Many events planned for Nautical City Festival 2025
Many favorites and a few new events are planned for the annual Nautical City Festival in Rogers City. A volunteer board and an army of community members make the summer festival happen.
Local merchants, many of the best ones running advertisements in the current edition of the Advance, run out the red carpet for those coming to the festival. They look forward to the traffic that builds up in their establishments.
With the first event of the 2025 festival set for Friday with the crowning of the new Miss Nautical Coast and Nautical Teen Miss, this year’s events are certain to entertain.
The biggest events are the grand parade set for festival Sunday, Aug. 3 at 12:30 p.m. and the last event of the festival, the grand fireworks display set for 10 p.m.
The grand parade will include at least three bands, the Grand Rapids Police Pipe Band, a marching bagpipes group, a collaboration of the RCHS band and the City Band directed by Jack Fults and the Hillman High School Band, directed by Ben Witter.
Grand marshal Brian Bannasch will greet those along the parade route, as will the new queens on the festival float.
With events centered on Lakeside Park and downtown, there is a buzz around town for a week during the festival.
“We have one of the highest participations that we have had for the arts and crafts show. That is going quite well,” said Karen Spens, chairwoman of the festival.
She said Wednesday is focused on events for children with added events for the 2025 festival.
“The kids’ craft and face painting on Wednesday and kids’ yoga are new. We are trying to make it a kid’s themed day all over,” Spens said. “We are really trying to give kids more to do during the week.”
Face painting is set for Wednesday from 3-4:30 p.m. at the big tent with kids’ yoga running from 1-2 p.m.
The kiddie parade, with the theme of Nautical Holiday, lines up at 5 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church for a march that begins at 6 p.m. north on Third Street and ends up at Lakeside Park.
Wednesday continues with the teen night at the big tent, featuring DJ music and games geared for a fun night
Bands are set to entertain Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at the big tent.
Spens said the committee has worked hard to make this a grand festival.
“It is a year’s worth of work, but one very busy and fast week,” Spens said. “We are lucky, as small as we are, we really do have a great community volunteer base going on. Our committee will be working hard that week. We are heading all over the place heading up different things.”
More details about the festival are in the print edition. Call (989) 734-2105 to subscribe.
