A bull rider attempts to hang on for 8 seconds during the rodeo at last year’s Huron Community Fair, one of the biggest events in the county each year.
Huron County has no shortage of activities
One of my jobs as the editor of the Huron Daily Tribune is to hire new reporters when we have staff move on to bigger and better things. When I’m interviewing potential reporters, I’m often asked what Huron County has to offer.
My answer is always the same — if you can’t find something to do in Huron County, you’re not looking hard enough.
Welcome to the 2025 Thumb Traveler book. Inside you will learn about many of the great communities in and around Huron County. Also contained in this book is a schedule of events occurring around the Upper Thumb from Memorial Day weekend through the end of the year. It’s massive.
There are so many festivals and events that occur here in Huron County that there’s no way you could get to all of them. And there’s something for everyone. Like a good cheeseburger and Jimmy Buffet music? The Cheeseburger in Caseville has you covered. What to enjoy some rides and 4-H
animals? Stop out to the Huron Community Fair. Are you a polka fan? Enjoy the Kinde Polka Fest. Want to hear a number of musical acts? Port Austin’s Porch Fest will suffice. Maybe you feel like some barbecue ribs? Stop out to Caseville’s Rib Stock. Is fish more your style? The Bay Port Fish Sandwich Festival should be on your list. Looking for something to do on the Fourth of July? Cass City’s Freedom Festival has a massive parade and tons of other activities.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Nearly every weekend in the Upper Thumb there is something going on during the summer. Some weekends there are several options.
But even if you aren’t looking for festival crowds, there are so many things to enjoy in and around Huron County. If you like the beach, we’ve got plenty. There are great campgrounds and state parks. You can take a kayak out to Turnip Rock. Grab some ice cream at one of the many ice cream shops around the area. Or visit one of the many breweries.
Eric Young
eric.young@hearstnp.com
Young has been the editor of the Huron Daily Tribune since August 2019.
On summer weekends there are farmers markets aplenty — many of the communities do a great job of gathering people together to sell their items.
The Upper Thumb is a beautiful area that is bustling with activities. But if you want some peace and quiet and some
alone time, we have that too.
In other words, just like I said at the beginning of this piece, Huron County has something for everyone. I’m proud to work and play in Huron County, and I hope you come out for a visit. Chances are you’ll find something you like.
Eric
Welcome to Huron County
Huron County is located in the Upper Thumb of Michigan. It is surrounded on three sides by water — Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron. The county has a land area of 824 square miles, which is 139 square miles greater than the average for the other 82 counties in the state. Of the 28 townships in the county, only 15 are about 36 square miles.
The irregular shore, 93 miles long, makes the other 13 townships irregular in size, ranging from one square mile (Pointe aux Barques Township) to 44 square miles (Sherman Township).
Bad Axe is the county seat and the
largest city, and has a population of just over 3,050 people. Harbor Beach and Caseville are the other cities in the county.
The villages are Elkton, Kinde, Owendale, Pigeon, Port Austin, Port Hope, Sebewaing and Ubly.
Huron County ranks as one of the top agricultural counties in Michigan based on agricultural farm income. Major crops grown in the county are corn, dry edible beans, sugar beets, wheat and oats. Major enterprises include dairy, livestock and poultry production.
Because of the natural beauty, ideal topography and sandy beaches,
Huron County has an ideal setting for the tourism industry.
The shoreline offers numerous opportunities for vacationers. There are two state parks — Sleeper State Park and Port Crescent State Park and two roadside parks — Jenks Park and Brown Park.
Also, Huron County maintains nine county parks along the shoreline, including Caseville Park, Lighthouse Park, Stafford Park, Wagener Park and Sebewaing Park, all of which offer overnight camping. Others are Philp Park, Port Austin Bird Creek Park, McGraw Park and Oak Beach Park, which are day use only parks.
Huron County Sheriff Kelly Hanson waves to those in attendance at the 2024 Port Austin Fourth of July parade.
Bad Axe: The hub of the Thumb
From unique shopping to a great tour of Huron County’s past, Bad Axe offers visitors a wide range of entertainment. With attractions like the Pioneer Log Cabin Village in City Park to the Huron Community Fair, a weeklong celebration in July through August, there’s always something happening in the heart of the Thumb.
Bad Axe got its unique name from Capt. Rudolph Pabst, a surveyor who mapped several trails between Harbor Beach and Sebewaing. Those trails would later become M-53 and M-142, which intersect Huron County vertically and horizontally, respectively.
The intersection where they meet
was dubbed “Bad Axe,” and the name took. Pabst, the story goes, established headquarters at an abandoned hunter’s camp where he found a broken axe. Bad Axe became the county seat of Huron County in 1873 and was incorporated as a village in 1885. Twenty years later, in 1905, it achieved city status.
Bad Axe plays host to the Huron Community Fair from July 27 through Aug. 2. The fairgrounds are abuzz with action and a wide array of activities for all ages.
But the fun doesn’t end with summer.
Another popular annual event in Bad Axe is the Fall Frenzy. This year will mark the fifth year, with the event being held Sept. 20.
Families gather at the small petting zoo area to visit the animals during last year’s Fall Frenzy. The petting zoo featured llamas, ducks, pigs and bunnies.
There’s always something to do in Bad Axe, just ask Santa Claus. He visits this city each November for the annual Christmas parade, which draws thousands into town.
A popular spot all year long is The Pioneer Log Village, 205 S. Hanselman St., which is the largest collection of authentically restored pioneer log buildings in Michigan. The six individual museums
include a pioneer home, general store, one-room school house, chapel, barn and a blacksmith shop. They were originally built between 1875 and 1900, and moved to this site from elsewhere around Huron County in the 1980s. All of the buildings are fully furnished to show what 19th Century pioneer life was like. And the chapel is available for weddings.
Kids enjoy one of the rides during the 2024 Huron Community Fair.
BAD AXE EVENT CALEN DAR
September 20th 5th Annual Fall Frenzy
Come join in on the endless family fun. Car Show, Craft Market, Face Painting, Bounce Houses, Petting Zoo, Bingo, Free Raffles, Food Trucks, Beer Tent, Free Carnival Rides, Music All Day with an evening Headliner Band Featuring Grand Funk Railroads Original Vocalist Mark Farner & His American Band, with Fireworks at the end.
October 1st Shop With A Hero Fundraising Drive
November 8th Mistletoe Market - Craft Show
Mistletoe Market-Craft Show with over 90 Vendors, Food, and Visits with Santa! Fun for the whole family. $1 admissions and kids under 12 free.
November 29th Tidings & Tinsel Christmas Events & Parade
Downtown Bad Axe. Food trucks, free kids movie, ornament decorating, caroling, storybook reading, and tree lighting.
Nov. 30th-Dec. 24th Letters to
Huron Out
Huron Travel
Hyzer, Hill, Kuzak & Co PC Independent Bank
Integrit cleaning & Organizing
Jake s Plumbing & Heating
Joe Ricci’s Ordus Ford
J.W Hunt OTC, Inc
Kevin Rice State Farm Agency Kincaid Elec
MD
7 Questions with Thumb area’s pet-finding drone operator
By Katy Snodgrass Staff writer
If you’ve ever lost a pet, then you know the whirlwind of emotions that take over your body all too well: Fear, anxiety, desperation, depression and most importantly hope.
That beacon of hope is essential for anyone in the Thumb area to find their beloved furry friend due to the ruralness of the area and the large amount of densely wooded-areas.
In enters Aerial Solutions, a local business dedicated to helping people find their lost animals using drone
thermal imaging.
In this edition of “7 Questions,” the Tribune had a conversation with Jamie Panduren, the creator and sole drone operator of Aerial Solutions, and asked him seven questions about what it’s like flying drones and reuniting families with their beloved animals.
Q: Would you mind starting by telling me a little bit about yourself? Where you grew up, went to school, etc.
A: I went to school in Marlette and I live in Imlay City now. Mostly how I started doing this, I originally bought my
drone to find people’s deer but that’s not legal in Michigan yet. Then about nine months ago, I got call asking if I could help find their dog. So I went out and helped them find the dog. But yeah, that’s kind of how I got started on it. I do remodeling as my normal job, but this has kind of taken over. I get at least four calls a day.
Q: How did you first get into flying drones and how long have you been flying them?
A: I’ve been flying them for probably a year and a half. I bought my first one on Amazon and crashed that and figured
I might as well buy a real expensive one. And yea, there was no real reason for it.
Q: What’s the process like to become a certified drone pilot?
A: To do anything with the public you have to be certified through the FFA. And that’s a course you take and get a license through them. It’s an online course but to get the actual certification for the exam you have to go to an airport to take the test. If you want to just fly your drone in your yard or in parks you can get a recreational license but if
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you want to make any money off of it you have to be certified for that.
Q: How did you start utilizing your drone flying skills to help find lost animals? Was that something that happened kind of organically?
A: Uh practice. A lot of practice. There really is no written book on how to do it. So when someone calls me I have a list of questions to ask them like what kind of breed it is,
if they like to run a lot.
For example, huskies like to run a lot so when someone calls me for a husky I kind of got it in my head that they’re a ways away. Yeah, there’s a lot of different things, you want to know if their neutered or spayed. If the dog has any kind of physical issue that would keep them from running, I get calls sometimes for a blind or deaf dog. It depends too the area, like out in the country where we’re at they can
An up close view of the thermal imaging drone Jamie Panduren uses when searching for lost animals. Behind the drone are Panduren’s own two dogs.
(Photo Courtesy of Aerial Soltuions)
go forever. I’ve found dogs tangled up in barb wire, I’ve had three of them took off with a leash still attached and they get tangled up on trees.
Q: Can you briefly walk me through what the steps are to finding a lost animal once you are called in to help?
A: Basically someone calls me and I’ll go through a bunch of different questions about the dog, where they’re at, if they’ve run off before. A lot of the times I can just tell if the dog is going to return on its own and if I think it’s going to come home on its own I don’t want to charge people.
But I’ll go out to people’s homes or parks where the dog took off from and start from
there. Sometimes I have to get special permission because there’s air space I can’t fly in. Then I’ll set up my search and search for about two and a half hours and after that, if I can’t find them, I’ll call the search until there’s a sighting.
If I do find their dog and its out in the woods or the fields I’ll call the people and tell them I found them and over the phone guide them to where the dog is at. Most of the time I can guide the owner to where they’re at, but you’d be surprised if the dog is out for a few hours they start to get scared and won’t come to the owners. It’s a process for sure, I’ve had some where it takes an hour or two to coax the dog out.
Q: What advice do you have to others who want to start flying drones?
A: I mean flying drones, it’s a fun hobby but it takes — so many people now a days are getting so paranoid about drones. About one in every five times I go out with my drone I get people coming out and yelling at me. A lot of people think they own the air space above their homes, but I’m not flying around looking into people’s house. I mean flying drones is fun, but in the wrong hands they can be annoying.
But when I’m looking for dogs I’m usually about 200 feet in the air, I’m not invading your privacy at all. But to do with drones what I’m doing with the pets, you have to like dogs
obviously. It’s also kind of time consuming, I get calls at 1 a.m., which I don’t love those calls, but I go out and do it.
Q: Is there anything you want the community to know about you or Aerial Solutions?
A: I want people to be aware of what we do because so many people — even though its been close to a year — they don’t know about it. The word is getting out more but I just want people to call. I’ll get tagged in posts a million times but the owners won’t ever call and I don’t know why. I want people to know we do livestock too, I found a couple of cows yesterday and some sheep over in Marlette too.
By Katy Snodgrass Staff writer
If you’ve ever walked through downtown Bad Axe, odds are you passed by the Huron County Building.
And if you’re nosey like me, you probably wondered what in the world goes on in there.
Schnettler
One of the many organizations that calls the county building home is the Huron County Economic Development Corporation, a public, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the local industries within the Thumb area.
In this edition of “7
Questions,” explore the role of the EDC and its impact on local communities through the eyes of its leader: Samantha Schnettler.
Q: Would you mind starting by telling me a little bit about yourself? Where you grew up, went to school, etc.
A: I am also not from Michigan, I am from North Carolina. I went to school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and met my husband down there and he is from Michigan. He’s from a small town outside of Bay City called Munger.
Corporation is and does?
A: So the Economic Development Corporation is a nonprofit entity in the county and we are county wide.
My office and Tuscola’s office, we were actually created by governments. We are unique in that we exist because of an actual government ordinance and the county commissioners voted to create our office, but we are not a government office.
Across the state, there are offices just like ours at the county level and the municipal level. Like Lansing is a great example. Lansing has an EDC just for Lansing itself and then the county has another office.
So we knew when I was finished with school that we wanted to move back to Michigan, but we wanted to be closer to the water. So we started looking across the state and the Thumb really ticked off a lot of boxes.
It’s an affordable place to live, a really close knit community, a sense of family in the people that are here whether they’re your family or not. We were really attracted to that, so we toured a bunch of houses, picked our favorite one and 15 years later, we’re still here.
Q: For those who don’t know, would you mind explaining what exactly the Huron County Economic Development
And economic development is really a nuanced term, it can mean a lot of different things. It’s really separated into two different camps: There’s economic development then there’s community development. In larger population areas, there would be both offices that would exist, but in rural settings there’s usually one office that wears a lot of hats.
My organization was created essentially for four purposes. Those purposes include reducing the unemployment, so we want to support programs that help to reduce unemployment.
In this “7 Questions,” explore the role of the Huron County Economic Development Corporation and its impact on local communities through the eyes of its leader: Samantha Schnettler.
And then we work to retain and assist industrial and commercial enterprises. Industrial and commercial enterprises are typically your larger employers. A lot of times people think about economic development they think about small business. Small businesses are typically served by your chamber of commerce. But our main focus are those large employers, the county’s largest employment groups.
The third thing that we are empowered to do is to promote economic activity in agriculture and manufacturing. Our agriculture community obviously is our largest economic driver here in Huron County. So we exist to serve them and provide programs for them. The same goes for manufacturing, which is our second largest economic driver here.
Finally, and this is little known by a lot of folks, but the act that created us — Act 338 of 1974 — also empowers us to encourage renewable energy production. So when it comes to things like solar power, wind power, EV charging, that sort of accessibility that is something we were created to support and assist with.
Q: Can you explain what your role with the Huron County Economic Development Corporation is and what some of
your responsibilities are?
A: So I run the organization and we are in what’s called Prosperity Region 6 and there are seven counties in that region. I guess I should also say that I run two counties. Even though we are sitting here in Huron County I represent Huron and Sanilac County.
So, out of the seven counties — there’s also Tuscola, Shiawassee, Lapeer, Genesee and St. Clair — we all work together on regional projects. Some of those projects might be things like art and place making. Every year, we band together as a region and we apply to the state for funding to do various projects throughout the region.
Last year one of the things we focused on was large scale 3D printing. So, what my office did with our funding was donate a 3D printer to the (Huron Area) Technical Center for the students there.
But another thing we did was — every year there’s an MI STEM fair. They put on these massive STEM fairs at the fairground, they bring all the students from across the county to the fair. We brought in someone who 3D prints houses, like houses people actually live in.
So, it’s a massive 3D printer and it would pour concrete and form a house. For the STEM fair,
we had them make benches and flower boxes, but it was to teach and show the students the future of 3D printing.
Probably my everyday, like day-to-day job is that I meet with the county’s largest employers and talk to them about their challenges. So, I’ll go sit down with a CEO and maybe a few of their key staff members and we’ll talk about what are your barriers to growth, what are your barriers to expansion, what are you seeing challenges with. Then, I work with them or alongside them on solutions to those.
Q: How long have you been involved with the EDC and what inspired you to join?
A: I’ve been here just over a year now. Prior to here, I was a small business owner and I worked on a lot of those economic development and
community development projects. I’ve participated in a lot of different place making activities but also just working with business owners and recognizing and understanding their challenges.
So when the former executive director announced he was retiring, he had been here for 37 years, I already had a sort of long term vision that this was the next step for me and just took it.
Q: Do you have a favorite part of your job? Or a least favorite?
A: I don’t have a least favorite. I would say my absolute favorite part of my job is when I get to go meet with business owners throughout the counties and they give me a first-hand, indepth look at what they do. People have no idea the diversity
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of industry and the really cool jobs that people have throughout this county.
You know, sometimes you’re driving down a road, you drive past a barn and you don’t think anything about it. But then later, I might learn that in that barn is the largest furniture manufacturer in the midwest and that it’s all being run off of robots. That is without a doubt the coolest part of this job and my favorite thing when I get to do those business visits with the owners.
Also just hearing from people, especially business owners, what drives them. What was it that spurred them to either start this business or sometimes they’re carrying on the legacy
of a parent or grandparent who started the business. And when you are sitting down and talking to somebody who this is their baby and this is their life’s work, that’s the coolest thing. That fills my cup, I get a lot out of that.
Q: What are some of the things you have planned for the future of the EDC as the new executive director?
A: What I envision for the next steps of the EDC is engaging in a strategic priorities initiative. A successful strategic priorities initiative would engage the community in helping us to define what our priorities should be, so that is sort of our next big lift.
You know, I’m governed by a board, I have 10 bosses and so this is what we have been discussing over the last couple
months. What does our next iteration of our organization look like and that has to be shaped by the community’s needs and driven by those strategic priorities.
So we will begin, in earnest, in February of next year a strategic priorities initiative and that will likely take the full year, if not a couple months into 2026.
But we wanted to involve community stakeholders, we want our focus to be defined by the community that we serve. So that’s our next step.
Q: What’s one thing you want the community to know about you or the EDC? Or is there anything coming up with the EDC you want to share with the public?
A: The EDC does play a lot of these behind the scenes roles
that people don’t recognize or necessarily attribute to economic development being a part of that. There’s a whole host of those things that happen throughout the community that we’ve not necessarily tooted our horn about, but we provide some of those vital services throughout the community.
For communities and businesses when they are considering projects within their downtown or expansions, any of those types of things, we’re here to work with them. You know, if we can’t provide direct service support, we know who can and we’re there to help connect communities and businesses to the resources that exist whether it’s at the state level, federal level or even locally.
Caseville: The Thumb’s Key North
Caseville has celebrated more than 100 summers on the beautiful Saginaw Bay, but the fun is just beginning. The city is famous for its sandy beaches, marina facilities, breathtaking beauty, and of course, its fishing.
The city was settled in 1836 by Reuben Dodge. Lumbering was an important early industry with the first sawmill constructed in 1852. Other important early industries were
shipbuilding and salt mining.
Famous visitors include President William McKinley, who vacationed in Caseville as a young man.
Caseville boasts one of Michigan’s most popular beaches. A harbor of refuge and great boating facilities bring anglers to the area in search of walleye, perch, trout, salmon and more.
Caseville also plans a number of events
throughout the year for the enjoyment of visitors and local residents. Some of the annual events include Cheeseburger in Caseville, Shanty Days, Country RibStock, the Caseville Walleye Tournament, a spectacular fireworks display, Pumpkin Festival and the Holly Berry Fair. Cheeseburger has proven to be wildly popular as thousands flock to the city as it transforms itself into
“Key North,” complete with wacky events, cool tunes, tasty burgers and tropical attire.
Caseville also features a park east of Clay Street. It has a two-court tennis court, horseshoe pits, playground equipment, a ball diamond and restrooms. There’s also a ball field and playground equipment at Caseville Public School.
Go karts, a giant slide,
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People packed Caseville for last year’s annual Parade of Tropical Fools, part of the Cheeseburger in Caseville, Wednesday night.
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miniature golf and bumper boats also are available in the community.
Caseville Municipal Harbor on Dock Street has spaces for boats as long as 70 feet. Slips are rented on a first-come, first-serve basis. More than 60 slips are available. The harbor is within walking distance of the business district. The marina has diesel gas pumpout, launch ramp and laundry facilities.
Filion Road Public Access, located four miles west of Caseville on Wild Fowl Bay, has a class-one boat ramp, suitable for small trailer-able boats. The access has channel markers, and the area can handle boats up to 16 feet in
length. A skid pier for the handicapped and concrete ramp are located at this site. The area has two handicapped-accessible vault toilets and handicappedaccessible parking.
Caseville’s Inner Bay alone contains 300,000 shallow sandy acres — truly an angler’s paradise.
Its Outer Bay, however, with depths to 90 feet and countless reefs, offers excellent walleye, salmon and lake trout fishing.
The Charity Islands located in the Outer Bay have a reputation of producing limitcatches from the surrounding deep water reefs.
For more information about Caseville, visit www. casevillechamber.com.
Ribs are prepared during the 2024 Caseville Ribstock event.
• Countr y Bands • Ribs, Ribs, Ribs • Line Dancing
• Rib Cook Off & Much More!
The Cheeseburger Festival is a yearly food event in Caseville, Michigan. It celebrates the classic American cheeseburger Caseville transforms into Key North for this 10 day festival that celebrates the lifestyle & music made popular by Jimmy Buffett. Music by dozens of performers & bands. Fun events for all ages: Kiddie Parade, Free Kids Day, Row-Row-Row Your Cardboard Boat, Beach Volleyball, Sand Castles, Golf Scrambles, Car Show & Much More!
SEPTEMBER 20th, 2025
• Pumpkin Decorating Contest
• Hay Rides
• Lighted Evening Parade & More! 5th Annual
Sept. 26th-28th &Oct. 3rd-5th Harvest Festival Weekends Sleeper State Park 23rd Annual
OCTOBER 25th,
In 2021 Caseville Merchants brewed up this amazing little event full of witchy specials and fun! The day is packed full of activities with fun places to eat and shop followed by an official walk through town at dusk. The fun doesn’t stop there as there is still time for all kinds of music, glow in the dark parties and a Witch’s Ball!
Family-run seasonal farm trying to make a name for itself
By Jhyrah DeLapp Staff writer
Szymanski’s Creekside Acres is “more than a Christmas tree” farm. To Lisa Szymanski, owner of Creekside Acres, it is her own Hallmark movie moment.
Creekside Acres was accepted as a 2024 Eastern Michigan Small Business Network cohort.
As part of the Small Business Support Hub program grant award from the Michigan Economic
Development Corporation, the Small Business Cohort is “trying to create the next generation of companies for all the communities that are a part of the cohort,” Dan Casey, St. Clair County Economic Development Alliance CEO, said.
The cohort is made up of 40 business across the following six counties: Shiawassee, Lapeer, Tuscola, Huron, Sanilac,
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Bird Creek Park
Bird Creek Park is a day-use area, 7-acre park located just east of the Port Austin Harbor. It features a large sandy beach, boardwalk, pavilion, shing, rest rooms and showers.
Caseville Public Beach
Caseville Public Beach is a large, active public beach located at the north end of Caseville. It has a bathhouse, breakwall, shelters, running water and picnicking facilities.
Eagle Bay Public Access
Eagle Bay Public Access is two miles east of Port Austin on Pointe aux Barques Road and has picnicking facilities.
Oak Beach County Park
Oak Beach County Park is a moderately active public beach located eight miles southwest of Port Austin on M-25. Restroom facilities and pavilions for picnics are available. Swimming, shing and camping are o ered.
Philp Park
Philp Park is a small, secluded beach and roadside park located ve miles northeast of Caseville on M-25. It has picnicking facilities and swimming.
Port Crescent State Park
Harbor Beach Public Bathing Beach
Harbor Beach Public Bathing Beach is an active public beach in downtown Harbor Beach. It is sta ed with lifeguards from mid-June through Labor Day. It features a picnic and playground area. Picnic tables and grills are located in the shaded portion of the park. There are two sand volleyball courts and a restroom building.
Jenks Park
Port Crescent State Park is located ve miles southwest of Port Austin on M-25 and is a large, active public beach. The beach at the campgrounds is for campers only. The day use beach is located seven miles southwest of Port Austin. A vehicle permit is required to get into the beach which has a boardwalk, bathhouse, running water, shelter and picnicking facilities.
Sleeper State Park
Jenks Park is a moderately active public beach located four miles southwest of Port Austin on M-25. Pit toilets, running water, hand pump and picnicking facilities are available. Day use only, no camping.
Lighthouse County Park
Lighthouse County Park is located nine miles east of Port Austin on M-25. There isn’t a bathing beach, but there is secluded sunbathing in the park. Featured are a lighthouse, museum, shelters, running water and picnicking facilities.
McGraw Park
Sleeper State Park is located ve miles northeast of Caseville on M-25. The shoreline features a half mile of Lake Huron beach, including an inland area with nature trails. A campground is located across M-25 from the beach area and features a pedestrian overpass. Entrance to the park requires a motor vehicle permit. The day-use area is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Beach area has bathhouse, picnic shelter, running water and picnicking facilities.
Thompson Scenic Outlook
Thompson Scenic Outlook is a small secluded beach and roadside park located ve miles northeast of Caseville on M-25. It has picnicking facilities.
McGraw Park is a moderately active, public beach located seven miles southwest of Port Austin on M-25. It has a day-use area, o ers swimming, hiking trails, shing, playground, ush toilets, running water and picnicking.
Wagener County Park
Wagener County Park is located ve miles south of Harbor Beach on M-25. A small, secluded beach is at the east end of the park. It has shower and rest room facilities. The park has launch facilities, a picnic area, playground and a wooded hiking trail. Pets are allowed.
THUMB AREA Beaches
Gagetown: Home of the Octagon Barn
Gagetown is a small town with a great claim to fame — the Thumb Octagon Barn.
The Thumb Octagon Barn, a truly unique historical site, was built in 1923-24 for James and Cora Purdy by builders George and John Munro. The Purdys lived in an elegant 12-room home built in 1919-22.
The Octagon Barn stands about four stories tall and boasts an enclosed space of about
8,600 square feet. There’s a large loft on six sides of the barn, which provides 6,200 square feet of storage space above in addition to stables, tack rooms and grain storage areas below.
The barn originally featured an overhead tramway as well as a sophisticated ventilation system.
Friends of the Thumb Octagon Barn is a group of area volunteers who have diligently
committed themselves to the restoration and preservation of the barn complex for the community.
The group’s vision is to, “develop the Thumb Octagon Barn complex for the community as an agricultural museum and educational center open to individuals, families and student groups to educate and stimulate awareness of our agricultural heritage.”
The barn is located one
mile east of Gagetown and one mile north on Richie Road in Tuscola County, just south of the Huron County border.
September brings fall to the Upper Thumb and Fall Family Days to the Octagon Barn. Proceeds go toward efforts to preserve the historical gem.
For more information about the Thumb Octagon Barn, visit www. thumboctagonbarn.org/.
Fall-like weather didn’t keep the crowds away from the Thumb Octagon Barn’s Fall Family Days last year.
Cass City has something for everyone
Wonderful lodging accommodations, public golf courses, great fishing — think Cass River — state game hunting areas, and a scenic walking trail are just some of the hallmarks of this charming village.
Home to an outstanding library, a classic movie theater, fantastic playscape, bowling facilities, assorted eateries, unique retail shopping, and an excellent community hospital, Cass City truly offers something for everyone — residents and visitors alike.
Cass City, home of astronaut Brewster Shaw, sports an impressive recreation area, complete with baseball diamonds, lighted tennis and basketball courts, playground equipment, picnic facilities and a community swimming pool that hosts classes and open swimming. It’s a hub of activity in the spring and summer months.
Speaking of summer activity, this
village is typically home to one of the biggest and most action-packed Fourth of July festivals around. The annual event draws thousands from around the Upper Thumb and state to this tiny haven which exudes friendliness and hospitality. People line the streets of Cass City for the monster parade before heading to the park for various activities. Games for kids of all ages, arts and crafts and the flea market are big draws. Dozens of teams enter the 3-on-3 basketball tournament, and the festival wouldn’t be complete without the antique cars and renowned fireworks that light up the sky.
With the winter months comes Christmas in the Village with a craft show, carriage rides and Santa’s arrival, to keep the fun rolling throughout the year.
Two golf courses and a first-rate library round out the
One of the popular parts of the annual Freedom Festival is the 3-on-3 basketball tournament each year.
various recreational gems.
And anglers will find great fishing at the Cass River while hunters set out at the state game hunting areas. The downtown is home to an abundant amount of specialty shops, perfect for a day of shopping.
So whether it’s the high-energy action that the town’s festivals supply or a more relaxing pace on the golf course or strolling through the downtown shops, Cass City truly is home to “something for everyone.”
and St. Clair. At least five companies from each of the six counties are guaranteed acceptance.
“We are a seasonal farm,” Szymanski said. “Our main thing is Christmas season, but we also have a sunflower trail, a pumpkin patch, and we're looking forward to some new things this year that we're planning.”
Creekside Acres also has a gift shop for people to purchase items such as decor, plant pots, and more local products. At its sugar plum shack, people can purchase fresh baked goods and beverages to wash them down. While people enjoy the items they purchased, they can also warm up in Creekside’s Grain Bin Gazebo.
Throughout the holiday season, Creekside Acres has hosted multiple family events such as breakfast with Santa, reading with Mrs. Claus, and hanging with farm animals.
Creekside Acres has completed its third year of selling Christmas trees. It only sold precut options this year; however, it has been planting around 500 Christmas trees annually with the hopes of its first mature batch coming within four years. It can take a Christmas tree anywhere from seven to 10 years from planting to be fully mature.
One of the resources provided to the cohorts is a service provider network, encompassing approximately 24 companies that fall under
Deckerville welcomes visitors to Homecoming festival
Named for the man who created a lumber business here in the late 1800s, Charles Decker, Deckerville is nestled in the northeastern corner of Sanilac County.
With a history intense in pioneer and Indian lore, Deckerville has seen many industries, including wool and flax mills, fur trading, brick making and even sauerkraut and cheese factories.
With a population just over 800, the community sports its own school district, hospital and even a village newspaper, the Deckerville Recorder, which has been in
business since 1892.
The summer highlight is the Deckerville Homecoming festival, which occurs in August, complete with sidewalk sales, garage sales, tractor pulls and other activities at Wilson Park in town and the Sportsmen’s Club located on Goetz Road, about five miles east of town.
The Deckerville Library is built on a historical site which originally was an Episcopal Church built in 1880, and then converted to a library in 1923.
The original church structure still is part of the library today.
Marketing Direc
Accommodations
Bad Axe
Ameriway Inn & Suites
898 N. Van Dyke Road
989-269-3200
www.ameriwayinnandsuites.com
Bad Axe Motel
1595 S. Van Dyke Road
Cabins of Caseville 5924 & 5946 Port Austin Road
989-621-6458
cabins@snlprop.com www.snlprop.com
989-975-2203 or 989-269-6997
Franklin Inn
1070 E. Huron Ave.
989-269-9951 or 800-645-0211
facebook.com/frankininnmotorlodge/
Bottoms Up
809 E. Huron Ave.
989-269-5041
Holiday Inn Express 55 Rapson Road 989-269-5293 www.hiexpress.com
Caseville Lakefront Homes 5946 and 5924 Port Austin Road, Caseville 248-421-4086
Crews’ Lakeside Resort
4750 Port Austin Road 989-856-2786 www.crewslakesideresort.com
Fox’s Lodge at Oak Pointe 5857 Port Austin Road 989-856-3055 foxslodgeatoakpointe.com
Purple Martin Rentals 8038 Crescent Beach Rd 989-551-9463 Harbor Beach Harbor Beach Inn 722 State St. 989-479-9424
Motel Huron 1115 S. Lakeshore Road 989-479-9162
Port Austin
85ten Hotel & Event Center
8510 Lake Street MI
989-738-8510
Beachcomber Motel
158 W. Spring St. 989-738-8354 www.beachcomberpa.com
Blue Spruce Motel
8527 Lake St.
989-738-8650
Lucky Horseshoe Motel and Cabins
8527 Lake St. 989-738-8650
stayinportaustin.com/about-blue-spruce
Port Austin Bed & Breakfast 8526 Lake St. 989-738-0361 www.portaustinbedandbreakfast.com
Sun & Sand Motel
stayinportaustin.com/about-blue-spruce
4 Shore Cottages
60 W. Spring St. www.4shorescottages.com
Krebs Lane Cottages
2966 Port Austin Road
891 Port Austin Road 989-738-7513
Port Hope
Forest Bay Cottages 2888 N. Lakeshore 989-428-4335 Forestbay1@hotmail.com
Lightkeepers Cottages
7432 Lighthouse Road 989-553-6960
989-738-8548 or 313-886-5752 www.krebslancecottages.com or krebslane@gmail.com
Lake Vista Motel & Cottages
168 W. Spring St. 989-738-8612 www.lakevistaresort.com
Lakeside Motor Lodge 8654 Lake St. 989-738-5201
Little Yellow Cottages 114 Union St 989-402-4813
www.lightkeepersporthope.com
Sebewaing
Airport Motel
647 W Sebewaing St 989-883-3320 facebook.com/Airport Motel 989-883-3320
Harbor Beach has enjoyment
Nestled on the shores of Lake Huron is Harbor Beach, a close-knit community noted for its local businesses and friendly atmosphere.
Harbor Beach has the world’s greatest man-made fresh water harbor. It’s picturesque lighthouse built in the 19th Century is the focal point for breathtaking natural beauty of the harbor, located on the sunrise side of the Upper Thumb.
Originally founded in 1836 as Sand Beach, the town’s livelihood has always
A kid gets their face painted during the 2024 Maritime Festival.
revolved around the lake. It’s also home to large industrial leaders as well as a U.S. Coast Guard Station.
One of Michigan’s most famous statesmen, Frank Murphy, was a native of Harbor Beach. His birthplace, now the Frank Murphy Museum on Huron Avenue, is set up to tell the world about one of our former U.S. Supreme Court justices, ambassadors and governors.
As you drive downtown, you’ll want to take a closer look at the Community House, which is decorated
with a two-story mural depicting the history of Harbor Beach.
With a gymnasium, meeting rooms and movie theater, the Community House is the center of many events in Harbor Beach.
The city’s Maritime Festival has made a big splash among area events. This year’s event will feature free music and other free events.
Several city parks offer a variety activities. Davidson Park, off Court Street, has tennis and basketball courts. Judge James H.
Lincoln Park is home to volleyball nets, beach, pier, playground and more. Adjacent to the Harbor Beach Marina, Water Works Park, and it offers a pavilion and cottages that are available for rent. Nearby is North Park Campground, which offers all modern amenities.
The city is also home to the Harbor View Trail, as well as the PFC Brian Backus Nature Trail, with access points at North Park Campground and Pierce Road.
Launch your boat at the
Harbor Beach Marina for great fishing and water sports. The marina features more than 100 boat slips, six boat ramps, restrooms and shower facilities, a fish cleaning station, diesel and gasoline fuel, and pump-out facilities.
Other sites to see include the city’s farmers market and the Harbor Beach Lighthouse. Tours of the lighthouse are held regularly throughout the tourist season, and more information is available at harborbeachlighthouse.org.
What’s better than yoga? How about yoga on the beach? That’s what was available to participate in at last year’s Maritime Festival.
from Page 26
the following categories: accounting, business consulting/advisors, legal, marketing, translation, and other relevant services.
The cohorts are allotted a $7,000 budget to use this service provider network. They can access this network even after their cohort year until they use the full $7,000 budget, or until 2026 when the grant period ends.
Creekside Acres used the provider network to acquire marketing assistance, to get the word out about the business to the community.
“We're really trying to focus on letting people know that we are here because we're so new,” Szymanski said. “A lot of people don't know that we
even exist, so marketing is kind of one of our big things. We chose to work with Business Soil out of Harbor Beach, and they helped us establish a new website, recreate our logo design, and just all things marketing. I'm still working with them; we're still finishing off a few things that we were going to do. We chose to focus for us on marketing our business and setting us up for next season and next year.”
Business Soil also created a Hulu Ad for Creekside Acres, helping to draw more interest to the business. The work didn’t stop there, as it also helped the Szymanskis redesign their website to make everything more cohesive and enabled patrons to sign up for workshops and events
directly through their website instead of through third parties.
Another resource allocated to EM-SBN cohorts is the one-on-one business advisor. These new business owners are able to talk through their business from top to bottom, with someone who has ample years of experience in similar industries.
“The cohort was a really great tool, to have a professional go through your business from start to finish and find those issues and deficiencies is priceless,” Szymanski said. “Then they offer solutions based off of what they’ve gone through and how they would operate.”
The cohort has also been a great way for Creekside to network with other new small businesses going through similar ups and downs.
Creekside Acres has a working relationship with Thistle Gate Farms, another 2024 EM-SBN cohort. Creekside has sold Thistle Gate’s products, honey, before out of its shop and plans to sell more in the future.
Creekside Acres has closed for winter and will reopen in the spring, around May or June.
For more information, visit Szymanski’s Creekside Acres website, social media, or call 989550-9006.
Szymanski’s Creekside Acres, a 2024 EM-SBN cohort, blends holiday magic with growth. From Christmas trees to sunflowers, discover how this farm is becoming a year-round destination.
Elkton is the town with a smile
Elkton is a friendly community known for its many activities, including Autumnfest, which welcomes people from all over Michigan on Labor Day weekend. Games and activities keep the kids busy, and there are a host of attractions for the adults too. Good food, musical entertainment, tractor pulls, and one of the largest car shows in the Thumb are other amenities. The grand parade kicks off Autumnfest in spectacular tradition and fireworks cap off a nonstop busy day.
The fourth weekend in September has the town going all out for Museum Weekend, where the historical society’s Heritage Center, log cabin and blacksmith’s barn are open with
displays of the past. There are bouncy houses, games, a petting zoo, and carriage rides around town to see some of the historical sites. Added to this is a street fair with vendors, music, family
activities and more. This concludes on Sunday with an antique baseball game.
The town rolls out the red carpet for Halloween night for trunk-ortreating, with cars lining up and down Main Street.
This is in addition to trick-or-treating around town, and other kids activities.
The gazebo in the center of town lights the way for the Christmas holidays. As Santa and Mrs. Santa cruise through town on a horse drawn carriage, the streets come alive with the annual holiday celebration, which includes a cookie walk, dinners, giveaways, cookie decorating, and a craft sale. Children’s laughter can be heard all over town.
Elkton Parks and Recreation have activities all year long, either monthly or bi-monthly, from movies and music in the park, free ice cream and popcorn, to other outdoor entertainment.
The town with a smile welcomes you.
There were plenty of tractors featured in the 2024 Autumn Fest parade.
A parade participant waves to those in attendance during the 2024 Autumn Fest.
7 Questions with the Elkton Coney Guys
By Katy Snodgrass Staff writer
Picture this: While wandering around a local fair, you take in all the sites, play some rigged games and take a spin on sketchy fair rides. Suddenly, your stomach starts growling menacingly at you. This is not a hunger that just an elephant ear or a random deep fried food item will take care of though.
This is a hunger only the Coney Guys can solve. Nick Johnson is an Elkton resident and owner of the Elkton Coney Guys.
His dutiful wife, Cindy, works alongside him as they travel around the Thumb whipping up delicious dogs for everyone and every occasion.
In this rendition of “7 Questions,” Johnson talks all things Coney dogs and Coney Guys.
Q: Tell me about how the Coney Guys came to be. Whose idea was it and how did you make it come to life?
A: Well it’s kind of a long story, but I will try to make it short. Basically, I could not find a Coney sauce
Continued on Page 36
Continued from Page 35
that I liked. So I called my mom who was in the stage of Alzheimer’s where she just repeats a lot of things, but she was able to write down a recipe with all the ingredients just to taste. I made a Coney sauce using her ingredients with my own measurements and had a cookout for everyone. My brother came to the cookout and asked why I’m not selling it. So I taught him over FaceTime how to make the sauce and that is how we got started. He is the Coney Guy in Midland and I am the Coney Guy in Elkton.
Q: How long have the Coney Guys been operating?
A: This is our second full year. About two and a half years, I would say.
Q: What is your favorite
part about running this business?
A: My favorite part would have to be working with my wife. She was nervous at first if she could handle me for 24 hours, but I joked it would not be that long because she sleeps for six or eight hours at night. But that is definitely the nicest thing to come out of it I would say.
Q: Do you have a favorite menu item to eat or make? If so, what is it and why?
A: I do not. My menu is small, you know, I have my Coney dogs and Sasquatch dogs. I also make nachos and walking tacos with my sauce as the meat. So it is not a big menu but you can make it in all different ways. If I had to pick a favorite
Continued on Page 40
Cass City Farmers Market:
Thursdays, 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. June – August. Cass City Farmers Market, on Main Street in front of Rotary Park. For more information, call 989-872-4311
Market on Main, Caseville:
Saturdays, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. May 24 – October 4. Market on Main, on Main Street in Caseville. For more information call 989-856-3818 or email: email@casevillechamber.com
Harbor Beach Farmers Market:
Pigeon Farmers Market:
Fridays, Noon – 5:00 p.m. May 23 – October 10. Harbor Beach Farmers Market, at Murphy Museum. For more information, call Barb at 989-553-3317 or email: tupperbarb1@yahoo.com
Port Austin Farmers Market:
Fridays, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. May 9 – October 24, Pigeon Farmers Market, Downtown Pigeon. For more information, email: pigeonfarmersmarket@gmail.com, visit www.pigeonchamber.com/farmersmarket or text 989-545-5240
Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. May 17 – October 4. Port Austin Farmers Market, downtown Port Austin. For more information, call 989-551-8100 or email: farmersmarket@portaustinarea.com
Elkton’s Nick Johnson, right, has a passion for chili dogs, and he’s turned that passion into a small business, The Coney Guys. Above, Nick poses for a photo with his wife, Cindy, and grandson, Roman.
Pigeon ushers in Farmer’s Summerfest
Located between Bay Port and Elkton is Pigeon, one of the Thumb’s most proud communities.
One of the highlights this summer is the Pigeon Summerfest, which includes community events and games for kids. Summerfest returned last year after a year off due to the pandemic.
A drive through Pigeon reveals mile after mile of picturesque fields that produce corn, sugar beets, wheat and a variety of beans. The Cooperative Elevator Co.’s grain elevator in Pigeon is the largest in the state, and supplies commodities to major food producers all over the world.
If it’s entertainment you crave, Pigeon’s got it. The Pigeon Band Shell, located in Pigeon Recreational Park, is known for its summer concerts.
Pigeon Recreational Park, located at the corner of Park Street and Rollie Smith Drive, features a picnic pavilion, playground area, ball fields, tennis courts, horseshoe pits and basketball hoops. South Park, on Main Street, has a picnic area and swings.
On Main Street, amid the local shops and businesses, is the elegant yet modern Pigeon District
Kids enjoy a foam party during the 2024 Pigeon Farmers Summerfest.
Library. It offers story hours for children, senior citizen activities and quilt shows.
Not far from the library is the Pigeon Historical Depot Museum. The Depot Museum is alongside the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad tracks that run through the middle of the village. Adjacent to the Museum is Pigeon’s farmer’s market.
The Christmas Town Lighting rings in the holiday season at the end of November, and the Pigeon Chamber of Commerce is active in promoting the town and its businesses with special events throughout the year.
Participants battle in a softball tournament during last year’s Pigeon Farmers Summerfest
June 2025- July 2026
Event Schedule
2025
JUNE 5 || Farmers’ Summerfest BBQ Fundraiser at Bay Port State Bank
JULY 17-20 || Farmers’ Summerfest
AUG 7 || Pigeon Police & Fire BBQ Fundraiser at Bay Port State Bank
OCT 3 || Fall Harvest Celebration
NOV 28 || Town Lighting Celebration DEC 19 || Town Lighting Contest Judging
2026
MARCH 28 || Easter Egg Hunt
MAY 2 || Casino Night Fundraiser
MAY 8 || Ladies Day / Night Out
JUNE 4 || Farmers’ Summerfest BBQ Fundraiser at Bay Port State Bank
JULY 16-19 || Farmers’ Summerfest
OPEN MAY - OCTOBER Fridays 9am -3pm
JULY 18TH Jedi Mind Trip JULY 19TH Outlaw’d
JULY 20TH Car Show
For a full list of events, scan the code!
though, it would be the Coney dog.
Q: The Coney Guys frequently travel around the Thumb and the state, do you have a favorite place you have visited?
My backyard is also like a campground, so we really like to hang out at home and have the kids and grand kids come over to play in the pool and that stuff.
Q: What is one thing you want the community to know about you or your business?
Band Shel l Pigeon Band Shell @ Pigeon Recreation Park
June 19: Stone Street Revival
A: No, I really like them all. Everybody is really good to us, especially after we have been once. After we visit once they always ask us to come back. So we really do not have a favorite, we like everywhere we go.
Q: Outside of the Coney Guys, do you and your wife have any favorite hobbies or pastimes?
A: The thing we really like to do is stuff with our grand kids. Whether it is babysitting or having oneon-one time for lunch.
A premier musical group focusing on great songs you don' t often hear and 70's hits
June 26: The Guardians
A southern gospel quar tet with a unique sound, sharing the gospel through their music since 1988.
July 10: Magic Bus Band
Get on the bus, take a ride, and relive the music as you’re transpor ted to the look and sound of 1967.
July 24: Gasoline Gypsies
Eight time Detroit Music Award winners sing rock and roll inspired by southern rock, countr y, bluegrass, and folk
August 7: Rhythm Society Orchestra
A 15-piece dance band specializing in true vintage swing music
A: In our particular community in Elkton, I really appreciate how they treat me. I just like the give and take of the community. So that is what I would really like the community to know is how much I appreciate them.
Correction: Nick Johnson’s brother was incorrectly credited in the original version of this story. The story has been updated to reflect the correction.
TICKE T PRICES
$6 Advance, $8 At the Gate, 12 & under FREE (accompanied by an adult)
ADVANCE TICKE T SALES LOCATIONS
Bay Por t State Bank: Bad Axe, Bay Por t, Pigeon, Sebewaing
Pigeon One Stop Shop: Pigeon
Pigeon Telephone Business O ffice: Pigeon
Scheurer Family Pharmac y : Sebewaing
Thumb Bank: Bad Axe, Caseville, Cass City, Pigeon
Thumb Cellular: Bad Axe, Caro, Pigeon, Sandusk y
or visit: Facebook.com/PigeonBandShell or pigeonbandshell.com
Photo by Karen Murphy.
Photo by Desiree Bischer
Restaurant Guide
BAD AXE
Bad Axe Party Store
690 S. Van Dyke 989-269-4133
Bad Axe Steakhouse
113 S. Port Crescent 989-269-6888
Big Boy Restaurant
900 N. Van Dyke Road 989-269-9515
Cafe 53
721 N. Van Dyke 989-975-8413
China King 162 E. Huron Ave. 989-269-2900
East Side Party Store Deli
706 E. Huron Ave. 989-269-8831
Murphy’s Bakery
110 W. Huron Ave
989-269-8291
Peppermill Restaurant
685 N. Port Crescent St. 989-269-9347
Pete’s Bar 269 E. Huron Ave. 989-269-9107
Pizza Hut
Emma’s Coffee Shop 123 N. Port Crescent 989-975-6006
The Gathering Place
898 N. Van Dyke 989-269-8888
The Franklin Inn 1070 E. Huron Ave. 989-269-9951
Bottom’s Up 809 E. Huron 989-269-5041
Hungry Howie’s
790 N. Van Dyke Road 989-269-2291
Rachel’s Menu
754 N. Van Dyke Road 989-269-5000
Subway
885 N. Van Dyke Road 989-269-2000
Taco Bell 852 N. Van Dyke Road 989-269-9492
843 N. Van Dyke Road 989-269-3500
KFC
769 N van Dyke Road Bad Axe, MI
Little Caesars Pizza 897 N. Van Dyke Road, 989-269-9733
Brew Moon Coffee House & Gallery 6815 Michigan Street
Chuck’s Drive Thru Diner 6966 Main Street 989-856-1230
Dairy Queen Seasonal 6395 Main St. 989-856-2534
Verona Tavern 12 N. Verona Road 989-269-2493
Wendy’s
787 N. Van Dyke Road 989-269-6984
BAY PORT
Bay Port Inn
827 Promenade St. 989-656-9911
CASEVILLE
Longshot Lanes 845 N. Van Dyke Road 989-269-9581
Lugo’s Street Tacos
801 N. Van Dyke 989-269-8000
McDonalds
871 N Van Dyke Rd Bad Axe, MI
989-269-9331
Giuseppe’s Pizzeria 6562 Main St. 989-856-2035
Hersel’s on the Bay Grill & Lounge 6024 Port Austin Road 989-856-2500 or 989-856-2650
Lefty’s Diner and Drive-in 6937 Main St. 989-856-8899
Baywatch on the Beach Grill 6626 Beachway 989-856-1686
BK’S Burger Shack 6893 Dormey Street Caseville, MI 989-975-1373
CASS CITY
Cass Tavern
6448 Main St 989-872-4838
Champs Chicken 6233 Church St 989-912-3600
The Charmont 6138 E. Cass City 989-872-4321
Lemon Tree Marketplace 6604 Main Street Caseville, MI 989-856-8733
MQs Pizza Express (Mainsail Quick Stop) 6631 Main St. 989-856-1645
Iggy’s Pizza on the Bay 6409 Main St. 989-856-2242
Crossroads Junction 8510 Van Dyke Rd 810-404-5323
Gilligan’s 6444 Main St. 989-872-4488
Little Caesars Pizza 4518 Leach St. 989-872-4884
McDonald’s 6180 Main St. 989-872-4841
Nick’s Country Oven 6209 Main St. 989-872-4500
Parkway Pizza 6703 Main St. 989-872-5448
Petal N Bean Co. 6450 Main Street 989-912-2244
Subway 6144 E. Cass City 989-872-4373
Shipwreck Distillery 4895 N Caseville Rd Caseville, MI 989-550-7083
Subway (Clark Station) 7095 Main St. 989-856-8484
Blue Water Inn 6584 Main St. 989-856-3400
Beachy’s Bar & Grill 6567 Main St. 989-856-9210
Taco Bell
6743 E Main Street 989-912-3245
Village Grill & Chill 6628 Main Street 989-872-4711
Thumb Brewery 6758 Pine St. 989-553-6758
Walt’s Restaurant 6618 Main St. 989-856-4020
Boathouse Bar and Grill
6567 Main St. 989-856-1159
Wooded Island
Sports Grill 6868 Michigan St. 989-856-1240
DECKERVILLE
Brown’s Pizza & Subs
2010 Black River St. 810-376-2141
Corner Cafe 3452 Main St. 810-376-8450
Silver Tavern Black River St 810-376-8563
Subway
655 Sanilac Road Sandusky, MI
810-648-9856
ELKTON
Hitching Post 79 N. Main St. 989-375-2496
Phil’s Diner 4975 Railroad St. 989-375-2600
Subway (Clark Station) 5083 Whalen St. 989-375-2027
GAGETOWN
Sherwood on the Hill
6625 Third St. 989-665-9971
Ernesto’s Pizza 129 State St. 989-479-9013
Little Caesars Pizza 135 S. Huron Ave. 989-479-3222
Smalley’s Bar 130 S. Huron Ave. 989-479-3477
Varney’s Coney Island 190 Ritchie Dr. 989-479-6197
Williams Inn 129 State St 989-479-9013
MINDEN CITY
John’s
Stumble Inn 1500 Main St. 989-864-5541
KINDE
Biffs Bar & Grill
PORT AUSTIN
The Bank 1884 8646 Lake St. 989-738-5353
Blue Moon (Seasonal)
Ice Cream Parlor 427 W. Spring St.
Café 53 North 42 W. Spring Street 989-975-8413
The Dark Sky Lodge & Tavern 1884 Port Austin Road
The Farm Restaurant 699 Port Crescent Road 989-874-5700
PORT HOPE
Buck’s Port Hope Diner 4411 Main Street 989-428-0940
Lewisville Smoke 4711 Kinde Rd 989-428-3056
Port Hope Hotel 4405 Main St. 989-428-4808
RUTH
Farmer’s Tavern 4522 S. Ruth Road 989-864-3714
UBLY
Angelina’s 2212 E. Main St. 989-658-2643
Fast Freddies 2245 E. Main St. 989-658-8172
GRINDSTONE
Days on the Lake 3337 Pointe Aux Barques Road 989-738-7665
Grindstone General Store 3206 Copeland Road 989-738-6410
Rybek’s Ice Cream Store 3090 Copeland Road 989-768-0071
Shelley’s Bar & Grill 8743 Pearson St. 989-738-5105
OWENDALE
Stack’s
7297 Main St. 989-678-4500
4680 N Van Dyke 989-874-3034
Heck’s Bar 2990 W. Kinde Road 989-874-4868
Kinde One Stop Shop 25 West Kinde Road 989-874-4500
The Pasta House 337 Main St. 989-874-4070
PIGEON
The Tap Room at Bird Creek Farms 282 Grindstone Road 989-738-0218
Fireside Inn 1146 Port Austin Road 989-738-8232
Green Clean Bean 124 E. Spring St. 989-738-0112
Subway 4497 N. Washington 989-658-8500
Ubly Pub 2211 E. Main St. 989-658-8811
SEBEWAING
Beeter’s Brew Pub 902 E. Pine Street 989-883-2170
Cottage Inn Pizza 15 N Caseville Road 989-453-2015
Little Caesars Pizza 27 N. Caseville Road 989-453-2722
HARBOR BEACH
Chester’s Chicken 8974 Sand Beach Road 989-479-6800
Eighteen 87 118 State Street 989-479-2956
Main Street Family Restaurant 15 S. Main St. 989-453-3663
Pigeon Inn 66 S. Main St. (989) 453-2327
Pigeon Local 7232 Michigan Ave 989-453-3434
Scenic Golf and Country Club 8364 W. Filion Road 989-453-2233
Lake Street Emporium 8687 Lake Street 989-738-8412
Lake Street Local 8724 Lake St 989-738-9750
The Landing 8724 Lake St. 989-738-9750
Pak’s Backyard Café and River Garden 119 E. Spring St. Port Austin
Simms Still & Stogies @ The Garfield Inn 8544 Lake St 989-738-5254
Kretzschy’s Smokey BBQ 604 Unionville Road 989-975-1373
The Lamplighter 8850 S. Unionville Road 989-883-9224
McDonald’s 599 S. Unionville Road 989-883-9898
Peking City 747 N. Beck 989-704-1087
Subway 614 S. Unionville Road 989-883-9125
Taco Bell 8904 Unionville Rd. 989-704-3315
Village Pizzeria
638 N. Center St. 989-883-2091
7 Questions with double business owner Brad Severance
By Katy Snodgrass Staff writer
Have you ever been in the need for a quick jolt of caffeine before hitting a difficult work out? Or maybe you need to snag a bite to eat to satisfy that post-workout hunger? Then Emma’s Coffee House and Bad Axe Club
Fitness is the spot for you.
Located at 123 N. Port Crescent St. in Bad Axe, the combination coffee house and gym is the perfect place for both coffee lovers and gym bros.
In this version of “7 Questions,” Brad Severance discusses what
it is like to run not one, but two business under one roof.
Q: I have heard some rumors going around that your wife owns the coffee house and you own the gym downstairs. Is there any truth to those rumors?
A: Oh no, we both own
both things and Emma is our 10-year-old daughter. We work as a team and we own both businesses together.
Q: How long has both Emma’s Coffee House and Bad Axe Club Fitness been up and running?
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Monday, July 21
$1,000 Egg Toss Sponsored by: Dogs Barking Roofing Cattle Sor ting Competition tuesday, July 22
Carnival Opens at Noon:
Kid’s Day! Free T-shir ts (limited quantit y) Reduced Admission ages 2-14 Thumb Truck & Trac tor Pull
Tuesday-saturday, July 22-26
Free Midway Show: Team Zoom Canine
Enter tainment Tues-Sat 3 shows daily
wednesday-thursday, July 23-24
Super Kicker Rodeo Sponsored by: Nex tera Energy
thursday, July 24
Senior Citizen Day Free Admission 62 & Older Seniors Sponsored by: Aspire Rural Health System Friday, July 25
Thumb Truck & Trac tor Pull Returns w/new Semi Truck Class saturday, July 26
Unique Motorspor ts Bump & Run O ff-Road Derby; Night of Destruc tion w/Motorhome Class
Owner of Emma's Coffee House and Bad Axe Club Fitness, Brad Severance, smiles in front of one of the signs inside the coffee shop. Severance owns both businesses with his wife, Jessi Severance.
Bad Axe Area District Library
200 S. Hanselman St., Bad Axe. Call 989-269-8538 or visit www.badaxelibrary.org
Columbia Township Library
6456 Center St., Unionville. Call 989-674-2651or visit site.google.com/ columbiatwplibrary.com/library
Deckerville Public Library
3542 N. Main St. in the village of Deckerville. Call 810-376-8015 or visit www.deckerville.lib.mi.us
Harbor Beach Area District Library
105 N. Huron Ave., Harbor Beach. Call 989-479-3417 or visit www.hbadl.org
Pigeon District Library
7236 Nitz St., Pigeon. Call 989-453-2341 or visit www.pigeondistrictlibrary.com
Port Austin Township Library
114 Railroad St., Port Austin. Call 989-738-7212 or visit www.portaustinlibrary.org
Rawson
Memorial Library
6495 Pine St., Cass City. Call 989-872-2856 or visit www.rawsonlibrary.org
Sandusky District Library
55 E. Sanilac Road., Sandusky. Call 810-648-2644 or visit www.sandusky.lib.mi.us/
Sebewaing Township Library
41 N. Center St., Sebewaing. Call 989-883-3520 or visit sebewaing.ploud.net.
Sleeper Public Library
2236 Main St., Ubly. Call 989-658-8901 or visit www.sleeper.michlibrary.org
Kinde: The Thumb’s capital for Polka
Kinde is a cozy community nestled between the picturesque lakeshore and the hustle of the county seat of Bad Axe.
About nine miles north of Bad Axe, Kinde is steadily growing as a choice bedroom community. Close to the shopping, medical and county services Bad Axe offers, Kinde is even closer to the luxurious lakeshore view, quaint shops and fine dining of Port Austin.
Originally settled as Dwight Crossing, the town’s name changed when the Kinde family moved to town. They established the Kinde General Store, a hub for
any supply you could think of.
At the heart of activity in Kinde is North Huron Schools. The recreational park in town is a center of activity, boasting plenty of softball games in the summer. It’s also a place for youngsters to play.
The town’s Polka Fest has been a huge hit and organizers again are tapping top-notch polka bands from across the country to perform at the festival. The festival will also feature a softball tournament and 5K. Food, drink, and dancing will be plentiful as people of all ages gather downtown for this annual festival, packed with friends, family and fun.
Couples dance together during the 2024 Kinde Polka Fest, a highly anticipated annual event in Kinde.
Music is performed by band after band during the annual Kinde Polka Fest.
A: The coffee shop has been open for seven years in October and the gym has been 12 years. We moved the gym down here seven years ago too. We had a different location first but when we started the coffee shop we moved the gym down here too so we could all be under one roof.
Q: So it was the intention to have both businesses in the same building?
A: Yes, mm-hmm.
Q: What would you say is the best part of running a combination business like this? Is there a worst part?
A: They help each other out, you know they are symbiotic. They create balance, when it is a slow season for one it is busy for the other one. You know, they help each other pay for the space and they work with each other to make the whole thing work.
I honestly do not think there is a bad part about it. It is nice if I have to take care of anything at either business I am here already. We do have another location for the gym and the coffee shop, so that takes some time to get over there, but that was always going to be the case. But if there is an issue with anything I am here to take care of it and I do not have to go to different buildings to handle a problem.
Q: Do you have a favorite drink or food
item that Emma’s sells?
A: Honestly, I just like black coffee, but my wife likes the lotus drinks, which are kind of like a healthier Red Bull. I think my favorite sandwich is probably the Cuban.
Q: Do you have a favorite between the two businesses? Or do you spend more time in one place than the other?
A: I spend more time in the coffee shop. It requires a little more management and I have a great manager, but I need to have hands on more over here than I do at the gym. At the gym, a lot of it runs itself and I have one staff member who cleans up all the loose ends, but over here there is a lot more moving parts. I also just started roasting (coffee beans), so that is actually what I was doing this morning and that takes up even more time over here now.
Q: Is there anything new coming to either establishments now that fall is fast approaching?
A: Yes we got the seasonal drinks coming out that we usually do, the pumpkin stuff and all. The roasting is the big, big change, the big new thing. We are getting more involved in that, we have been trying to push that more. I have got it fine tuned so now it is time to start trying to distribute it as much as we can. Then as far as the gym goes, it is business as usual. There is a little more activity as it gets colder.
7 Questions with Libby Enscoe: Discovering Days on the Lake
By Katy Snodgrass Staff writer
In the quiet, sleepy town of Grindstone City lies an absolute gem of a home away from home experience.
Located at 3337 Pointe Aux Barques Road, Days on the Lake offers good food, great views, and peace and quiet.
Owned by Libby Enscoe, her husband and parents, Days on the Lake has comfortable cabins for rent, a bar and restaurant serving up homemade food and drinks, and offers daily and weekly dock rentals.
In this “7 questions,” I took a trip up to Days on the
Lake to catch a glimpse of the stunning views and chat with Libby about all that her family business has to offer.
Q: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? Where you grew up, went to school, etc.
A: I grew up in Imlay City with my parents, Ken and Debbie, who are also owners with me and Daniel. Daniel grew up in Ohio and that’s where I met him. I grew up on a farm, my parents still farm and they still sell stuff here in Port Austin, but they now live in Kinde. They still have greenhouses in Imlay City, Dave’s Greenhouses. Then
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Libby Enscoe smiles in between some of the vintage signs hung in the restaurant area of Days on the Lake. Enscoe has been a coowner of Days on the Lake since her and her family bought it in 2021.
THUMB AREA Museums
White Rock School Museum
-White Rock
10 miles south of Harbor Beach on M-25, then 1/4 mile west onWhite Rock Rd. 989-864-3817. Free admission by appointment. Built in 1909 and is maintained to original decor with authentic maps and other period relics.
Ten Cent Horse Barn Museum
- Ubly
Longuski Lane o M-19 at south village limit, northwest of Ubly Dragway. 989-551-0532. Open Sundays Memorial Day through Labor Day, 1-3 pm. Free admission; donations appreciated.
Frank Murphy Museum
- Harbor Beach
142 S. Huron Ave. Open Memorial Day through Labor Day: Mon.-Sat., 8:30-4 pm; Sun., noon-4 pm. The birthplace of the U.S. Supreme Court Justice Frank Murphy consists of ve buildings; three are open for tours. Free admission - donations are gratefully accepted. For information, call 989-7120909 or 989-551-3817.
Harbor Beach Woman’s Club
- Harbor Beach
The organization was formed in 1885 and County Federated in 1919 and is responsible for a large portion of history preservation in the local area.
Port Hope Railroad Depot Museum
- Port Hope
Harbor Beach Lighthouse
- Harbor Beach
Renovated 1904 Pere Marquette Railroad Depot, Sta ord County Park, 8046 Portland St., Port Hope, 48468. Open Memorial Day through September MuseumWeekend, Sat., 10-4 pm; Sun., 1-4 pm. Phone: 517-420-4147. (Museum, model railroad, walking trail, interactive exhibits, kid friendly) http://porthopedepot.org or Facebook: FriendsOfThePortHopeDepot.
Port Hope Area Historical Society
- Port Hope
Located at the Lumber Yard Museum building at 8016 Portland Ave. Museum features genealogy research center, displays of local artifacts, and grounds for community activities. Events for 4th of July celebration and ABC Day on third Saturday of August. For information, call 989-553-4342.
Facebook: Port Hope Area History.
Guided tours of 1885 o shore lighthouse leave from Harbor Beach Marina on a licensed commercial boat mid-June to the rst Saturday in September (weather permitting). See the replica Fourth Order Fresnel lens and the reconstructed fog signal building. Tours are $25 per person. Reservations (strongly recommended) can be made at harborbeachlighthouse.org. Call 989-470-9707 for more information. The lighthouse is not handicap accessible.
Grice House Museum
- Harbor Beach
864 N. Lakeshore Rd. - 989-479-3363. Open Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend,Wed. through Fri., 1 - 5 pm; Sat., 10 - 4 pm; closed Sun. through Tues. Open Countywide Museum Weekend, Saturday only. Call for private tours. Admission: Adults - $5. Complex includes the original Fresnel lens of the Harbor Beach Lighthouse, one-room schoolhouse, and agricultural antiques display. Member of the USLHS Passport Program.
Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse Museum
- Port Hope
7320 Lighthouse Road - inside Lighthouse County Park - 586-243-1838. Museum open Memorial Day weekend through September. Check website for hours. Group tours welcome with advance notice. $5 adults/$3 kids admission for tours of museum and keeper’s quarters with shipwreck artifacts,lighthouse, and life-saving station history.
Bay Port Museum
- Bay Port
1100 Kuhl Rd. - 989-453-3638bayporthistoricalsociety@ gmail.com. Bay Port Historical Society is located 3 miles south of Bay Port on M-25, 1 mile west on Geiger on corner of Geiger and Kuhl. Call for open times throughout summer. Open Bay Port Fish Sandwich weekend in August. Visit us at www.bayporthistoricalsociety.com or Facebook: BayPort HistoricalSociety.
Pioneer Log Village
- Bad Axe
Bad Axe City Park - 205 S. Hanselman St. Pioneer Log Village is one of the largest collections of authentically restored pioneer log buildings in Michigan. The six museums include a pioneer home, general store, one room school, chapel, barn and blacksmith shop.
Special events: Michigan Log Cabin Day-last Sunday in June from 1-4 p.m. We also try to open the Log Cabin Village when there are Bad Axe festivals and other special events happening in town.
Bad Axe Museum of Local History
- Bad Axe
303 N. Port Crescent St. (Allen House). Exhibits of photos, artifacts, memorabilia with“Everything Bad Axe.”See information at Pioneer Log Village for contact numbers and open dates.
Thumb Octagon Barn and Agriculture Museum
- Gagetown
6948 Richie Rd Gagetown, MI | 989-665-0081
Museum features the original James & Cora Purdy farmstead, which includes a 70’ high octagon barn, 15 room Craftsmanstyle house and unique powerhouse. The site includes a one room country schoolhouse and museum, grain elevator, sawmill and sugar shack. Self-guided or guided tours available May - September
Berne Junction Mercantile
- Pigeon
24 S. Main Street in downtown Pigeon. Open May through - December. Wednesday - Friday 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Over 20 local consigned vendor/Michigan made items and more. Berne Junction is a unique store with local artifacts on display that was pertinent to the History of Pigeon and the surrounding area. Look for our Facebook page and check out our website.
Woelke Research Center
- Pigeon
Port Austin Area History Center Bay Port Museum
- Port Austin
Next to Farmers’ Market - open year ’round. June, July, & August: Thurs. - Fri., 10 - 3 pm. September through May: Fri. only, 10 - 3 pm. Leave message at 989-453-3242. For appointment, call 989-553-1944. Historical documentation of Pigeon, surrounding area, businesses, and families. Free admission; donations accepted. See Pigeon Depot Museum for Facebook and website.
Caseville Historical Museum
- Caseville
6733 Prospect St. - 989-856-9090 - www.casevillemuseum. org
- chscm@comcast.net. Open year ’round Wed. thru Sat., noon - 4:30 pm. Caseville Historical Museum is located in the Old Maccabee Hall, built in the 1890s.
Charles W. Liken House
- Sebewaing Historic River District
1424 Pointe aux Barques Rd., 1 mile east of Port Austin - 989551-5532. Exhibits in six historic buildings, gardens, woodland walking trail. Open 1 - 4 pm Sat. & Sun. April, May, September, & October; daily June, July, & August. Free admission. www. portaustinhistorycenter.com. Find us on Facebook: Port Austin Area Historical Society.
Elkton Area Historical Society
- Elkton
Elkton Heritage Center located on corner of York and Mullen St. The Log Cabin complex is located in Ackerman Park. Large collection of local memorabilia. Open on Log Cabin Day, the 4th Sun. in June; Autumnfest on Labor Day weekend; and Museum Weekend last full weekend in September. For information, call 989-550-2603.
Pigeon Depot Museum
- Pigeon
59 S. Main St. - Open June, July, and August: Fri., 10 - 3 pm.
Artifacts from Pigeon and the surrounding area. Free admission; donations accepted. Visit our Facebook page or website: www. pigeonhistoricalsociety.com.
325 N. Center - Downtown Historic River District
Open the rst Sat., and Sun. of Every Month June-September from 1-3 pm. Other dates by appointment - 989-883-2753; 989883-2391
Special Activities: JUNE, Michigan Sugar Festival; AUGUST, Country Market &Music Festival; OCTOBER, Moonlight Madness; NOVEMBER, Spirit of Christmas, along withother annual Chamber events.
Old Sebewaing Township Hall
- Sebewaing Historic River District
92 S. Center, Downtown Historic River District
See information at Charles W. Liken House in above listing for contact numbers and open dates. For information, call 989-883-2753; 989-883-2391.
Sportsman’s Haven Museum
- Sebewaing
4 N. Center St., Sebewaing. 989-551-2739 Located inside Cornerstone Venture. Open Friday through Sunday 10am4pm. April - December. Dedicated to the waterfow hunting and shing history on Saginaw Bay. Includes decays, boats, ice shing shanties, equipment and Sebewaing memorabilla. Admission fee.
Boat Launches
Bay Port
Filion Road DNR Access
Bay Port DNR Access Site
Downtown Bay Port
Bay Port, MI
989.856.4411
Bayshore Marina
2612 Wallace Cut Bay Port, MI
989.656.7191
Brush Marina & Campground
137 N Unionville Rd Bay Port, MI
Sumca Island Access DNR Site
W. End of Pigeon Rd.
W. End of Fillion Rd. Caseville, MI
989.856.4411
www.michigan.gov/dnr
Hoy’s Saginaw Bay Marina, Inc.
6437 Dufty St. P.O. Box 1157
Caseville, MI
989.856.4475
Mariner’s Cove Marina
6635 River St.
Caseville, MI
989.856.8077
www.marinerscovemarina.net
Port Austin State Dock DNR Access Site
Downtown Port Austin
Port Austin, MI
989.856.4411
www.michigan.gov/dnr
Whalen’s Grindstone Shores
3373 Pte Aux Barques Rd.
Port Austin, MI
989.738.7664
whalensgrindstoneshores.com
Harbor Beach
Harbor Beach Marina
Bay Port, MI
989.856.4411
www.michigan.gov/dnr
Pigeon
Beadle Bay Marina & Campground
4375 Lone Eagle Trail
Pigeon, MI
989.856.4911
www.beadlebay.net
Caseville
Caseville Dock DNR Access Site
Downtown Caseville Caseville, MI
989.856.4411
6545 Riverview Lane
Caseville, MI
989.856.2323
Port Austin
Days on the Lake
3337 Pte. Aux Barques Rd.
Port Austin, MI
989.738.7665
www.daysonthelake.com
1 Ritchie Dr. Harbor Beach, MI
989.479.3343
www.harborbeach.com
O Shore Marina
5 Lytle Ave. Harbor Beach, MI
Eagle Bay Acces DNR Site
2 Miles E. of Port Austin
Port Austin, MI
989.856.4411
www.michigan.gov/dnr
Grindstone City DNR Access Site
Dock Rd.
Wagener County Park
2671 S. Lakeshore Rd. Harbor Beach, MI
989.479.9131
www.huroncountyparks.com
Caseville Marina & Resort
Port Austin, MI
989.856.4411
www.michigan.gov/dnr
M&D Marine
P.O. Box 313
Port Austin, MI 48467
989.738.5001
Port Hope
Lighthouse County Park
7320 Lighthouse Rd.
Port Hope, MI
989.428.4749
www.huroncountyparks.com
www.casevilleresortmarina.com
Caseville Municipal Harbor
6632 Main St. P.O. Box 1533
Caseville, MI
989.856.4590
facebook.com/manddmarine/
Port Austin Marina
119 E Spring St
Port Austin, MI
989.550.6651
www.portaustinmarina.com
Sebewaing
Sebewaing Harboe Marina
700 W. Sebewaing St.
Sebewaing, MI
989.883.9024
www.sebewaingharbor.com
Port Austin is a shoreline gem
Port Austin has a rich history that can be traced back to 1837 and its first settler, Jonathon Bird. Located on the shores of Lake Huron at the tip of the Thumb, Port Austin and its surrounding area are well known throughout Michigan for their historic sites, bountiful recreation opportunities and scenic views that continue to draw thousands of visitors each year.
The greater Port Austin area is recognized for its superior dining establishments and its unique shops. Downtown Port Austin also boasts an extended boardwalk and pier, home to some of Lake Huron’s finest fishing.
On Saturdays, starting in May and running through most of October, the downtown is bursting with energy as the Port Austin
Farmer’s Market brings a variety of wares and entertainment to the village and its visitors. Port Austin also has a large Fourth of July festival.
Nearby Grindstone City, a popular destination for anglers, still draws visitors to where the grindstone industry used to flourish. Off the shore of Port Austin is the historic Port Austin Reef Lighthouse.
This port offers outstanding fishing for salmon, lake trout, walleye, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, brown trout and steelhead. Often overlooked is the opportunity for deep-water jigging for whitefish. The state harbor in town offers dockage for middle- to large-size vessels and launches for smaller boats. Grindstone City is home to state-maintained ramps. Several other private
A little bit of rain and a lot of humidity didn’t stop music lovers from enjoying the sounds at the 2024 Porch Fest in Port Austin. Above, Gina and Gordan perform on Washington Street in Port Austin on Saturday.
marinas also serve boaters.
Regarding recreation opportunities, variety is the key here. Three public parks are located in the village: Gallup Park, Waterfront Park and four-acre Bird Creek Park.
Port Austin also is
home to the Port Austin Community Players, which presents plays and musicals throughout the year at their playhouse.
Whether your love is golf, theater or the beach, the greater Port Austin area is sure to serve it up.
Parade participants spray water at the crowd during Port Austin’s 2024 Fourth of July parade.
I went to college in Ohio and that’s how I made it to Ohio and met (Daniel).
Q: Can you tell me a little bit about Days on the Lake and its history?
A: Well, I don’t know exactly when the restaurant started, but we have pictures of cars from the 1950s in front of the restaurant, so we know it at
least goes back to that time period. It’s always been a bar and grill kind of thing. I know for the most part, I think they always did the hook and cook off the charter boats and we do that here. But it was always something for the marina here, they could come in, eat and enjoy.
Let’s see, I know it was Grindstone Grill back in the olden days, then it was Captain
Morgan’s and now it’s Days on the Lake.
Q: How did you come to be a part-owner of the business?
A: Well, we were saving up — Daniel and I — and my parents were financially able to help us and it just kind of seemed like, ‘Well, what are you going to do for the rest of your life?’ And (Daniel) didn’t like his job so he had experience in restaurants and I was working in a
restaurant doing pretty much everything I do now just for somebody else. So it was kind of a no brainer, you know. I mean, let’s go do this for ourselves instead of other people.
And my dad has done different business opportunities, he owns a commercial greenhouse supply company, greenhouses, farms, storage company, so he’s done everything.
Q: With Days on the Lake having several different facets between the cabin rentals, restaurant and bar, and the dock rentals, do you have a favorite part of the business? Or an aspect of the business that you spend the most amount of time on?
A: I can tell you what I don’t like doing. I would rather be out here with the customers than doing paperwork. I hate
paperwork. And I don’t like cleaning cabins, that’s probably my least favorite thing.
But my good time is when I can take time with the customers when we’re staffed enough that I can spend time with them and get to know the local people; as well as the visiting people, because we’ve had some really, really interesting people visit like from London. I know this year
we had Denmark, London and some guys from the Ukraine. So it’s kind of like we are worldly and nobody would ever know it.
Q: Do you have a favorite item on the restaurant menu? If so, what is it and why?
A: Wow, that’s hard because we made the menu. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t eat on the menu because I like everything on the menu. Our walleye and our perch are excellent, we also
have broasted chicken which most people don’t even know when they come here that we have a broaster.
Q: Which cabin would you recommend visitors stay in for the best experience and why?
A: We like cabin four better because it’s a one bedroom and not a two bedroom. It’s more spacious, it’s missing a wall and
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Outside of cabin four lies a fire pit and benches for those staying over night in the cabins to utilize. Cabin four is the most recommended cabin because of its fire pit and views.
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it’s on the end by the fire pit. We have numerous fire pits, but its by the built in fire pit and we recently took down some trees so the view is more open. It’s just very chill, I have friends that only live 20 minutes away that will pay me to come stay in a cabin and chill out.
Q: Is there anything you would like the community to know about you or Days on the Lake? Or anything coming up you want the public to know?
A: We are a family run business, you know, so we have challenges. We are closed December, January and February, but we are open for the other nine months. We also do breakfasts — nobody knows this — Saturdays and Sundays we do breakfast until 11 a.m. We do most everything ourselves,
we have some employees but we are always here. This is our life, so we don’t outsource anything. I mean we do it all, I do the taxes for God sakes!
So, you know, it’s a daily thing. And my parents do that with all their businesses, they are involved in every single one of them. So I think being involved makes it a little better, like if you come to me with a situation, I can fix it.
But basically, just to know that we are here at the tip of the Thumb in the middle of no where. (Which) is probably the best thing because like we’re hidden but we don’t mind that part so much. We like our quiet atmosphere, it is not a party scene
Oh and we are going to be on the History Channel! It’s called, “The Greenway Outdoors,” on the History Channel on Nov. 9 at 9:30 a.m.
The Days on the Lake sign that greets those on the dock behind the restaurant and cabins. Days on the Lake offers daily and weekly dock rentals.
Photo by Brynn Polega
Photo by Brynn Polega
There were plenty of rides to enjoy once again at the 2024
Sweet Sebewaing hosts Sugar Festival
Sebewaing has become well known throughout Michigan for its annual Sugar Festival. The event has been going strong for 60 years, and has featured events such as a road race, musical performances, a parade, carnival rides, softball games, a car show and a chicken barbecue.
Sebewaing is the Chippewa Indian name for “Little Crooked River.” The name was derived from the
Sebewaing River which winds its way through the area. The village was founded in 1845 by the Rev. J.J.F. Auch, a Lutheran missionary, who came to the area to convert Indians to Christianity.
Historic sites in town include the Charles W. Liken House and Old Township Hall.
The Sebewaing County Park comprises 20 acres and offers 64 sites. Fishing, trailer and tent
camping are available, or folks can take a stroll along the hiking trails.
For boating enthusiasts, a public boat launch is located off Davis Street. It has two class-one ramps and fishing access, as well as restrooms, a picnic area, playground, dump station and overnight recreational vehicle parking.
The Sebewaing area also is home to other marinas.
Because of its location on the Bay and the river, Sebewaing is a popular fishing spot. Walleye, perch and bass are popular with anglers, and the weed beds in the Bay offer a wide variety of game fish. Many small islands north of Sebewaing, including Middle Ground Island, Manisou Island and Heisterman Island, feature secluded coves that also make for great fishing.
Michigan Sugar Festival in Sebewaing.
The Michigan Sugar Festival in Sebewaing is one of the kickoff events to festival season in the Upper Thumb.
Boyce,
7 Questions with Huron Travel’s founder on her career journey
By Katy Snodgrass Staff writer
Let’s be honest for a second, who really likes planning vacations?
There’s so much to decide and stress over, from where to travel to, how to get there, where to stay, and then you still have to figure out how to keep yourself entertained while you’re there.
You would think in the modern internet age researching and planning a vacation would be easier than ever, but going through an overwhelming amount of information and opinions just makes
the task seem even more daunting.
Luckily, there’s people like Stacie Schweitzer, a travel consultant and the owner of Huron Travel Agency, to do it for us.
In this edition of “7 Questions,” I spoke to Schweitzer about her business and what it’s like to be a travel consultant in the internet age.
Q: Would you mind starting by telling me a little bit about yourself? Where you grew up, went to school, etc.
A: I grew up in Pigeon and went to Lakers and I currently live in Bad Axe with my husband.
Q: How long have you been with Huron Travel?
A: I have owned Huron Travel for 33 years this month.
Q: Could you touch on some of your day-to-day responsibilities as a travel consultant?
A: We help our clients plan and organize trips to any country in the world and basically try to improve their travel experience with our
experiences from the past.
Q: What inspired you to pursue this career and open up Huron Travel?
A: I wanted to be a flight attendant when I was in school, but I wanted to go to college first, and they actually offered a travel school in college. So I took that and the study was travel agency, to be a travel agent. So I just ended up pursuing that instead.
Stacie Schweitzer, a travel consultant and owner of Huron Travel, poses behind her desk after discussing what it’s like to be a travel consultant in the Internet age.
Q: Now that the internet allows people to easily research, plan, and book vacations from home, what are the benefits of going to a travel consultant instead?
A: The benefit would be our experience that we’ve had with a specific destination, our experiences from our past customers and reservations. We can help to organize better, to plan better, to make
better decisions for a vacation.
We also are constantly monitoring all the flights our customers are on. So we’re trying to keep ahead of any delays or cancelations and trying to already have a plan. So if a flight is canceled, we’re looking at what flights are available next before we’re calling them
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Located at 121 W Huron Ave., the Huron Travel Agency has been serving the community members of Bad Axe for the last 33 years.
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and telling them these are your options.
So, you know, like this morning, I got a phone call from Barcelona and it was a driver who couldn’t find our passenger who arrived via cruise and he was supposed to call, well that was at 12:30 in the morning. So we work all
the time.
Q: If you could plan a dream vacation for yourself, where would you go and why?
A: I guess my dream vacation would be an African safari to the Serengeti. And why?
Well, I guess because I watched a documentary on all the animals in the Serengeti when they take the journey of the
great migration and I want to experience that. And we’ve had customers who have done it and had wonderful experiences.
Q: What’s one thing you want people to know about you or Huron Travel? Or is there anything coming up you want the community to know about?
A: I guess I would say, if you haven’t tried to
contact a travel agency to help you with your travel, I would definitely recommend reaching out to us and giving us a try. We are here to help and improve their travel experience. We would also like to thank all of our clients for trusting Huron Travel when planning their vacations.
Once inside the agency, a relaxing tropical waiting room greets clients, putting them in the vacation mind set from the jump.
Bad Axe
Bad Axe City Park
210 S. Hanselman Street
989-269-6479
www.cityofbadaxe.com
Wilcox Community Park
650Whitelam Street
989-269-6479
www.cityofbadaxe.com
Bay Port
B. C. McLeish Memorial Park
Deckerville
Delaware Park 6301 N. Lakeshore Road (19 rustic sites, nature trails, swimming beach, shing & hiking)
810-622-8715
Harbor Beach
Bathing Beach Park
East end ofTrescott Street
Davidson Park
O Court Street, east of M-25
Promenade Street
Brown Park
M-25, state highway rest area, 2 miles south of Bay Port
Caseville
Philip County Park
M-25, between Caseville & Oak Beach. 989-269-6404
huroncountyparks.com
Sleeper State Park
day use area, M-25 east of Caseville
Caseville County Park
Village north edge, open Apr. 15 -Oct. 31. 989-269-6404
huroncountyparks.com
Riverside Park
6538 Main Street
Caseville, MI
989-856-2102
Cass City
Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park
4 miles east of M-53 on
Bay City-Forestville Rd. & 1 mile south on Germania Rd.
Evergreen Park
4731Van Dyke
(picnic, hiking, shing, pavilion & camping)
989-872-6600
Waterworks Park
Adjacent to Harbor Beach Municipal Marina
White Rock Park
“ScenicTurnout,”with viewing platform & access to beach (facilities, walking trail)
Port Austin
Bird Creek County Park
Just east of Port Austin Harbor. 989-269-6404
huroncountyparks.com
Gallup Park
M-25 in the village
Jenks Park
State highway rest area, about 4 miles southwest of Port Austin on M-25
McGraw Park
Along M-25 between Oak Beach & Port Austin. 989-269-6404
huroncountyparks.com
Port Crescent State Park
Day use, 2 miles west on M-25 south of Port Austin
Sebewaing
Sebewaing County Park
THUMB AREA Parks
759 Union Street
989-269-6404
huroncountyparks.com
Bay Shore Camp
Just north of Sebewaing, northeast side of Saginaw Bay. 989-883-2501
7 Questions with art educator turned entrepreneur
By Katy Snodgrass Staff writer
Local artist, business owner and art teacher, Jenny Turner, has spread her creativity and passion for art around the Thumb for the last decade.
Turner owns and runs Art Party by TurnerArts, a fun interactive painting opportunity for groups where Turner teaches you step-by-step how to paint a picture. Turner also teaches art part time at a local school, in addition to creating commissioned pieces of art for other people. Through all her different creative outlets, Turner expands her wealth of artistic knowledge while helping others to get in touch with their inner artist.
In this edition of “7 Questions,” I had a
conversation with Turner to discuss her love for art and where she draws her inspirations from.
Q: Would you mind starting by telling me a little bit about yourself? Where you grew up, went to school, etc.
A: I grew up in this area, I went to Laker (Schools), kind of like the Pigeon, Bay Port area. I went to Spring Arbor College and I was an art
major with elementary education background.
Q: Have you always been interested in art?
A: I have always enjoyed doing art from the time I was younger, about elementary age that I can remember.
Q: What was your inspiration behind starting your business?
Continued on Page 67
Back in April of this year, TurnerArts held a surprise art party as a birthday celebration for a local family.
Bad Axe
Camper’s Haven
2326 S. Van Dyke Road
989-269-7989
www.campershavenonline.com
Caseville
Caseville County Park
north edge of village 989-856-2080
huroncountyparks.com
Sleeper State Park
M-25 east of Caseville 989-856-4411
Lakeshore Pines RV Park
3193 Port Austin Road on M-25 between Port Austin & Caseville
Cass City
Evergreen Park
9 miles north of M-46 along M-53 989-872-6600
Grindstone City
Whalen’s Grindstone Shores
3373 Pointe aux Barques, 5 miles east of Port Austin 989-738-7664
whalensgrindstoneshores.com
Harbor Beach
North Park
1 mile north of Harbor Beach on Huron Avenue. 989-479-9554
Wagener County Park
M-25, 5 miles south of Harbor Beach. 989-479-9131
huroncountyparks.com
Oak Beach
Oak Beach County Park
M-25 between Port Austin & Caseville. 989-856-2344
huroncountyparks.com
Port Austin
Bird Creek RV Resort
159 Grindstone Rd. 989-370-2366
Duggan’s Campground
2941 Port Austin Road, between Port Austin & Caseville. 989-738-5160
Port Crescent State Park
M-25, approximately 5 miles southwest of Port Austin. 800-447-2757
Port Hope
Lighthouse County Park
9 miles east of Port Austin 989-428-4749
huroncountyparks.com
Stafford County Park
Port Hope
989-428-4213 huroncountyparks.com
Sand Point
Beadle Bay Marina & Campground
4375 Lone Eagle Trail o Crescent Beach Road. 989-856-4911
Sebewaing
Bay Shore Camp & Family Ministries
450 N. Miller 989-883-2501
www.bayshorecamp.org
Sebewaing County Park
Northwest side of the village limits.
Sebewaing River Campground
541 Union St. 989-883-9192
www.sebewaingriver.com
THUMB AREA CampGrounds
Little Port Hope boasts a big welcome
Once a bustling logging, milling and shipping port, Port Hope still has many of its landmarks and memories.
Port Hope was founded in 1855 and legally incorporated as a village in 1887. It began as a lumbering community, but after a few years, salt production grew in importance. Later, Port Hope became known as a shipping port.
After two fires in the late 1800s, the land was cleared and today agriculture and tourism are the primary industries.
The town features a number of historic sites. The sawmill chimney, constructed in 1858, in Stafford Park is listed in the National Historic Register. And a number of downtown business buildings, the gristmill and the home of village founder William Stafford also are listed in the register.
Once a year, visitors to downtown Port Hope can step back into the past during ABC Day (antiques, beans and collectables). In addition to entertainment downtown, there are several yard sales scattered throughout town. Come early to ensure you get your bean soup and donuts — they sell out fast!
The town’s biggest event is its Fourth of July Festival, featuring fireworks, a flea market, delicious barbecue chicken, and fun for all ages.
Boat ramps are located at the small ports of Grindstone City, Lighthouse Park and Port Hope. The fishing through this area has been phenomenal. Salmon, lake trout, brown trout, steelhead, walleye, yellow perch and smallmouth bass abound here and
offer a variety of opportunities. For the avid bass angler, Eagle Bay is the hot spot for smallmouths. Grindstone Shores also is excellent for fishing.
Stafford Park is a must stop for visitors to Port Hope. The park offers camping and lighted tennis courts, softball diamonds and horseshoe pits. In prior years, the softball diamonds have been the site of several tournaments. Waterfront access for swimming, boating and jet skiing is available, including a free boat launch.
In 2012, a group, Friends of the Port Hope Depot, was formed to move the Pere Marquette Railroad Depot to a new site in Stafford County Park. It was officially dedicated on Sept. 15, 2015, as a historic landmark.
There’s plenty of great food avaiable during Port Hope’s annual ABC Day.
Ubly features numerous amenities
Ubly is named after an English town, called Ubley. But the American version of the town has become unique in its own right.
A village rich in history, Ubly originally was named Pagett Corners, in honor of village father Alfred Pagett, who operated the first store in the community.
Businessman Pagett, a native of Ubley, England, wanted to preserve the name of his hometown, so Pagett Corners eventually became Ubly, a slice of English history recreated right here in the Thumb. Most visitors will tell you, while the downtown businesses serve up everything from great food
Kids see who can reach the furthest on one of the inflatables at last year’s Ubly Homecoming.
to quaint shopping, it’s the people that make Ubly a destination they can’t wait to visit again. Residents enjoy the slower pace and
comfortable feel of the Thumb that makes it a great place to do business and raise a family.
The home of Thumb
Electric Cooperative, a rural electric cooperative serving the Thumb area, Ubly has a kindergarten through 12th grade school and a small, but solid downtown.
The village’s park system is impressive. A park located in downtown features a baseball diamond, bathroom facilities and a covered pavilion for gatherings. It’s a favorite spot for people celebrating family reunions.
Golf is a popular reason for visiting Ubly, as is the Ubly Dragway. The dragway draws drivers and racing enthusiasts from throughout Michigan. The dragway, located along M-19, is a popular attraction.
Ubly’s annual Homecoming includes a popular tractor show each year.
Continued from Page 62
A: Well, actually I taught at Laker Elementary first. So, I started the art program there and then when I started having kids we decided to stay home. After a few years I wanted something to do again.
TurnerArts was started by my husband, Casey, in the mid 2000s as a video production company with the possibilities of expanding into other art related areas. I started Art Party by TurnerArts in 2014. My husband and I run the business together, so TurnerArts was started as a format for him to put art out there. He wasn’t really looking at making money out of it, just wanted to be able to put art out there.
Q: Do you have a favorite thing to paint or create?
A: I mean, I enjoy a lot of things. Right now, I have been doing a lot of pet portraits. That’s kind of my speciality right now.
Q: Where do you draw your inspiration from when creating?
A: Well, a lot of things I am commissioned off of. I’m the kind of artist that needs to be looking at
something to do a good job. The “My Town” stickers was an idea that I had been kicking around for a while. I made a list of some of the iconic parts of the towns and looked for inspiration pictures to incorporate into there.
Q: Do you have a favorite part of teaching art?
A: Well, I should mention too, I’m still teaching. I teach part time for Cross Lutheran Schools in Pigeon. I just like teaching people, especially kids. Adults enjoy the art parties and come in thinking they can’t do it and then leave like, “Wow I can’t believe I did that.” I really like the challenge of that.
Q: Is there anything you want people to know about you or TurnerArts? Or is there anything coming up that you want the community to know about?
A: Mostly, I guess just to let people know that I am still doing the art parties. When COVID-19 came in all that kind of got put to the side. We actually had a studio in Pigeon for three years but that had to shut down so people kind of assumed I stopped doing the art parties. But I still do them for private events or in people’s homes.
Turner poses with a snowman painting she made during one of her many art parties. Turner has been running her business, Art Party, since 2014.
7 Questions with master goldsmith
Michael J: The man behind the diamonds
By Katy Snodgrass Staff writer
Everyone knows that diamonds are a girl’s best friend.
But what about the man behind the diamonds?
Meet Michael of Michael J’s Design Studio Gold Shoppe, who is both the owner and master goldsmith of the business.
In this edition of “7 Questions,” I sat down with Michael to discuss his experiences in jewelry making, hockey and boat racing.
Q: Would you mind starting by telling me a little bit about yourself? Where you grew up, went to school,
etc.
A: I grew up in Wyandotte, that’s a suburb of southeast Detroit, and lived there until roughly 28 years ago. My wife is from Bad Axe and when we decided to move, we came here and I opened a small shop downtown that was rented from Jean Talaski. She’s just a wonderful lady, she’s still a customer and friend today.
Q: What inspired you to become a master goldsmith?
A: It kind of just fell in my lap. I was playing hockey in Sioux City, Iowa in the U.S. Junior Hockey Leagues and they couldn’t pay us so they found us a job. My cousin,
Heidi, who is the same age as I am, was working at a local jeweler in my hometown.
So I’m driving out to Iowa thinking, “Okay, I can pack groceries, I can work at an auto mechanic’s, I can bus tables,” Because I was 19 so I’d do whatever to make a few bucks. Well, then I thought to myself, “No, I want to work at a jewelry store.” And I thought about it, I had no real idea what it was.
When they asked what I wanted to do when I got picked for the (hockey) team, I said I wanted to work in a jewelry store. They called me that afternoon and
told me I had an interview that afternoon at the mall store in Sioux City. I walked in with overalls and a flannel shirt and met a guy in a suit and tie.
He asked me if I had ever been convicted of a crime and I said no. Then he asked if I was mechanically inclined and I said I could use tools. So he said, “Come with me” and walked into the shop and told me to take a look around.
So I looked around, I saw a torch, I saw this bench and all these little tools. He said, “Do you think you can make this work?” and I said “Yes” and he hired me. That’s how quick it went.
Then he showed me how to change a watch battery, fix a watch band. Then it was polishing people’s rings and cleaning. The basic starting point of any jeweler is starting with polishing and cleaning. I found it interesting because there was such a variety of types of jewelry, settings, stones, and you know still to this day your creativity level can never stop.
Yeah, so I just went from there and worked for the store there, then moved back home and got a job in Hamtramck, Michigan, which is an old Polish community. I was very green to the business and I started working basically subcontract piecework, so basically what I worked on I got paid for. There was no hourly, it was you make it, you break it, you buy it. That’s how I learned (it) was
make it, break it, buy it.
So, it’s been a handson learning experience, no formal business training other than being an entrepreneurial spirit because I was always a paper boy, I cut grass, I was always hustling for a gig.
I went to work for a company in Southfield and I worked under a very good repairman. So I got seven years of really knowing and learning the business. I basically worked during the day and apprenticed at night for three years, but I still do stuff today that I learned back then.
Q: Why did you decide to bring the studio to Bad Axe?
A: Well, my wife and I had two little kids and we had talked when we were having children that we would move out of the city and this is
Continued on Page 72
Michael, of Michael J’s Design Studio Goldsmith Shoppe, smiles behind one of the counters in his shop’s showroom. Michael’s store is located at 747 N Van Dyke Rd in Bad Axe.
OPEN
Sunday to Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday to Saturday 10am - 6pm
Bay Port: Where the fish caught the man
Located between Sebewaing and Caseville is the charming village of Bay Port. Best known as the village where the fish caught the man, it’s cited throughout the state for creating one of the most unique Michigan taste sensations since the pastie — its trademark fish sandwich.
The village opens its arms to the rest of the state for its annual Fish Sandwich Festival. Literally thousands of the unique creations are sold to people from around the world.
Bay Port once was a world leader in the commercial freshwater fishing industry. The Bay Port Fish Co. still makes its home in Bay Port. The company runs a yearround fishing operation, and is a must-see for visitors to the area.
Some of the village’s attractions include the
historical marker along Cedar Street, showing where the luxurious Bay Port Hotel used to stand. The site was frequented by wealthy families looking for a lakeside respite from their hectic lives. They, too, enjoyed the quiet lifestyle and friendly community spirit that remain today.
Original Bay Port residents are descendants of the German religious village of Ora Labora.
The Wallace Stone Plant, known by locals as the Bay Port quarry, still is operating. The quarry, in its heyday, served as a company town and provided jobs and homes for hundreds of people.
A number of parks and access points are located in Bay Port for outdoor recreation. The village’s public access to the bay offers a great vantage point for fishing
Fish sandwiches are prepared during a previous Fish Sandwich Festival, and event that draws many to Bay Port each yaer.
or just watching one of Michigan’s breathtaking sunsets.
Each August, thousands of visitors flock to Bay Port to have fun at its annual Fish Sandwich Festival. But surely one has to wonder — why fish sandwiches?
The tradition began one summer when the late Henry Engelhard and his wife decided they would try an innovative way to raise money to help put the couple’s three daughters through college.
Employed by the Bay Port Fish Co. and armed with a secret recipe from a restaurant owner and friend, Henry helped put Bay Port on the map with
his taste sensation.
From a stand in their front yard near M-25, the couple sold fish sandwiches and wrote themselves into Thumbarea lore.
The sandwich sale became part of the village’s annual celebration several years ago. It now features games as well as other entertainment, but the sandwich is still the most popular thing on the menu.
Two things remain constant — the sandwiches still are so big you have to eat them with two hands, and Henry never did give up his friend’s secret recipe.
The line is always long for a fish sandwich during the annual Bay Port Fish Sandwich Festival.
Continued from Page 69
where we came. Sold the store and said, “Honey, you want to move?”
Ironically, the house we purchased was her great aunt’s house that they had built and that’s where they had all the Christmases and parties. So we bought that property and now it’s still the house that everybody goes to for Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. It’s not quite what it used to be because everyone’s starting to have families but we still get together when we can.
schedule. There was never a conflict and that was really cool.
You know, we’d have practices early in the morning and then I’d go home, have lunch, work probably a four-to-six-hour shift. Then if we were on the road, we just didn’t get scheduled to work and I could work Saturdays or Sundays. It was all open, it was just wide open.
Q: Do you have a favorite jewelry item to make or repair? Or one you enjoy but don’t get to do as often?
Q: On your website it says you played hockey during your apprenticeship, what was it like trying to balance those two demanding things at the same time?
A: Well both sides, the business side and the team side, they were very open
A: I like taking customer’s old jewelry and gemstones and making it new, be it creating it from a new design or restoring it to its original state. That’s my fun thing.
Q: Can you tell me about Team Casual Boat Racing Jewelry? How did you get started in boat racing and
making boat racing jewelry?
A: Oh, that’s a good story! My dad raced boats, and then when I was about nine, we built a boat for my brother who is three years my elder. We would go to Higgins Lake and he’d putter around with this little race boat and I would go out in a row boat and race against him.
But I started racing when I was about 14. My dad’s cousin’s sons and I went to school together, and they raced, so I just teamed up with them, and we were about 11 or 12. Then I started racing when I was about 14.
Then John and I kind of came up with this name because everybody would say, “You guys are so casual,” So we just turned into Team Casual and our logo was “prop-eye.” It was a skull head with propellers in the eyes, so he was
Bad Axe
“prop-eye.”
As for the jewelry, we were at a race in Dayton, Ohio and with boat racing, everyone helps each other. So I’m walking down the beach and this fella can’t get this young guy out on the race course because his motor won’t start. So I stop, pick him up, we pry it a little bit, pull the cord then all of a sudden it starts up and off he goes.
Well, he had a boat charm and I looked at it and asked who made it and he said, “Some guy in St. Clair Shores. Why do you ask?” I said, “Well I’m a goldsmith and I make some things like that.” He says, “Really?”
By the way, his name’s Mark Webber, who’s driven unlimited hydroplanes. Unannounced at the time, it was his nephew Jeff Bernard, who is now driving unlimited hydroplanes. So, that’s how
tight-knit this community is, it’s like if you’ve been to the grassroots all the way to unlimited. We’re all interconnected.
But anyway, (Webber) was the racing commissioner and they were making championship rings and he asked if I could do something like that and I said yes, and he told me I had three weeks to get him a quote. So, I did that and then I got the contract and I’ve made over 300 championship rings over the years.
Then I also make trinket jewelry, you know propeller charms and boat necklaces, and it has supplemented the sport. Now, we’re making engagement rings and it just intertwines into the business.
Q: Is there anything you want the community to know about you or the business? Or anything
coming up you want to share with the public?
A: Well, we like to look at our business as an open door business. We service any jewelry from anywhere. We try to make it a nice experience for people and of course we’re coming up on the Christmas season so we’ll have a bunch of new stuff out.
We warranty and guarantee our work to where we would prefer to just take care of something instead of arguing with the customer. We’d just do it, it takes less time and they’re happy.
We offer same day service or by appointment for certain things. We do everything in-house, we have our own shop in the back. And we are here for the long haul.
Verona Hills Golf Club
3175 Sand Beach Road M-142
5 miles east of Bad Axe
Pro Shop: 989-269-8132
Clubhouse: 989-269-6380
Semi-private course.
Rolling Hills Golf Course
6586 Milligan Road
989-872-3569.
Public course.
Elkton
Century Oaks Golf Course
4570 Pigeon Road M-142 989-375-4419. Public course.
Caseville
Caseville Golf Course
5848 Griggs Road 989-856-2613
Public course.
Port Austin
Bird Creek Golf Course
7850 N. Van Dyke Road (M-53) 989-738-GOLF (4653)
Public course.
Cass City
Mulligan’s Irish Links
4795 Hospital Drive
989-872-8002.
Public course.
Ubly
Ubly Heights Golf & Country Club
2409 E. Atwater Road
989-658-2374 Public course.
Pigeon/Mud Creek
Scenic Golf and Country Club 8364 W. Filion Road
Pro Shop: 989-453-3350
Clubhouse: 989-453-2233
Semi-private course.
Gagetown
Sherwood on the Hill 6625 3rd St.
989-665-9971
Public course.
2025 Calendar of Events
Please note: Not all dates were set as of press time. Some events may have been finalized or added after press time. As always, be sure to call ahead to confirm dates and times prior to attending.
MAY
May 4 Teaseburger in Caseville, 12 p.m., Wooded Island II. For more information, visit casevillechamber.com, email email@ casevillechamber.com or call 989-856-3818.
May 9 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
May 9–10 Sebewaing American Legion Aux Poppy Drive, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. (4 p.m. on Saturday). For more information, contact Mike McGee at 989551-9968 or mcgeebetty@ymail.com.
May 10 Elkton Lions Bingo Night. Huron Youth Center. Regular games, special games, milk money games, high roller games, raffles and more.Cash payouts. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Early Bird at 5:30 p.m. Regular play starts at 6 p.m.
May 16 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
May 17 Sebewaing VFW 4115 Poppy Drive, 8 a.m.–12 p.m. For more information, contact John Eberlein at 989-205-1351.
May 17 Port Austin Farmers Market, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., 17 W State Street. The market runs Saturdays from May 17 through Oct. 4. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@ portaustinarea.com.
May 17 – Opening Work Day, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Point Aux Barques Museum, 7320 Lighthouse Rd, Port Hope. For more information, call 586243-1838.
May 22-26 Trash & Treasure Days, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Caseville Township. For more information or to register, call the chamber at 989-856-3818.
May 23 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
May 23 – Kyle Mik, 5 p.m. to 7pm, The Village Green. Part of Friday Night Live. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@ portaustinarea.com.
May 23 – Opening Day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Point Aux Barques Museum, 7320 Lighthouse Rd, Port Hope. May 23. For more information, call 586243-1838.
May 24 – Flower Day at the Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 17 W State Street. May 24. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@ portaustinarea.com.
May 24 Bad Axe Memorial Day Parade. Starts at 10 a.m. Line-up at Franklin Inn at 8 a.m. For more information, call 989-269-6479.
May 24 – Boston Edison Bank, 10 a.m. to 1pm, 17 W State Street. Part of Live on Stage. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@ portaustinarea.com.
May 25 Ice Cream Social, Caseville Historical Museum. For more information, call 989-8569090.
May 26 Sebewaing VFW 4115 Memorial Day Service and Parade, 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m. For more information, contact John Eberlein at 989205-1351.
May 26 – Memorial Day Services, Amvets post 115. 9 a.m, New River Cemetery. 9:30 a.m, Pointe Aux Barques. 10 a.m, Port Hope Cemetery. For more information, call Port Hope Mercantile 989-4280024
May 26 - Oct. 5 — Market on Main, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. every Saturday, 6730 Main Street. For more information, visit casevillechamber.com, email email@casevillechamber.com or call 989-8563818.
2025 Calendar of Events
May 26 Blessing of the Fleet, 10 a.m., Caseville Harbor. For more information, contact American Legion Jean Post #543 at 989-856-4330.
May 26 — Caseville Veteran’s Memorial Service, will follow the Blessing, Caseville Cemetery. For more information, visit casevillechamber.com or contact American Legion Jean Post #543 at 989856-4330.
May 26 Elkton Memorial Day Parade and Service.
May 30 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
May 31 Elkton Lions Kids Day. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Ackerman Park. Inflatables, climbing wall, obstacle course, water slide, bounce house, foam party, meet-and-greet with Elkton’s heroes, free kites, children’s eyesight screenings, educational and activity vendors, Elkton Historical Society Museum open.
May 31 Caseville Cruise Night. For more information, visit casevillechamber.com, email email@casevillechamber.com or call 989-8563818.
May 31 Great Lakes Bowfishing Tournament, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. For more information, visit the Great Lakes Bowfishing Championship page on Facebook or call the chamber at 989-856-3818.
May 31 — Lightning Winged Sprints #2, 7 p.m., Silver Bullet Speedway. For more information contact 810-459-2807 or email Matt Hoonhout at Matt@Silverbulletspeedway.com.
May 31 — Caseville School Heritage Festival, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Caseville Public Schools. For more information, visit https://www.cpseagles.org/ or contact Theresa Hoard at thoard@cpseagles.org or call 989-856-2311 EXT. 51101
JUNE
June 1 Great Lakes Bowfishing Tournament, 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. For more information, visit the Great Lakes Bowfishing Championship page on Facebook or call the chamber at 989-856-3818.
June 4 — Jean Ferriby Memorial Golf Scramble, 9 a.m., Verona Hills Golf and Country Club. For more information call 989-479-5023, or email jhoffman@hbch.org.
June 4–Aug. 27 Farmers Market in Cass City, 2–7 p.m. Wednesdays, Main Street near Rotary Park. For details or vendor applications, call Cathy Tomlin at 989-912-9511.
June 6 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
June 7 Annual Caseville Chamber Fireworks Golf Scramble, Caseville Golf Course. For more info, call the course 989-856-3818.
June 7 Autograph Night, 7 p.m., Silver Bullet Speedway. For more information contact 810459-2807 or email Matt Hoonhout at Matt@ Silverbulletspeedway.com.
June 11 — Ladies Garden Luncheon, 12-2 p.m., Caseville Historical Museum. For more info, call the society 989-856-9090.
June 13 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
June 13 Music in the Park: Chase Murphy & The Backroads Band Veteran’s Park in downtown Elkton, every other Friday starting June 13 through Aug. 22. Food vendors Coney Guys and Extreme Freeze start at 5 p.m., music starts at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit www. villageofelkton.com.
June 13–15 — Sebewaing Michigan Sugar Festival, vendors, parade, fireworks, Main Park & South Park. For more information, contact Julie Epperson at 520-508-0323 or julieepperson6@ gmail.com.
June 14 Ken Schrader’s 5th Annual Trip to the Bullet and Dinosaur Races, 7 p.m., Silver Bullet Speedway. For more information contact 810459-2807 or email Matt Hoonhout at Matt@ Silverbulletspeedway.com.
2025 Calendar of Events
June 15 Father’s Day Breakfast, Caseville Eagles Club. For more info, call the club 989-856-4104.
June 20 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
June 20-22 CRAM Caseville Regatta, Caseville Beach. For more information, visit casevillechamber.com, email email@ casevillechamber.com or call 989-856-3818.
June 21 Great Lakes Traditional Sprints #1, 7 p.m., Silver Bullet Speedway. For more information contact 810-459-2807 or email Matt Hoonhout at Matt@Silverbulletspeedway.com.
June 27 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
June 27 Music in the Park: Stix & Stones. Veteran’s Park in downtown Elkton. Food vendors Mr. Italy and Sweets By The Bay start at 5 p.m., music starts at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.villageofelkton.com.
June 27 — “Tom & Jerry,” 6:30 p.m., Music in Rotary Park, Cass City. Bring lawn chairs. For more information, contact the Cass City Chamber of Commerce at 989-872-4618.
June 27–29 — USA Pride Summer Heat (girls fastpitch softball tournament), Main Park & South Park. For more information, email jihahn19@yahoo.com.
June 27-29 — Ribstock, 9 a.m., Caseville Township Park, 404 North Main Street. For more information, visit casevillechamber.com, email email@casevillechamber.com or call 989-8563818.
June 27–29 — Red Hawk Rumble (travel baseball tournament), Cass City Municipal Park. For more information, contact Morgan Erla at 989-9287486 or redhawkrumble@gmail.com.
June 28-July 13 — Caseville Walleye Tournament, Beadle Bay Marina & Campground. For more info, call the marina at 989-856-4911
June 28 Late Model Extravaganza #1, 7 p.m., Silver Bullet Speedway. For more information contact 810-459-2807 or email Matt Hoonhout at Matt@Silverbulletspeedway.com.
JULY
July 3 — Bingo, Cass City Freedom Festival. For more information, contact the Cass City Chamber of Commerce at 989-872-4618
July 4 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
July 4 Port Austin Fourth of July, Parade at 1 p.m., Fireworks at dusk. For more information, call the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600.
July 4 “Dynasty” (Freedom Festival Car Show), 6:30 p.m., Music in Rotary Park, Cass City. For more information, contact the Cass City Chamber of Commerce at 989-872-4618.
July 4 Craft Show, Food Vendors, Home Run Derby, Car Show, Cass City Freedom Festival. For more information, contact the Cass City Chamber of Commerce at 989-872-4618.
July 5 Parade, Craft Show, Fireworks, Cass City Freedom Festival. For more information, contact the Cass City Chamber of Commerce at 989-8724618.
July 4-6 — Port Hope 4th of July festivities. For more information, call Port Hope Mercantile 989-428-0024
July 5 Spectacular Fireworks Display & Entertainment on the Beach, 9:45 p.m., Caseville County Park, 6400 Main Street. For more information, visit casevillechamber.com email email@casevillechamber.com or call 989-8563818.
July 5 Fireworks Night, 7 p.m., Silver Bullet Speedway. For more information contact 810459-2807 or email Matt Hoonhout at Matt@ Silverbulletspeedway.com.
2025 Calendar of Events
July 10 — Ubly Homecoming. Runs through Sunday, July 13. Numerous events throughout town, including grand parade, car and tractor show, village-wide garage sales, truck/tractor pull, beer tent, food tent, kids parade, Fun Run and 5K Walk/Run, adult cornhole tournament, Rotary Club chicken barbecue, mud volleyball, kids tractor pull, food vendors in the park, used book sale at the library, live music, baseball tournament and more.
June 11 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
July 11 — Music in the Park: The Big Band. Veteran’s Park in downtown Elkton. Food vendors Dinner Bell and Sweets By The Bay start at 5 p.m., music starts at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.villageofelkton.com.
July 11 — “Mysterians,” 6:30 p.m., Music in Rotary Park, Cass City.For more information, contact the Cass City Chamber of Commerce at 989-8724618.
July 11 Waylon Hanel Concert, 7 p.m., Thumb Octagon Barn. For more information, call Kathy Moss at 989-665-0081 or visit www. thumboctagonbarn.org.
July 12 Kids Night and Bike Races, 7 p.m., Silver Bullet Speedway. For more information contact 810-459-2807 or email Matt Hoonhout at Matt@ Silverbulletspeedway.com.
July 17-20 — Pigeon Farmer’s Summerfest. Grand parade, fireworks, pickleball tournament, men’s golf tournament, garage sales, market and craft show, kids games and inflatables, foam pit, kids parade, live music at the bandshell featuring Jedi Mind Trip, Outlaw’d and Suzi Marsh;, art show, softball tournament, cornhole tournament, line dancing lessons, greased pig catch, auto and motorcycle show, dunk tank, food trucks, Village Park. For more information, visit www. pigeonchamber.com.
July ? – MMMTPA Quarter Scale Tractor Pull, 3 p.m., Pigeon Village Park, 119 James St. Pigeon. For more information email info@ pigeonchamber.com. (MULTI-DAY EVENT)
July 18 “Movin’ On,” 6:30 p.m., Music in Rotary Park, Cass City. For more information, contact the Cass City Chamber of Commerce at 989-8724618.
July 18-19 Music Weekend in the Barn, 9 p.m., Thumb Octagon Barn. For more information, call Kathy Moss at 989-665-0081 or visit www. thumboctagonbarn.org.
July 19 Great Lakes Traditional Sprints #2, 7 p.m., Silver Bullet Speedway. For more information contact 810-459-2807 or email Matt Hoonhout at Matt@Silverbulletspeedway.com.
July 19 – Kevin Wolff, 10 a.m. to 1pm, 17 W State Street.. Part of Live on Stage. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@ portaustinarea.com.
July 18-20 — Minden City Homecoming, starts Friday at 5 p.m., Francis Lautner Memorial Park. For general event information, contact Darcy Lipskey at 989-550-3177 or visit Minden City Lions Club on Facebook.
July 19 – Huron County Genealogy Talk, 1 p.m., Port Austin History Center.. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@portaustinarea.com.
July 20 Minden City Homecoming Craft & Vendor Show, 12:30-3:00 p.m., Francis Lautner Memorial Park. For more information or to register, contact Janet Lipskey at 989-550-3123.
July 20 Minden City Fuel and Field Tractor, Car, and Motorcycle Show, will follow the parade until 3 p.m., Francis Lautner Memorial Park. For more information or to register, contact Darcy Lipskey at 989-550-3177.
July 25 “Random,” 6:30 p.m., Music in Rotary Park, Cass City. For more information, contact the Cass City Chamber of Commerce at 989-872-4618.
July 25 — Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
2025 Calendar of Events
July 25 — Music in the Park: Movin’ On. Veteran’s Park in downtown Elkton. Food vendors Angry Ginger and Sweets By The Bay start at 5 p.m., music starts at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.villageofelkton.com.
July 25 – Roger Hackelburg, 5 p.m., The Village Green.. Part of Friday Night Live. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@ portaustinarea.com.
July 25-27- Greenman Artist In-Residence Festival. Downtown Port Hope and Rubicon Twp. Hall. For more information, call Port Hope Mercantile at 989-428-0024
July 25–27 Fun in the Thumb (local rec baseball tournament), Cass City Municipal Park. For more information, contact Troy Perry at 989-670-6810 or troypery42@hotmail.com.
July 26 Great Grub Grab, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Starting location at Pete’s Bar, 269 E. Huron Ave. For more information, email badaxechamberofcommerce@gmail.com.
July 26 — Late Model Extravaganza #2, 7 p.m., Silver Bullet Speedway. For more information contact 810-459-2807 or email Matt Hoonhout at Matt@Silverbulletspeedway.com.
July 26 – C.W.M. & The Backroads Band, 10 a.m., 17 W State Street.. Part of Live on Stage. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@ portaustinarea.com.
AUGUST
Aug. 1 Fish Sandwich Festival, 12-8 p.m., BC McLeish Memorial Park. For more information, email bayportchamber@gmail.com, call 989-5519929 or visit www.bayportchamber.org.
Aug. 1 “Josh Ramses Band,” 6:30 p.m., Music in Rotary Park, Cass City. For more information, contact the Cass City Chamber of Commerce at 989-872-4618.
Aug. 1 — Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
Aug. 1 – Kenny Lang, 5 p.m., The Village Green.. Part of Friday Night Live. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@portaustinarea.com.
Aug. 2 Fish Sandwich Festival, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., BC McLeish Memorial Park. For more information, email bayportchamber@gmail.com, call 989-551-9929 or visit www.bayportchamber. org.
Aug. 2 Leo Yakes 2nd Annual Memorial, All American Truck Series, MARFC/Topless Night (Cars Only), 7 p.m., Silver Bullet Speedway. For more information contact 810-459-2807 or email Matt Hoonhout at Matt@Silverbulletspeedway. com.
Aug. 2 – The Pink Violin Band, 10 a.m., 17 W State Street.. Part of Live on Stage. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@ portaustinarea.com.
Aug. 8 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
Aug. 8 — Music in the Park: G & W. Veteran’s Park in downtown Elkton. Food vendors Thumb Lickin BBQ and Extreme Freeze start at 5 p.m., music starts at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.villageofelkton.com.
Aug. 8 – Circle of Friends, 5 p.m., The Village Green.. Part of Friday Night Live. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@ portaustinarea.com.
Aug. 8-17 — Cheeseburger Festival, 6632 Main Street, Caseville. For more information, visit casevillechamber.com, email email@ casevillechamber.com or call 989-856-3818.
Aug. 9 Great Lakes Winged Super Sprints, 7 p.m., Silver Bullet Speedway. For more information contact 810-459-2807 or email Matt Hoonhout at Matt@Silverbulletspeedway.com.
2025 Calendar of Events
Aug. 9 – Ruby, T, & Valentine, 10 a.m., 17 W State Street.. Part of Live on Stage. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@ portaustinarea.com.
August 10 New Salem Ev. Lutheran Church Service & Picnic, Main Park. For more information, call 989-883-3880 or email newsalem.wels@gmail.com.
Aug. 13 Parade of Tropical Fools, 5:30 p.m., Main Street. For more information, visit casevillechamber.com, email email@ casevillechamber.com or call 989-856-3818.
Aug. 15 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
Aug. 15 – Dr. Harp & Sweet Melissa, 5 p.m., The Village Green.. Part of Friday Night Live. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@portaustinarea.com.
Aug. 16 ABC Days, 10 a.m-4 p.m, Downtown Port Hope. For more information, call Port Hope Mercantile 989-428-0024
Aug. 21 Scheurer Aux. Golf Scramble. For more info, call 989-459-5213.
Aug. 22 — Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
Aug. 22 Music in the Park: Loradale. Band Veteran’s Park in downtown Elkton, every other Friday starting June 13 through Aug. 22. Food vendors Coney Guys and Extreme Freeze start at 5 p.m., music starts at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.villageofelkton.com.
Aug. 22 – Sibling Revelry, 5 p.m., The Village Green.. Part of Friday Night Live. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@portaustinarea.com.
August 22–24 Sebewaing Men’s softball tournament, Main Park & South Park.
August 23 Country Market & Music Fest, 8 a.m.–4 p.m., downtown Sebewaing on N. Center Street. For more information, contact Gayle Genow at 989-551-2739 or email sebewaingchamber@ gmail.com.
Aug. 22-23 1st Annual Powerboat Run. For more information, call the chamber at 989-856-3818, Caseville Harbor at 989-856-4590, or Jerald Ignash at 989-856-2169.
Aug. 23 — Fan Appreciation Night, 7 p.m., Silver Bullet Speedway. For more information contact 810-459-2807 or email Matt Hoonhout at Matt@ Silverbulletspeedway.com
Aug. 23 – Ean Elliot, 10 a.m., 17 W State Street. Part of Live on Stage. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989738-7600 or chamber@portaustinarea.com.
Aug 23 Teamwork & Timbers, 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Thumb Octagon Barn. For more information, call Kathy Moss at 989-665-0081 or visit thumboctagonbarn.org
Aug. 28-31 Elkton Autumnfest. Live music, classic car show, Floyd Farver Memorial Tractor Show, kids inflatables and games, TTPA Tractor Pulls, grand parade, chicken BBQ, Lions Club bingo.
Aug. 29 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
Aug. 29 – Tim Neumeyer, 5 p.m., The Village Green. Part of Friday Night Live. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@portaustinarea.com.
Aug. 30 — All American Truck Series, Spectator Drag and Shopping Cart Races, 7 p.m., Silver Bullet Speedway. For more information contact 810-459-2807 or email Matt Hoonhout at Matt@ Silverbulletspeedway.com.
2025 Calendar of Events
Aug. 30 – Dr. Harp & Sweet Melissa, 10 a.m., 17 W State Street. Part of Live on Stage. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@ portaustinarea.com.
Aug. 30–31 – Art in the Park, 10 a.m., Gallup Park. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@portaustinarea.com.
SEPTEMBER
Sept. 5 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
Sept. 5 Thumb Octagon Barn Fish Fry, 4-7 p.m., Thumb Octagon Barn. For more information, contact Kathy Moss 989-665-0081 or visit www. thumboctagonbarn.org.
Sept. 6-7 Thumb Octagon Barn Fall Family Days, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thumb Octagon Barn. For more information, contact Martin Kubacki at 989-5510526 or Dennis Anderson at 989-550-4416.
Sept. 6 Championship Night and Great Lakes Traditional Sprints #3, 7 p.m., Silver Bullet Speedway. For more information contact 810459-2807 or email Matt Hoonhout at Matt@ Silverbulletspeedway.com.
Sept. 12 — Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
Sept. 12-14 Born 2 Be Wild. Ackerman Park in Elkton. Bike show, bike run and vendors. Free primitive camping.
Sept. 12–14 – Girl’s Weekend, all day, Village of Port Austin. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@portaustinarea.com.
Sept. 13 – Noruh, 10 a.m., 17 W State Street. Part of Live on Stage. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-7387600 or chamber@portaustinarea.com.
Sept. 13-14 — Kinde Polka Fest. For more information, visit kindepolkafest.org or contact The Pasta House 989-874-4070.
Sept. 19 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
Sept. 20 Pumpkin Fest. For more information, visit casevillechamber.com, email email@ casevillechamber.com or call 989-856-3818.
Sept. 20 — Pumpkinfest Lighted Parade, Main Street. For more information, call 989-856-3818.
Sept. 20 Seasonal Blessing Craft Show, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, 6253 Main Street. For more information, call 989-8564933.
Sept. 20 — Historical Society Classic Car & Tractor Show. For more information, call 989 856-9092
Sept. 20 — Fifth Annual Fall Frenzy, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., downtown Bad Axe. For more information, visit www.badaxechamber.com or email badaxechamberofcommerce@gmail.com.
Sept. 20-22 — Halloween Weekend, Sleeper State Park, 6573 State Park Road, Caseville. For more information, call 989-856-4411.
Sept. 26 — Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
Sept. 26-28 Sleeper State Park Harvest Festival, 6573 State Park Road, Caseville. For more information, email Jimkoskil2@michigan.gov or call 989-856-4411.
Sept 27-28 – Harvest Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Szymanski’s Creekside Acres, 8101 Larned Road, Port Austin. . For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-7387600 or chamber@portaustinarea.com.
Sept. 27-28 — Huron County Historical Society Presents Museum Weekend, all Huron County museums. For more information, call 989-7120050.
2025 Calendar of Events
Sept 28 – Harvest Festival,3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Szymanski’s Creekside Acres, 8101 Larned Road, Port Austin. . For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-7387600 or chamber@portaustinarea.com.
OCTOBER
Oct. 2 Moonlight Madness, 4–8 p.m., vendors and activities throughout Sebewaing. For more information, contact Chris Deming at 989-5512739 or chrisdeming620@gmail.com.
Oct. 3-5 Sleeper State Park Harvest Festival, 6573 State Park Road, Caseville. For more information, email Jimkoskil2@michigan.gov or call 989-856-4411.
Oct. 3 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
Oct. 10 Pigeon Fall Harvest Celebration-Chamber Bake Sale. For more information, visit www. pigeonchamber.com.
Oct. 10 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
Oct. 11 Elkton Lions Bingo Night. Huron Youth Center. Regular games, special games, milk money games, high roller games, raffles and more.Cash payouts. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Early Bird at 5:30 p.m. Regular play starts at 6 p.m.
Oct. 17 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
Oct. 18 – Nightmare on Lake Street, 7:30 p.m., 17 W State Street.. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-7387600 or chamber@portaustinarea.com.
Oct. 24 Pigeon Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pigeon Municipal Parking Lot. Runs May 9 through Oct. 24.
Oct. 25 – Nightmare on Lake Street, 7:30 p.m., 17 W State Street.. For more information, contact the
Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-7387600 or chamber@portaustinarea.com.
Oct. 25 5th Annual Caseville Witch Walk, Main Street. For more information, visit casevillechamber.com, email email@ casevillechamber.com or call 989-856-8733.
Oct. 25 Nightmare on Prospect Street, Caseville Historical Society. For more information, call the society at 989-856-9090.
Oct. 25 – Fairy Tale Trail, 1 p.m., Port Austin History Center, 1424 Pointe Aux Barques Rd. For more information, call 989-551-5532.
Oct. 25 18th Annual Benefit Auction, R U Ready Ministries at Caseville Family Arena.
Oct. 31 — Pigeon Truck or Treat and Winsor Township Fire Department Hot Dog Roast.
Oct. 31 - Trick-or-Treat. 5:30-7 p.m., Port Hope. For more information, call Port Hope Mercantile 989-428-0024
NOVEMBER
Nov. 1 Elkton’s Halloween Celebration and Trunk or Treat, townwide trick-or-treating, Trunk or Treat downtown, donuts, cider and more at the Huron Youth Center. For more information, call 989-375-2270.
Nov. 1 — 57th Annual Holly Berry Fair, Caseville Public School. For more information, contact the school at 989-856-2311.
Nov. 2 — Rock CF Thumb Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K. For more information, call 989-8568733.
Nov. 8 Mistletoe Market, Bad Axe Middle School, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call the Huron Daily Tribune at 989-269-6461.
Nov. 8 Elkton Lions Bingo Night. Huron Youth Center. Regular games, special games, milk money games, high roller games, raffles and more.Cash payouts. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Early Bird at 5:30 p.m. Regular play starts at 6 p.m.
2025 Calendar of Events
Nov. 9 — Fall Feast & Auction, Caseville Historical Museum. For more information, call 989-8569090.
Nov. 15 — Deer Widows Weekend Craft Fair. Pigeon Event Center. For more information, visit www. pigeonchamber.com.
Nov. 21 – Mini Tree Fundraiser, 12 p.m., Port Austin Welcome Center. Begins Nov. 21 and continues daily through Dec. 8. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@portaustinarea.com.
Nov. 22 Spirit of Christmas, 10 a.m.–7 p.m., vendors, parade, activities throughout Sebewaing. For more information, contact Julie Epperson at 520-508-0323 or julieepperson6@ gmail.com.
Nov. 28 — Pigeon Town Lighting Celebration/Visit with Santa. For more information, visit www. pigeonchamber.com.
Nov. 28 – Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, 6:30 p.m., Village of Port Austin. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-738-7600 or chamber@ portaustinarea.com.
Nov. 29 Tidings & Tinsel Christmas Events and Parade. Events all day. Parade goes from 6 to 7 p.m., downtown Bad Axe. For more information, visit www.badaxechamber.com or email badaxechamberofcommerce@gmail.com.
DECEMBER
Dec. 3 Lunch with Santa, Caseville Eagles Club. For more information, visit casevillechamber. com, email email@casevillechamber.com or call 989-856-8733.
Dec. 6 Elkton Christmas Celebration. Lunch with Santa, Soup and Chili Cook Off, Lighted Christmas Parade. Visit www.villageofelkton.com for more details.
Dec. 6 – Soup Stroll, 11 a.m., throughout the village of Port Austin. For more information, contact the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce at 989-7387600 or chamber@portaustinarea.com.
Dec. 7 - Santa Sing-Along, Downtown Port Hope, 5 p.m. For more information, call Port Hope Mercantile 989-428-0024.
Dec. 13 — Elkton Lions Bingo Night. Huron Youth Center. Regular games, special games, milk money games, high roller games, raffles and more. Cash payouts. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Early Bird at 5:30 p.m. Regular play starts at 6 p.m.
Dec. 20 — Holiday Craft Fair. Pigeon Event Center. For more information, visit www.pigeonchamber. com.
