News Photo by Michael Gonzalez The 2023 Nautical City Festival in Rogers City rides and games on N. Lake Street resumes after a big storm came around for a few minutes on Thursday.

ROGERS CITY — Attendees of the 2023 Nautical City Festival may notice fewer rides this year as staff shortages and technical issues with rides have cut the size of the festival’s amusement park offerings.

Bob Halifax, owner of Family Fun Tyme Amusements — the company supplying the amusement park rides for this year’s festival — said he wants to put on the best carnival he can, but few people have applied to work for his company.

“I’m basically giving people $20 to $25 an hour to press a button,” Halifax said. “These are good jobs and do you know how many people have applied within the past four months? Two! Nobody’s wanting to work and it frustrates me to no end.”

This year’s handful of rides include a ride called the Twister and a mini carousel-like ride featuring small horse carriages for youngsters to ride in.

Halifax said some of the rides he uses for the many festivals Fun Tyme Amusements go to need to get parts replaced, so they’re out of commission until that happens. He said because the rides are from overseas companies, parts take weeks to ship.

Kim Margherio, chairman of the Nautical City Festival for the third year in a row, said the carnival may be smaller, but she’s happy with the festival, overall.

“(The festival) takes a lot of volunteers,” Margherio said. “It takes commitment and a lot of hard work. I have a great (committee). There are 12 of us, plus a couple of others… and everybody has a great time.”

The festival started Tuesday with events like trivia contests, a Texas Hold-em tournament, and more. This weekend, the amusement park will remain open from noon to 10 p.m. each day and many events are planned, including a car show, a horseshoe tournament, and live band performances at the big tent off of N. Lake Street.

Margherio said she loves every performer that plays during the week, but is particularly excited for Tommy K and The Rock Show Band.

“We’re friends because they also perform,’ Margherio said. “I (organize) the Friday night concerts at the bandshell and they come every year… He’s originally from Posen, so it’s like he’s coming home. He loves being here and everybody loves him, so it’s amazing.”

Margherio said the festival cost tens of thousands of dollars to put on, and, as things such as portable bathrooms, amusement rides, and food vendors are added to the festival, the price goes up.

She pointed to the portable restrooms scattered around the festival grounds and said they’re expensive. The big tent that houses the bands and Nowicki’s Sausage Shoppe food stand cost $15,000.

“I’m proud and honored to work with the group I work with,” Margherio said. “We work all year. I mean, this doesn’t just happen, you know? So there should be a big shout out to them and just everybody who supports us.”

The tent closes on Sunday at 9 p.m. and the festival will end with a firework display at 10 p.m. that night.

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect that Tommy and K and The Rock Show Band is originally from Posen. This was incorrect in an earlier version of this story.