By Staff
One of the best ways to celebrate summertime is with good food, music and friends, and that's exactly what the 23rd annual Dowagiac Fun Fest and its Sizzlin' Hot Sidewalk Days plan to serve, as it introduces its new Taste of Dowagiac.
According to Vickie Phillipson, program director for Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce, while Dowagiac's longest-running outdoor event has always featured summer sidewalk sales, event organizers this year want to also showcase this city's niche of fine and casual dining.
"Rather than soliciting food vendors to join us, who travel the festival circuit from city to city, we've invited local restaurateurs to fire up their grills on Front Street sidewalks, as the festival produces an eclectic mix of local cuisine," Phillipson said Tuesday.
Along with the new Taste of Dowagiac, as the recipient of two major grants totaling $16,000, the festival is sure to produce a high-energy line-up of entertainment for this community's largest summertime bash, featuring more than 50 hours of vocal and instrumental music, specialty entertainment, sporting activities, children's events and interactive performance workshops.
The three-day festival, which returns to the central business district Thursday through Saturday, July 24-26, is hosted by the Chamber of Commerce.
The event is being underwritten this year by a $10,000 fine arts grant the Downtown Development Authority received from St. Denys Foundation and a $6,000 grant the Chamber of Commerce received from The Pokagon Fund.
Phillipson said she has invited local restaurateurs to step outdoors at festival time, fire up their grills and sell sample-sized portions of their favorite entrees, or serve up one of their specialty beverages.
"What better way to tempt the appetite of festival goers than the sizzle and wonderful aroma of open-air grilling? Whether they sell roasted ears of sweet corn, grilled chicken on a stick or serve a tropical blend of fruit smoothies, with the assistance of our local restaurateurs, we're planning to offer festival goers a sidewalk tour of food sensations to tempt any appetite."
Phillipson said while Caruso's Candy Kitchen is closed this week due to smoke damage the soda fountain suffered from last Friday's apartment fire in the adjacent building, on Monday co-owners Julie Sparks and Jane Wright talked with her about their plans for Fun Fest, as they both looked ahead to better times.
At the inaugural Taste of Dowagiac, Caruso's staff will step outside to feature freshly-squeezed lemonade, ice cream, nachos and cheese, hot pretzels, chocolate-covered bananas and, of course, everyone's favorite, Caruso's home-made candy.
On tap outside The Wounded Minnow Saloon will be its Italian beef sandwiches, pizza slices and snow cones, as Zeke's Restaurant features its Mini-Z burger and buffalo wings. Beeson Street Bar and Grill will serve its popular roast beef sandwiches, as Dowagiac Rotary Club steps onto Front Street, selling strawberry shortcake.
Local restaurants still wishing to participate in the new Taste of Dowagiac are asked to call the Chamber of Commerce to make further arrangements.
Dowagiac Fun Fest and its Sizzlin' Hot Sidewalk Days feature a variety of afternoon and evening vocal, instrumental and dance performances at Beckwith Park. The Outta Towners join the festival line-up Thursday afternoon, as another newcomer, Wildfire, appears on Friday afternoon. Due Process, which has been featured at the event for the past several years, returns Saturday morning and plays into the late afternoon.
Positively Dance kicks off evening entertainment on Thursday at 5 p.m., followed by the 35-member Lighthouse Chorus at 6 p.m., with the Celtic and Irish music of Fonn Mor rounding out Thursday from 7:30 to 9 p.m.
The Lighthouse Youth Drama Team of the Apostolic Lighthouse Church kicks off evening entertainment on Friday at 5 p.m., followed by the performance of Miss Michele and Company at 5:30 p.m. and the Kalamazoo Bag Pipe Band at 6 p.m.
From Chicago, renowned world jazz trumpeter Yves Francois and his quartet makes their first Fun Fest appearance Friday at 7:30 p.m. and will present a late-night encore performance across the street at Wood Fire Italian Trattoria.
Appearing at the Children's Entertainment Tent, located adjacent to Underwood Shoes, on Thursday and Friday will be the Deep Fried Pickle Project, as seen on the PBS Kids Channel; the hands-on children's workshops on Thursday entitled "All Dolled Up" for little girls and the new "Pirates' Treasure" for little boys, presented by Dowagiac District Library and the Miss Dowagiac Scholarship Pageant of the Chamber of Commerce; and on Friday the Ronald McDonald Magic Show.
On Saturday the Children's Entertainment Tent features two performances of Alladin by Steven's Puppets, and hands-on educational workshops presented by the Potawatomi Zoo of Mishawaka, Ind., and the Curious Kids Museum of St. Joseph.
Children's activities also feature: games hosted by Dowagiac Band Boosters, Judd Lumber Co.'s inflatable party castle and obstacle course, a climbing rock wall, pony rides with a mechanical bull, a petting zoo, a model train exhibit at Who Knew? Consignment, rides on Arden Wither's Choo Choo Train, sidewalk chalk art and the John Dudley Magic Show at Dowagiac District Library, balloon animals by Clash the Clown and Caruso's ice cream eating contest.
Families will also enjoy: summer sidewalk sales featuring craft and community booths, the Library Association book sale, digging for diamonds at Vincent J. Jewelers, sampling summer wines at Front Street Winery, horse-drawn carriage rides, the annual Take Off With Hospice Raffle, Steve's Run and the VFW's horseshoe tournament.
Dowagiac Fun Fest is one of seven seasonal festivals and promotions hosted each year by the Chamber of Commerce.
To receive a schedule of events or to book a commercial or craft booth at Fun Fest, call the Chamber of Commerce at (269) 782-8212.