White Lake Area Maritime Festival
Thursday, August 9th, Friday, August 10th, and Saturday, August 11th in Goodrich Park, Whitehall, MI
Published: Wednesday, August 1, 2012 7:00 am
By: White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
White Lakers are preparing to celebrate water fun and summer sun on the weekend of August 9, 10 and 11 with the traditional White Lake Area Maritime Festival. Staged in Whitehall’s Goodrich Park and on the shores of beautiful White Lake, the festival will feature entertainment and events for families and folks of all ages.
On Thursday evening beginning at 6pm is The Community Picnic, a benefit sponsored by the White Lake Beacon and HarborLight Credit Union with the local police cooking at Goodrich Park serving up hot dogs and chips along with live entertainment. A $2 donation is recommended with proceeds going toward a local non-profit organization. The White Lake Fire Authority will provide some fun with a Foam Penny Scramble along with other children’s games and activities.
The Festival Food and Beverage Tent opens at 4pm on Friday and 11am on Saturday. Food concessions will be serving elephant ears, pizza, Italian sausage, corn dogs, hot dogs, hamburgers along with other various favorites for the whole family to enjoy. The food vendors will be open Friday from 4-11pm and all day Saturday until 11pm.
Joining the festival Friday evening and taking center stage is the popular Tommy Foster with the four piece band "Ike N Edgar." These local musicians will provide the crowd with a wide variety of pop rock and they look forward to an evening full of enjoyment as they entertain those who come out for a good time at the Beverage Tent on Friday evening, from 8pm – 12 midnight.
Saturday has many children’s activities and interactive games for kids of all ages to enjoy. Back by popular demand are the Inflatable Games which include a carousel bounce, obstacle course, bungee run and maze. These activities are sponsored by Frontier Communications. "Bubbles the Clown," sponsored by The White Lake Area Community Education Workforce Development Center, will entertain kids of all ages with surprises including twisted balloon creations. The White River Steelheaders are filling their Trout Pond with lots of fish for youngsters. This fun-filled event is sponsored by the Comfort Inn of Whitehall and Ramada Inn.
Don’t forget to browse the “Arts and Crafts by the Lake” from 10am – 5pm on Saturday, under the trees along the beautiful shores of White Lake. This delightful, relaxed art show features a wide variety of items and is small enough to wander easily, but large enough to offer plenty of unique “good buys.” Over 50 artists will display their variety of creations.
Returning this year is the Nautical Flea Market which will be held under the big tent and will run from 8am - 3pm. Boaters of all types will want to take advantage of this buy and sell opportunity.
The Fire Department Water Battle returns this year with local fire departments from neighboring townships will gather for an afternoon of wet and wild fun. The competition begins at 12 noon and will be held near the park. This oversized water fight is sure to thrill the crowd of all ages.
At 1pm, the Annual Maritime Family Sailing Regatta sets sail up and down White Lake, beginning at the first marker past the narrows (nun R 12) and ending at Crosswinds Marina. This exciting event is hosted and sponsored by Crosswinds Marine Service. Registration and the Skippers Meeting are at 10:30am at the Crosswinds Marina, with awards presented at 7pm inside the tent at the Maritime Festival.
The Cedar Creek Cloggers will perform from 1pm – 2pm under the pavilion. The crowd will love watching these amazing dancers “clog” the afternoon away.
For those who love to be on the water, and new this year, is an afternoon boat parade beginning at 3pm. Any boat with a motor is invited to join in and participate as they gather at the narrows buoy marker at the north end of White Lake. Skippers will cruise counter clockwise passing by marinas and the activities at the festival. Also joining the line-up is a first time ever Dinghy Poker Run from 4pm - 6pm. The fee is $5/dinghy and skippers can sign up at participating marinas. This event will begin at the White Lake Municipal Marina dock for a brief meeting on rules and clues to the five card pick up points. The winners will be revealed at the awards ceremony under the big tent at 7pm.
The place to be under the big tent from 4pm to 7pm is where “EIN PROSIT,” a 40-piece traditional German oom-pah band will be performing. This group of entertainers hails from all over Michigan and Indiana and enjoys playing and entertaining with a variety of German, Austrian and Bavarian folk-style music with alphorns. Heartland Healthcare is the proud sponsor of this afternoon entertainment.
Live entertainment continues with “ONAGER.” This top 40's and classic rock band is back by popular demand and is guaranteed to rock the night away with a great crowd on Saturday evening from 8pm – 12 midnight.
The 5K Run in Whitehall, which is sponsored by Thunder Bolt Gym, will all be held the following Thursday, August 16.
The White Lake Area Sportfishing Association’s Fish Boil will also take place the next Saturday, August 18 at the Montague Band Shell from 4pm – 8pm.
Every Saturday, visitors and locals can enjoy the ongoing Farmer’s Market in Montague, 8am – 12 noon, the Artisan Market in Montague, 8am - 4pm, and the Riverview Market in downtown Whitehall, 9am – 2 pm.
The annual Maritime Festival has grown each year and is the premier ‘party’ for the White Lake Area. So join in the fun… visit the Maritime Festival at Goodrich Park on beautiful White Lake.
For additional information, please phone the Chamber at: 231-893-4585 or 800-879-9702 or check out our website, www.whitelake.org.
