8-11 a.m. at the St. Ignatius Catholic School gymnasium. Buffalo burgers will be served on the grounds of the Presque Isle County Historical Museum from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Dessert can?t be passed up on Saturday and Sunday, as the Westminster Presbyterian Church hosts the annual Strawberry Shortcake and Ice Cream Social from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The Daughters of Isabella will host another breakfast at St. Ignatius Catholic School on Sunday morning from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Following the sweet scent of chicken on the grill on Sunday morning will lead to Lakeside Park for some of the best-tasting food of the year. The expert chefs from the

Presque Isle County Sportsmen?s Club will prepare a wonderful barbecue chicken dinner. They will be sold at Lakeside Park and Sports Park (The Hole) on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. until quantities run out.

Food will be available at the courthouse square during the juried arts and crafts show and concessions are available at the Little League fields, Sports Park (The Hole) and Gilpin Field Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Also the Kiwanis Club of Rogers City will have food booth at the Lakeside tent. The first Nautical City Festival was celebrated in 1977, following the city?s commitment to the nautical theme.

The Nautical City Festival Committee was organized by the Rogers City Area Chamber of Commerce and includes two voting members from six different community organizations. The stakeholders are the chamber, Rogers City Lions Club, the Rogers City Optimist Club, the Rogers City Kiwanis Club, the Servicemen?s Club and the Knights of Columbus. Each group has two members on the committee, which is chaired by Dennis Downie, who is one of the representatives from the Lions Club.

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