Summer Celebration: What goes around, comes around

June 20, 2010
by Sara A. Meisch
Muskegon Chronicle

Sometimes, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

For example, Muskegon Summer Celebration will be 11 days long this year, instead of 10.

In 1983, the Seaway Festival — one of its predecessors (remember?) — was 11 days long.

In addition to its much-lauded musical lineup, Summer Celebration’s other attractions include a juried art fair in Hackley Park, a midway, a parade, the Chronicle-Seaway Run and, of course, fireworks.

The Seaway Festival, which ran from the early 1960s to 1984, had similar activities. It also had music.

According to a Chronicle editorial from 1983: “Eleven fun-filled days of parades, music, dance and other family entertainment attractions are memories now. It was a boffo affair from its starter’s-gun start with the Chronicle-Seaway Run to its pyrotechnics and patriotic concert finish.”

The Seaway Festival became the Lumbertown Music Festival a year later, after festival organizers voted to distance themselves from Muskegon’s historical significance in relation to connecting the Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence Seaway, saying the name was “obsolete and didn’t mean anything.”

Organizers also began adding more music to the festival, offering local and national acts. There was a Polka Fest and various contests, while keeping many mainstays from the Seaway Festival, like the parade and midway.

The Lumbertown Music Festival only lasted until 1992, coming nowhere near the 24-summer run of the Seaway Festival.

But Muskegon isn’t the kind of place to go without a summer festival and, in 1993, Summer Celebration was born. This summer marks its 18th year.

Time flies when you’re having fun.

Muskegon Summer Celebration debuted as a 10-day event with a concert every night — and one national recording artist performing. Local and regional musicians took the stage on the other nights.

It carried over the core activities that had come down from the Seaway Festival and, that first year, added the Plumb’s Community Picnic, an event that’s still going strong, although this year it’s been moved to Wednesday, a day before the concerts start.

Other changes this year include the return of an air show to Muskegon. But this time, it won’t be at the airport, it’ll be at Heritage Landing -- over Muskegon Lake -- on Saturday and Sunday.

“It’s not really the same kind of thing we had before,” said Summer Celebration assistant executive director Tanya Gonzalez, referring to our past Muskegon Air Fair.

Featured acts include the F-16 “Viper West,” the World War II B-25 Mitchell Bomber, a United States Coast Guard rescue demonstration, and Barnstormer Greg Shelton in his Stearman Bi Plane and Wing Walker Ashley Battles.

There are some changes in store for this year’s fireworks, too. A new company, American Fireworks Co. of Ohio, has been hired to do the show, Gonzalez said.

“The fireworks will be set to music,” she said. “Heritage Landing will be the best place to see them.”

She expects a higher caliber of performances than last year, she said, which some people found lackluster.

One of the biggest changes takes place on the main stage Sunday with the appearance of country chart-topper Toby Keith.

“We’ve had a lot of demand for an A-tier act,” Gonzalez said.

And country star Keith is exactly that. He’s also the reason that there’s both a 10- and 11-day pass for sale. Also on Sunday, everyone — including the 5-and-under crowd — needs a ticket. All other nights, children age 5 and under enter free.

Todd’s Tavern, an upscale bar area, is another attraction new to festival, she said. “It’s an area where they’ll sell premium beers,” she said.

A new variety of food drive, “Cans From Fans,” is making its debut at Summer Celebration, she said. A semi-trailer will be parked on site and attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to fill the semi up and help restock local food pantries.

“We’re pretty excited about that,” Gonzalez said.

Some things introduced last summer are back, such as early entry, refillable beer mugs and the Snake Pit, which replaced the sparsely attended regional stage, she said.

“It became a fun gathering spot,” she said. The Snake Pit features food from Dockers and the Vikings, microbrews and Venom energy drinks (with and without alcohol).

One thing that won’t be there this year is the BBQ & Blues tent, but not because people didn’t like it.

“It was popular,” she said, “we just couldn’t find enough BBQ vendors. They had other commitments.”