UP Living: Bridge Fest

Ooooohhhh everybody - get ready! You're about to enter one of the most unique seasons in the Yooper year - summer! It seems like there is a parade or celebration just about every other week up here at this time of the year. You know we have to celebrate the nice weather before it runs away again! :) 

Last year Martin and I were smack dab in the middle of moving me up here and out of Chicago. I distinctly remember driving out of town just as signs for "Bridge Fest" and "Seafood Fest" started to go up. I told Martin I was determine to attend the festivities the next time they came around, and I did! 

You might think that Bridge Fest is a festival celebrating the bridge that connects Houghton to Hancock, as I thought. And while that might be the roots, I didn't see much celebration of the actual bridge! The festivities are kicked off on a Friday evening with a parade that does in fact, go over the bridge! It is just absolutely typically small town, and I dig it! Flags everywhere, marching bands, local businesses with poster board signs, and to finish it off, a line of fire trucks from EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT AROUND! I happened to be working, and had handed my camera off to one of my girls, and it wasn't until I looked at them later that I realized some shots I WOULD have taken didn't make it, and many shots I wouldn't have bothered with did make it! C'est la vie! Let's watch a parade! 

Oh how patriotic!

The parade had many flags, many armed forces, and of course, some tanks! I'm not sure HOW this celebrates the bridge, but my goodness, I can't imagine a parade up here without this line up!

Music, music, music! Bands and flasks, oh my!

 There were bands of all size, talent, and professionalism at this parade! There was a bag pipe man drinking straight from his flask in front of us, and the Michigan Tech pep band (the goofs in the overalls) sang a song about drinking beer. Just want I want my 15 year old charges to see and hear, haha!

Hometown heros

Throughout the whole shindig there were trucks, sports teams, kids, and...well... trucks! I know I've lived here for a while when I actually KNOW people I see in the parade! Hooray! I'm a noob no longer! 

Bridge Fest is REALLY a celebration of (of all things) SEAFOOD. Now, when someone says "Hey, let's go to seafood fest!" I think that it will be a festival of SEAfood. Not QUITE how we roll up here! However, since it is indeed a fund raiser for the Rotary Club and not a gastronomic, epicurean festival, I guess I'll let it slide. I have to say though, that it's a bit sad when you can see the Sysco truck parked behind the food pavilion! But hey, it's live music, beautiful views, and good company! 

Check out the menu (if you can!)

I had to get a good picture of the bridge in here at some point, now didn't I?? The fest is right on Houghton beach, and it's quite lovely! I was sad to realize that I didn't get a good picture (okay, ANY pictures) of the live music. People were dancing and having a dandy time! I would have just LOVED to throw back a brew and listen to the music, but alas, I WAS at work! Next year maybe! 

I'm officially on vacation for a few days, so I hope I can get a few more posts up before I have to go back to work! How are you celebrating summer in YOUR neck of the woods? We have construction going on literally outside our door, so I'm pretty excited to escape a shaking house for a hot minute! Fingers crossed it will be done by the time we are back!