It seems to be that every year when Marquette West Rotary hosts its Harbor Fest, the weather poses its own challenges.

And so it was this past weekend, when Mother Nature dumped a bit of rain on the Mattson Lower Harbor Park at various times during the event. Undaunted, area residents, plus a great many returning Northern Michigan University students, showed up to enjoy the great food and music.

Marquette West Rotary has been providing donations to area non-profits with the proceeds it collects during its Harbor Fest – and previously with its Seafood Fest – for the past 29 years.

The proceeds from the 2014 fest are still being tabulated but we’re sure that the event did not disappoint.

Thousands crowded into the Lower Harbor for three days of fun, starting Thursday night with the sold-out gala, continuing Friday with music by Bumpus and Saturday with a rocking AD/DC tribute by Cleveland, Ohio-based Night Prowler.

Rotary West Michelle Sellers said the weekend saw at least 4,500 people visit the fest.

“We sold 1,500 wristbands Friday and at least double that on Saturday,” Sellers said in the Harbor Fest story in Monday’s Mining Journal. That doesn’t include the sold out gala which sells 250 tickets to local business people.

Sellers said she hopes the club met its goal: raising $50,000 over the weekend.

The group has raised over $500,000 in its 29 years to provide to community needs.

The group accepts grant applications which can be found at its website at marquettewestrotary.org.

Congratulations to the club for a job well done and thanks for putting on such a fun late-summer event yet again.