Your guide to Boat Week
It's here.
Soon Mackinac race sailboats will line the Black River, the lingering smell of carnival foods will waft through downtown Port Huron, and the city's biggest party of the year will get underway.
Are you ready for Boat Week?
Wednesday: Ready your chairs
The Blue Water Fest Carnival kicks off at 3 p.m. Wednesday between Fort and Merchant streets, across the street from the Port Huron Yacht Club.
That means carnival lemonade.
And deep-fried Snickers.
But before stuffing your face with carnival food, make sure to stake your territory for the best viewing spots of the Rotary International Day Parade.
The respectable way to claim your spot is to pop open a lawn chair, set it where you please and, if available, tie it to a nearby pole.
“Come early and stake it out,” said John Adair, Rotary International Day Parade co-chair. “People are pretty courteous about those things, they respect and honor it when people put their chairs out early.”
The zoo-themed parade starts at 6:30 p.m. at Huron and Glenwood avenues, heads south down Huron Avenue, across the bridge to Military Street and ends at Oak Street.
This year there are about 95 entries including floats, bands, dance teams, and many political figures to coincide with the current political season.
“We were able to get additional sponsors this year so we had more money to get things from the Parade Company in Detroit,” Adair said. “So we have a big balloon from them, a few of those huge paper mache heads, and a small zoo-related float.”
But while it’s all good fun, the fun won’t last long if spectators get run over by a float.
“The biggest tip I have is to stay safe,” Adair said. “We really need people to keep children on the sidewalk and not let them run out into the parade route, it’s a risk for danger.”
Joe Helton, Port Huron Civic Theater president, said the theater tries to participate every year.
This year’s float will be themed around their upcoming production "Hairspray."
The float will be decorated with a 1960s flower-power theme with about 20 cast members dancing and singing atop the float.
“We do this to be part of the town and the festivities,” Helton said. “Our group has been part of the town for 60 years and we want to represent that.”
Helton suggests to stay out of the hot sun, so sit on the west side of the parade route.
Thursday: Good, clean fun
The festivities continue Thursday with the carnival again running from 3 to 11 p.m.
New this year, the Taste of Port Huron kicks off with local food vendors setting up shop along Huron Avenue and spans through Friday.
Fuel Woodfire Grill, Tio Gordos Cocina, Mama Vicki’s Coney Island, Lynch’s Irish Tavern and the Raven Café will be participating.
Scott Scandalito, Lynch’s Irish Tavern owner, said he was excited to be participating on the street instead of just hosting visitors within his restaurant.
“It’s a nice addition this year,” Scandalito said. “A lot of people from throughout St. Clair County show up to our downtown for Boat Week that normally don’t come down here, so this gives them a chance to see what we are up to and hopefully it will drive more business afterward.”
Lynch’s will be offering three selections in their outside booth including Irish nachos, bread pudding, and a Reuben sandwich.
A zip line will be set up next to the Taste of Port Huron vendors and music will be playing throughout the day.
North of the Military Street Bridge, Mannequin Models will be posing for charity from 5 to 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.
Salon Pizazz has hosted the event for the past seven years.
The models are dressed up in colorful, creative, eccentric outfits, with wild hair and make-up and stand as still as mannequins.
“Each model represents a different local charity,” said Sheena Roberts, a stylist at Salon Pizazz. “People vote for their favorite model by putting money in the voting box in front of the model, at the end, the model who has raised the most money gets to donate the whole pot of money collected to the charity they are representing.”
Roberts said she loves participating because it’s an opportunity to be creative, make costumes and display their hair and makeup talents.
St. Clair County Community College will also be hosting their Homecoming community events from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, which include kids activities and music.
Closer to the 10th Street Bridge on the north side of the Black River, Operation Transformation will be hosting its annual Family Night from 5 to 9 p.m.
New this year is a petting zoo, in addition to the standard pony rides, face painting, arts and crafts, hair chalking, and inflatable play areas as well as near 30 other vendors.
All activities in the Family Night area is free.
“It’s very simple,” said Tom Seppo, Operation Transformation director. “We want to offer families something to do with their kids without spending $50 to $60 for a few rides.”
Seppo said his favorite part is seeing the smiles on kids’ faces — especially when they finally get to ride a pony.
Blake Bessette, 28, of Port Huron, said he typically comes down to Boat Week only during Family Night.
“I have three kids and it’s a mellow night for them to see the boats,” Bessette said. “They know about the boats and they want to come down to see them but they are not old enough to take to any of the other nights yet, so Family Night offers a way for them to still get to experience it.”
Thursday night will wrap up with fireworks at Kiefer Park, which is a new location this year.
“It’s right along the St. Clair River, which is a great backdrop for the fireworks and people will have a better vantage point to watch them if they are downtown too,” said Jon Witz, of Jonathan Witz and Associates.
Friday: Party like a sailor
Friday continues very much like Thursday, with extended carnival hours from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The Taste of Port Huron will still be set up next to the zip-line and music.
Friday is notoriously known as Boat Night — the biggest party night of the week.
Of the near 80,000 people that travel through downtown Port Huron during the whole week, it feels as if all try to pack themselves into this one night.
Scandalito advised drinking a lot of water and to act responsibly when consuming alcohol.
Bell’s Beer Oasis Tent will be set up on Thursday and Friday with their own small stage along the Black River, behind St. Clair County Community College.
While music spans from Thursday through Saturday, the majority of the dancing typically fills the streets on Fridays.
Bands not to miss on Friday include Detroit-based Flint Eastwood on the Bud Light stage and the Mountain Babies on the Pepsi stage.
Dave Peters, of the Mountain Babies, said he is honored to be part of the legendary tradition of Boat Week.
“There will be so many familiar faces and so many strangers which always makes for a special performance for us,” Peters said. “I’m really impressed by the diverse line-up of this year’s festival including national acts such as The Guess Who and then other local Michigan favorites like Wilson and Flint Eastwood. It’s rare to catch such talent right in our own backyard.”
Jeff Baron, of Lake Bonisteel Music Association, helped choose and organize the bands from the Port Huron area.
“The budget for the music this year was much more than previous years,” Baron said. “Which allows to attract bigger headliners like The Guess Who.”
Baron said another local must-see act are the Gasoline Gypsies and the Poltroons.
“There are multiple stages with diversified genres and it’s guaranteed that on at least one of the stages there’s music you will like playing,” Baron said. “And the thing about live music, it’s hooking, so many times people don’t think they will like a certain kind of music, but then they walk away liking it after listening.”
And while you’re walking around from stage to stage, don’t forget to check out the near 220 sailboats ready to set sail the following morning.
Saturday: Race day
The days leading up to race day are full of the classic American carnival rides and community gatherings, such as the parade.
But the morning of the Port Huron to Mackinac Island Sailboat Race is something unique to Port Huron.
The early morning hours are calm and quiet while the sailing crews make the final preparations to set sail.
At 11:30 a.m. the race begins and the boats launch out of the Black River, into the St. Clair River, spilling into Lake Huron where they take off for the island.
There are multiple locations to watch the start of the race from — near the mouth of the Black River, along the Thomas Edison Parkway, Lighthouse Beach or Lakeside Beach.
The Black River, near the Port Huron Yacht Club, gives the closest look to each team as they sail by, the closer to Lakeside Beach you get, the tinier the dots in the distance the sailboats become.
“What the festival really is about, is the opportunity to see the pageantry of the boats,” Witz said. “The boats are the backdrop to the downtown during the week and it really distinguishes this event from all other city events that include a carnival and music.”
Once all of the boats disappear into the horizon, you can trudge back to the carnival to take another spin on the ferris wheel. The carnival and music run from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. But on Saturday, the Pepsi music stage moves from Huron Avenue to right next to the carnival area.
Saturday concludes with the lighted boat parade at 9:30 p.m in the Black River.
“It’s a nice way to cap off Saturday night,” Witz said. “They ride down the Black River and go up and down a few times after it gets dark.”
Participants deck their boats in holiday lights and decorations. The best-decorated boats win prizes at the ended of the night.
The downtown crowd is typically more slim then compared to Friday night, but a slew of local and visiting bands will still be playing until 11 p.m.
Sunday: If you made it this far
On Sunday the carnival runs from noon until 8 p.m., giving you one last chance to ride all 30 carnivals rides at least one more time.
Really, though, everyone’s tired and you can just go home.
But don’t forget to pick up a copy of The Times Herald to see how race day turned out.
Contact Nicole Hayden at (810) 989-6279 or nhayden@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @nicoleandpig.
If you go
Wednesday
- 3 to 11 p.m. Carnival between Fort and Merchant streets, unlimited wristbands are $22 per day, or $18 presale through July 12 online at http://bit.ly/29rRWmk
- 6:30 p.m. Rotary International Day Parade
Thursday: Family Night
- 3 to 11 p.m. Carnival
- Taste of Port Huron from 3 to 11 p.m. on Huron Avenue
- 5 to 9 p.m. Operation Transformation Family Night, near the 10th Street bridge, along the Black River
- 5 to 9 p.m. St. Clair County Community College Homecoming activities
- 5 to 10 p.m. Mannequin Models just north of the Military Street bridge
- 5 to 11 p.m. Bell's Beer Oasis Tent
- Dusk, fireworks at Kiefer Park
Friday: Boat Night
- 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Carnival
- 3 to 11 p.m. Taste of Port Huron on Huron Avenue
- 5 to 10 p.m. Mannequin Models just north of the Military Street bridge
- 5 to 11 p.m. Bell's Beer Oasis Tent
Saturday: Race Day
- 11 a.m. to 11 a.m. Carnival
- 11:30 a.m. Port Huron to Mackinac race starts
- 9:30 p.m. Lighted boat parade in Black River
Sunday
- Noon to 8 p.m. Carnival