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Yes, it's summertime in Northern Michigan. If it's August, it's time for the Nautical City Festival in Rogers City. The festival was pushed back a couple of weeks this year, so if you were wondering if you missed it, you did not! And, it has grown a lot since we moved here in 2005. I'm looking forward to many of the events!
The fun kicks off on Tuesday, August 11 with the Sailors' Memorial at 5:30 p.m. That's followed by a Taste of Rogers City from 6:30-8:30 p.m., an event that started last year and became a fast fan favorite (including this fan)! The final Rogers City Band concert starts after the memorial, so there will be great music to accompany some yummy food! After you eat, you can play some Late Night Trivia from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.
It's a great day for kids at the festival on Wednesday! Starting at noon and spread throughout the day are sidewalk art, kids' yoga, free craft and face painting, and a kiddie parade whose theme is Happy Birthday, USA. All of that leads up to the opening of the amusements at 6 p.m. Teen night is from 7-10 p.m. for all current high school students and 2026 grads. Pizza will be available from 2-9 p.m.
Thursday features bingo and trivia in the afternoon, and Waylon Hanel from 8-11 p.m. for Country Western Night in the big tent. There will be awards, too! Who will be the Rhinestone Cowgirl and Best Boots and Buckle Cowboy? This is an over-18-only event.
The weekend kicks into high gear on Friday. Start your day off with the Farmers' Market from 9 a.m. to noon. The library is having a used book sale - always a fun way to discover something you may not even know you want to read! Carmeuse is offering two narrated tours and a giant equipment display. The juried arts & crafts show opens at 10 a.m. with a food court at Courthouse Square. There's a scavenger hunt at 11 a.m. and a fossil dig at 1 p.m. The Bloody Marys and Mimosas flow starting at 11 a.m. with Nowicki's Sausage Shop and Truck Your Pizza providing a nosh to go with them. Rides open at noon, and Nick Thomas is at the big tent later in the afternoon to entertain families with juggling and comedy. Fish races from 6-7:30 p.m. (age 18+) precede Jedi Mind Trip, a festival music favorite at 8 p.m.
Saturday is jam-packed with sports - the 43rd annual run/walk, a slow-pitch softball tournament for men and women, a beach volleyball tournament, yoga, a horseshoe tournament, and archery, shotgun, and .22 rifle shooting instruction. New this year, Live pro wrestling will be in the big tent starting at noon. Before the games begin, have breakfast at St. Ignatius, where potato pancakes benefit the Knights of Columbus scholarship fund.
If indoor sports are more your cup of tea, the 35th annual Spitzer tournament starts at 9 a.m. There's a strawberry shortcake and ice cream social and a battle of the bartenders to enjoy, too. If you want more in the way of fun food, Nowicki's is sponsoring a brat-eating contest.
One of the biggest events of the festival is the Antique and Classic Car Show - a perennial favorite; I love seeing the cars parade through town after the awards have been given out! We'll honor Rogers City armed forces members with a pictorial history presentation at the Rogers Theater.
The used book sale, kiddie games, Carmeuse tour and big equipment display, the arts & crafts show, food cart, Bloody Mary and mimosa bar, pizza, and rides all return for another round of fun, with a 'flush tank' in the park for some extra laughs! End your day with the music of Knee Deep and a glow party at 8 p.m.
Start your Sunday with the festival breakfast at St. Ignatius, then enjoy some strawberry shortcake and ice cream social at Westminster Presbyterian Church. The softball tournament finals take place, and the Grand Parade starts at 12:30 p.m.Rides start at noon. The arts & crafts show continues, as does the food court at Courthouse Square. The big tent will be open starting at noon with pizza available. There's a cornhole tournament and polka lessons in the big tent during the afternoon. The Kielbasa Kings play from 4-8 p.m., and the fireworks start at 10. It's one of the best fireworks displays around and one of my favorites!
The Nautical City Festival has grown and changed a lot over the 20+ years we've lived here, and we're proud to be part of this community tradition. We invite you to come out and experience it for a day, the weekend, or the week. See you there!
Activities take place throughout Rogers City. Expect to pay to participate in many of them. Most kids’ activities (not the rides) are free. For more information, please check out the Nautical City Festival website at https://rogerscitynauticalfestival.com.