June 11–17, 2008, Number 496
Bridgefest 2008
Every year on Father’s day weekend the communities of Houghton and Hancock celebrate the construction that joins the gap between them. This celebration is known as Bridgefest. Bridgefest in correlation with Seafood fest will take place from June 13th through June 15th with plenty of entertainment for everyone to enjoy! This week’s article will discuss the events that will take place and other information about what Bridgefest is.
Bridgefest is a special holiday here to the communities of Houghton and Hancock that is set up to commemorate the “birthday” of the Portage Lake Lift Bridge. The celebration will begin on Friday (June 13th) in the evening with booths and vendors setting up shop down on the Houghton Waterfront at 3pm. There will also be a parade as well other events Friday evening that are gearing more towards the food end of the entertainment spectrum, but more on that later. Other events taking place over the weekend include Family Olympics, Beach Volleyball, a Fishing Derby, and Fireworks, as well as many more. For a full listing of the special events taking place (and the location) check out Bridgefest’s 2008 Event Schedule online.
Next I’ll talk about Seafood fest, which is correlated with Bridgefest every year. Seafood fest is run by the Houghton Rotary Club and started back in 1986. A selection of many mouth-watering seafood goodies will be served as a fundraising event used for local community projects. Some of the foods that will be served are Clam Chowder, Fish and Chips, Snow Crab Clusters, and more. The Rotary Club will also be serving things like Hot Chicken Wings, Bratwurst, and Hot dogs for those who don’t favor seafood as much. For a complete listing, the Rotary Club has an online menu that lists the prices as well. This event will start on Friday night from 5-Midnight and then Saturday from 11am-Midnight. When I attended the event the last two years, the food that was served was amazing.
One thing I’ve learned about being here in Houghton is that the community is great! I really enjoy getting out and visiting with local people and seeing the fun that everyone has during this event. I highly encourage anyone who has a student up here to come up for the weekend, enjoy Bridgefest and spend Father’s day with them. I can guarantee that the time up here will be well spent and that everyone will enjoy it. If you are looking for more information on these events check out Bridgefest 2008 and Seafood Fest online.
If there are any questions or comments about this article, please email me at my personal email address. As always, any suggestions for future articles are welcomed. For those in the Houghton/Hancock area, I hope you enjoy Bridgefest. Happy Father’s Day weekend everyone!
Until next week,
- Michigan Technological University
- 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931-1295
- 906-487-1885