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Blueberry Fest coming to downtown Marquette

16th annual gathering set for Friday

The 16th annual Blueberry Festival is set for Friday in downtown Marquette at Washington and Front streets. A wide variety of vendors, many with blueberry themes, as well as entertainment is planned for the event. At left and below are scenes from the 2016 event. (Journal file photos)

MARQUETTE — A berry that grows well in the Upper Peninsula climate again will be the focus of a popular downtown Marquette festival on Friday.

The 16th annual Blueberry Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with “ground zero” being Washington and Front streets.

Tara Laase-McKinney, events and promotions coordinator with the Marquette Downtown Development Authority, said 96 booth spaces were available, with new vendors to fill some of those spots.

“We’ll have a lot of returning favorites, lots of kids’ activities, good food,” Laase-McKinney said.

The event also will have Abra Cadabra Arcade jumps as well as pony rides.

Several restaurants will come out to the street for the first time, such as Dig’s Gastropub, Delft Bistro, Lagniappe Cajun Creole Eatery and Donckers, she noted.

The blueberry, however, will be the main theme.

Want to try blueberry pizza or blueberry beer?

“We’ll be having blueberry-themed food and crafts, sidewalk sales and beautiful art,” Laase-McKinney said.

Downtown restaurants will offer such unusual fare while the shops will feature “blue” specials. Local farmers also will sell fresh produce — including blueberries, of course — during the day.

A youth talent show, sponsored by the Superior Youth Arts Theater, is set for the center stage at Washington and Front from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Blueberry Jam” will run from 1 to 7 p.m., with each artist playing about an hour. Scheduled to perform, in order, are the Union Suits; Will Kilpela & Friends; Harp, Hart & Bones; the State 51 Band; the Flat Broke Blues Band; and Travis Swanson Jazz.

Musicians will play 90-minute sets near the Phil Niemisto Pocket Park along Washington Street beginning at 10:30 a.m. and finishing at 6 p.m. They include Chris Valenti and Jason Elsenbroek.

Available for purchase at the event will be the official Blueberry Festival poster.

Liz Olli, originally from Marquette and now of Milwaukee, is the winner of this year’s Blueberry Festival Poster Contest with her entry, “Handmade in the U.P.”

Olli said in the June DDA newsletter, “Building Blocks,” that she wanted to depict the classic shot of hand-picked blueberries with an Upper Peninsula twist.

“Picking blueberries each summer in the U.P. was one of my favorite things to do growing up,” Olli said.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.

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