MARQUETTE — Monday is the 10th Annual 906 Day, a celebration of the Upper Peninsula area code.

“No area code in America is so unique in its defined borders,” reads the opening paragraph at 906day.com. “Additionally, no area code is as tightly tied to its demonym as area code 906. For Yoopers, 906 has become a unique symbol to identify the Upper Peninsula and its islands, where the area code is exclusive to the region.”

The fact the event takes place every year on Sept. 6 makes sense: Calendar-wise, it’s 9-06, which to Justin “Bugsy” Sailor, creator of 906 Day, resembled the area code when he first thought of the idea a decade ago.

“I think I was literally waking up Sept. 6, and being, like, ‘Oh, this looks an awful lot like 906,’ realizing nobody had done anything with it,” Sailor said.

On the spur of the moment, Sailor had an online sale at his store, and continued from there.

“But really, what I’ve tried to do in the last handful of years is encourage other businesses and organizations to have their own events, their own specials, whatever they want to do with it,” he said.

At upsupply.co, the website of Sailor’s downtown Marquette store, the U.P. Supply Co., these 906 facts are listed:

≤ Area code 906 was created in March 19, 1961 as a split from what was area code 616.

≤ Area code 906 is not expected to be exhausted until at least 2023.

≤ Area code 906 is the sixth-largest area code east of the Mississippi River.

≤ 906 is a sphenic number, a positive integer that is the product of three distinct prime numbers (2 x 3 x 151) .

≤ 906 is the number of perfect graphs with seven vertices.

≤ In 906 AD in China, the Tang Dynasty fell to the Sung rule.

≤ If you flip it, it is identical.

What happens on 906 Day?

Typically, the U.P. Supply Co., located at 221 W. Washington St., has an in-store and online sale on 906 Day, with other businesses having online sales as well over the years.

“There’s a big social media push where people kind of post their favorite photos from the U.P., anything like that,” Sailor said. “There’s been a lot of recognition in the last couple years from some of the political leaders across the state.”

That recognition, he noted, surprises him, particularly the fact that 906 Day has had a lot more reach south of the Mackinac Bridge. For example, the Michigan State Police headquarters in Lansing posted about the event in 2020.

However, 906 Day could be considered just a way to celebrate a lifestyle and culture.

“It’s a good day to get a pasty,” Sailor said. “It’s a good day to take a sauna, chop some wood, do all of the Yooper things — a day to celebrate the U.P.”

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