CHARLEVOIX COUNTY - This is the 94th year of the Charlevoix Venetian Festival. It first started with as a festival to celebrate the sailing regatta with Japanese lanterns lights. It still has the sails, but some things have been added.
Dan Barron, president Of The Charlevoix Venetian Festival, said, “We’ve got car show, we’ve got family fun zone here. We’ve got street concerts popping up. We’re going to have a sensational firework display on Lake Charlevoix tonight, which will be introduced, with, a pyrotechnic plane doing aerobatic stunts and shooting fireworks just prior to the show.”
Before the fireworks light up the skies there are opportunities on land and sea. Barron explains, “Street parade tomorrow in the morning, boat parade at night. In the morning we have the Ryan Shay Elite Milers. We get college All-Americans and Olympians that run a mile down bridge Street here in Charlevoix. And each year they all break the four-minute barrier or four minute mile barrier.”
With all the festivities to enjoy -- friends and family take this opportunity to come home Barron says, “it’s really developed into a grand homecoming celebration this time of year that friends, family come back to Charlevoix and share Charlevoix once again with, with their residents, neighbors. And we have more, class and family reunions that occur during Venetian than any other time of the year.”
For a teacher in Charlevoix she feels that homecoming that the festival brings. Annemarie Conway, Chair Of Merchandise Tent And Teacher In Charlevoix, explains, “I just look forward to seeing so many former students that come back home for this week. It is a big homecoming event. more so than, I would say, football homecoming and so all the alumni that come back, I get to check in with them and to see how they’re doing, meet their kids, just all that wonderful stuff.”
As friends and families reunite. The students all unite by volunteering and leaving their own mark on the festival. Conway says, “This year we actually had rubber ducks throughout all of town, even within businesses. So they got to hide them. Elementary students did all the way up to juniors and seniors in high school, so they loved it. So they they’re thinking of creative ways to also add to, the Venetian festival.”
Another person leaving their mark on the festival is Gary Odmark an artist vendor, who takes this time to mingle and maybe inspire a future artist. Gary Odmark, Vendor Artist At Venetian Festival says, " quite often they’ll say, well, my daughter’s an artist, you know, and I’ll shake their hand and say, oh, it’s great to meet another artist, because I know personally that those little times when you touch somebody like that, they remember.”
With little moments that last a lifetime the venetian festival is doing just that.