Weekend Round-Up
By Colin Merry

Frankfort

Medallion Hunt
When: July 1st through the 4th. Clues revealed at 9am
Where: Clues revealed at Chamber of Commerce, Walentas and State Savings Bank
What: Treasure seekers must decipher clues in order to find the location of the Frankfort Medallion, worth $150 to whoever finds it.

Carnival
When: July 2nd through the 5th.
Thursday at 5 pm
Friday at 12 pm
Saturday at 10 am
Sunday 12-6 pm
Where: Frankfort Jr./Sr. High School
What: Schmidt Amusements Carnival, with midway games, rides and food vendors.

July 4th festivities
When: July 4th all throughout the day
Where: Throughout Frankfort
What: A full day of activities are scheduled for the 4th of July celebration in the port town of Frankfort on Lake Michigan. Festivities kick off with St. Anne’s pancake breakfast at 7:30 am, followed by a bicycle decorating contest at Graceland Fruit at 9:30. The annual 4th of July parade is at 10:00 am, with floats representing local businesses traveling down Forest and Main Street. Also starting at 10 am, Art in the Park, with arts and crafts vendors congregating in Mineral Springs Park until 4pm. The Lion’s Club Chicken Barbecue will also take place in Mineral Springs Park, starting at 12 pm. On the beach, a sand sculpture contest will be held between 12pm and 3pm. Participants are asked to sign up at the chamber office or at the entrance to the beach. Fireworks will be held at dusk at the Frankfort Beach. This year, one lucky raffle winner will be able to push the button to start the show. Visit http://www.frankfort-elberta.com/ for a full schedule and information.

Frankfort Farmers Market
When: July 4th from 8 am to 1 pm
Where: Open Space Park
What: Locally produced greens, meats and other food products will be available to purchase in a traditional farmers market setting. Come taste the difference small farming operations and hand-crafting can make.

Beulah

Celebration 2009
When: July 4th, all throughout the day
Where: Throughout Beulah
What: On Crystal Lake, Beulah will be holding a myriad of 4th of July activities. The 5k Firecracker Run starts at 8 am in Beulah Park, followed by the family walk and fun run at 8:30 am. For those who feel less like running and more like breakfast, the Hungry Tummy in the downtown area will be having a pancake breakfast buffet from 8am t o 11am. Kids games start in Beulah Park at 10:30am until noon, with face painting at 11am to 3pm. Scheduled children’s games begin at 2:30 pm with the “greased pole climb”, followed by a coin hunt on the beach at 3:30pm and a rubber duck race at 4:30pm. The annual Independence Day parade will be held in downtown Beulah at 1:30 pm. Snacks and picnic foods will be available in the park from 12 pm to whenever people stop eating. The fireworks show, which will be fired from a moving barge along the east shore of Crystal Lake, will be ignited around 10:30 pm.

Lake Ann

16th annual Lake Ann Homecoming
When: July 4th, with activities throughout the day
Where: Lake Ann
What: Lake Ann is hosting its own celebration on the 4th to honor the villages’ history.

The homecoming starts at 9 p.m. with an opening ceremony introducing the village’s officials and senior citizens. After the ceremony, things get kicked off with a vintage tractor and classic car parade through downtown Lake Ann at 11:00 a.m. Also, throughout the day, activities will be taking place such as an auction, a crafts and flea market, live music and children’s games. A barbecue lunch will be served at the Almira Township Hall from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., featuring BBQ pork, baked beans and other picnic favorites. Snack foods will also be available at vendors.

Manistee

National Forest Festival
When: July 1st-5th
Where: Manistee
What: Manistee’s popular National Forest Festival also takes place on the 4th of July weekend, bringing with it a host of events to keep visitors busy. The festival starts on the 1st of July, with a woodworking workshop and the official opening of the festival market place and food vendors starting at 10 a.m. Historical trolley tours start at 11 a.m. and the T.J. Schmidt & Company Carnival will be ready to go at 2 p.m. The festival market, food vendors and the carnival will continue every day during the festival. A variety of festivities continue over the next few days, with Texas hold em’ tournaments, art exhibits, bed races, live music, guided tours, animal exhibits, auctions, kids events and much, much more. The Scottville Clown Band will make several appearances, once during the parade at 10 am on the 4th and once on the 5th at 4pm at the beach. Fireworks will be held on the 3rd instead of the 4th.
There are many events spanning this multi-day festival, so visit the official website at http://www.manisteechamber.com/commitees/festival.htm for a full schedule and locations.