Celebration starts Thursday

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MARQUETTE - The tents are up in Mattson Lower Harbor Park and Marquette residents know what that means - The 23rd annual International Food Fest is about to begin.

"I'd encourage everybody to come down because it's such a beautiful place," said Bob Vidlund, co-chair of the food fest and member of the Marquette County Exchange Club that is hosting the event. "It feels good to be part of something; it's become a thing that people say they come home for."

The food fest runs from 3 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Thursday and noon to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The annual Independence Day celebration draws more than 10,000 people on the day of the fireworks, set for Friday this year.

The Marquette County Exchange Club will donate all proceeds of the fest to area nonprofit groups. Since the events inception, about $590,000 has been raised and donated back to the community.

"The money raised goes to a lot of areas," Vidlund said, including the Harbor House, Beacon House, retired senior volunteer programs, search and rescue, Big Brothers and Sisters and Boy Scout programs.

"Our national cause is the prevention of child abuse," Vidlund said.

A variety of bands - including the Marquette City Band - will perform music ranging from Finnish reggae to rock to polka, free of charge.

"There will be live entertainment," Vidlund said. "There will be an Army band playing patriotic music and there is a band from Oshkosh, Copper Box, that has a good following."

International food, such as Greek, Thai, Cajun, Italian, Chinese and American dishes will be served. New this year will be coffee served by the Marquette County Humane Society. Volunteers of the Noquemanon Trail Network will serve ice cream.

A game tent, slide, moon walk and other games are available for kids.

The Fourth of July parade and fireworks are scheduled for Friday, at 2 p.m. and dusk, respectively.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Marquette County Exchange Club, being founded in 1948, Vidlund said. Besides the Food Fest, the club does highway clean-ups, rakes seniors' yards and puts up freedom shrines. During the Marquette and Ishpeming Fourth of July parades and Negaunee Pioneer Days parade, club members hand out as many as 10,000 American flags to kids.

"I think a lot of people don't even realize we're out there," Vidlund said, adding that anyone interested in giving back to the community should consider joining the club. "This community that gives you a livelihood, I think you owe it to your community and a service club is a way to give back to the community by helping support some of the non-profits."