JACKSONPORT CELEBRATES
38 YEARS OF MAIFEST,
MAY 29-30, 2010
Media Contact Phone:
920-823-2068
Jacksonport,
Door
County, WI. The Jacksonport
community will once again roll out the red carpet
over Memorial Day weekend for the annual Maifest celebration,
scheduled for Saturday May 29 and Sunday May 30, 2010. The 38th
annual Jacksonport Maifest celebration will take place in and around
Jacksonport, along Door County’s east coast on “the quiet side.”
A complete Maifest
schedule of events is available on-line to view, download and print
at
www.Jacksonport.net/maifest.htm.
The Maifest
softball tournament will unofficially kick things off at the town
ball park on County V on Wednesday evening May 26. Eight to ten
teams from throughout Northeast Wisconsin will compete in the double
elimination slow pitch tournament, which will begin at 6:30 PM on
three consecutive nights (Wednesday-Friday). Up to 3 games will be
played each night, with the championship game slated for Saturday
afternoon. Food and refreshments will be available at the ball park
throughout the tournament.
Most events will
take place in Lakeside Park, located at the intersection of County V
and Highway 57.
The juried arts and
crafts fair will begin at
9 AM on both Saturday and Sunday and will feature nearly 100
artists and craftsmen/women from around the
Midwest. Artist
demonstrations can be found throughout the grounds both days.
The popular Maifest
parade begins at 10:30 AM on Saturday and will run through
Jacksonport along Hwy 57, from Cave Point Drive on the south end of
town to past the Square Rigger Lodge on the north end of town. Lots
of good viewing spots are available throughout the parade route,
with the largest number of viewers usually located near
Lakeside
Park. The parade will again consist of the honorary parade
marshals, marching bands, a wide variety of floats, classic cars,
horses, fire trucks and perhaps even a few politicians.
Parade officials
are always looking for floats to be in the parade. There is no cost
and several prizes will be awarded to float entries. Individuals,
groups and businesses are welcome and encouraged to enter floats of
all kinds. Parade judges will be awarding cash prizes to the first,
second and third place floats in the parade. Parade floats will
line up on
North Cave Point Drive
starting around 9:30 AM on Saturday morning.
Immediately
following the parade, there will be a special Memorial Day
presentation of the flag by V.F.W. Post 3088 in Lakeside Park.
The Maifest Midway
in Lakeside Park will be open for fun starting at 11:30 AM on both
Saturday and Sunday and will feature a variety of fun inflatable
adventures for the kids. On Saturday, the Maifest Midway will also
feature pony rides along with the 4-H Horse & Pony Project.
Live entertainment
will be available both days at the performance tent, located in
Lakeside
Park
next to the concession stand, with a performance by Jerry Voelker
& His Jolly Gents beginning around 12 noon on Saturday. On
Sunday, the performance tent will showcase the Talk of the Town
Honky Tonk Band from noon to 3 PM.
Anyone hungry?
Plenty of great food and beverages will be available throughout the
weekend on the Maifest grounds. The concession stand in Lakeside
Park will offer their famous brats from Bley’s Grocery, hot dogs,
snacks and cold drinks. The Jacksonport Women’s Club food stand,
also in Lakeside
Park, will offer funnel cake, cookies, pie, ice cream, Kolaches and
hot beverages. A traditional Door County Fish Boil will also be
offered at 11:30 AM on both Saturday and Sunday, and don’t forget
about the popular corn roast, featuring corn-on-the-cob with melted
butter.
On Sunday morning
it’s time to lace up the running shoes for the Maifest 10K (6.2
miles) and 2 mile fun run/walk. The race gets started at 9 AM in
Lakeside Park and takes runners and walkers through the woods and
out to Clarks Lake and back on scenic Cave Point Drive. Race
registration can be done ahead of time by filing out a
race entry form or by registering that morning beginning at 8 AM
at the concession stand in Lakeside Park.
The Frontier
Farmers Horse Pull is an extremely popular activity at Maifest and
will take place at the ball park, a block from Lakeside Park, on
Sunday afternoon. The festivities begin at 12 noon with the singing
of the national anthem, followed by a 4-H Horse and Pony Drill Team
performance and a special trick roping exhibition by Chewy, a local
Door County resident known for his amazing cowboy rope tricks.
The main event, the
Frontier Farmers Horse Pull, will begin around 1 PM. Horse teams
from around the Midwest will compete to see which team of 2 draft
horses can pull the heaviest load in this classic match-up of horse
power (literally!) and team cooperation.
Maifest is shaping
up to be another great fun family event. Come enjoy all that
Jacksonport has to offer this Memorial Day weekend.
Maifest is
sponsored by the Jacksonport Advancement Corporation (JAC), a
non-profit organization working for the betterment of the community.
Proceeds from the Maifest event have provided funds over the years
for improvements at Lakeside Park, the town ball park and the
Jacksonport town hall building. Equipment has been purchased for the
Jacksonport Fire Department and the Jacksonport First Responders.
Sevastopol School has received funds to support extra-curricular
activities such as Destination Imagination, the Senior Graduation
Party, the
Reading
is Fun Program and sports programs. The JAC has supported the youth
of Jacksonport through the 4-H program, the Horse and Pony Project,
the Little League and scholarships for those students continuing
their education after high school.
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HIGH RESOLUTION MAIFEST PHOTOS
Click on any photo to download a high-res (300 dpi)
version, suitable for print.
Lakeside Park, Jacksonport
An artist demonstration during the Maifest Juried Art Fair.
Maifest grounds in Lakeside Park, Jacksonport.
Maifest grounds in Lakeside Park, Jacksonport.
Maifest grounds in Lakeside Park, Jacksonport.
Maifest parade.
Maifest parade.
Maifest 10K (6.2 miles) run and 2 mile fun run/walk..
Maifest 10K (6.2 miles) run and 2 mile fun run/walk..
Maifest softball tournament at the Jacksonport ball park on
County V.
Maifest softball tournament at the Jacksonport ball park on
County V.
JACKSONPORT MAIFEST HISTORY
Maifest was first
observed in the German community of Hermann, Missouri, in 1844 as a
celebration in late spring when the major work was done in the vineyards.
Singing, band concerts, dancing, pageants and feasts accompanied the
sampling of May wine.
In 1973, the idea
for “Jacksonport Maifest” originated with Carolyn Sachse, Viola Tanck,
Wally Bley and others and was dedicated to the German families who settled
here in Jacksonport over 150 years ago. The traditions were continued on
Memorial Day weekend with a parade, organized by Orville Kugler and Ray
Hogan, and a Horse Pull run by Bill Tong, Wally Bley with assistance from
Ken Honold. A Horse Show was also one of the events and that was organized
by Bill and Margaret Sampone. The food was provided by Viola Tanck, Ella
Sohns and Carolyn Sachse. Joe and Louis LeClair were in charge of the Fish
Boil. It was a very busy time in Jacksonport on Memorial Day weekend!
Many of those
early traditions are still part of Jacksonport’s Maifest celebration each
year, including live entertainment, brats made by Vi’s Store (now Bley’s
Grocery), the Fish Boil, the Art Fair, the Parade, and the Frontier
Farmers Horse Pull.
Some activities
were added along the way, for example Joe LeClair organized the 10K Run
and 2 mile Run/Walk for 25 years, and the run continues to be a part of
Maifest’s Sunday morning schedule. The Fire Department added a Softball
Tournament at the ball park on County V and everyone looks forward to
their first corn-on-the-cob from the Corn Roast.
After a few years
of Maifest, the Jacksonport Advancement Corporation was officially formed
and has been sponsoring Maifest ever since. The organization is unique
because its membership includes year round and summer residents, as well
as businesses and is run entirely by volunteers who look forward to
starting the summer season by working alongside their families, friends
and neighbors during Maifest at Lakeside Park in Jacksonport.
The Jacksonport
Advancement Corporation is a non-profit organization working for the
betterment of the community. The proceeds from the Maifest event have
provided funds for improvements at Lakeside Park, the Ballpark and the
Town Hall building. Equipment has been purchased for the Fire Department
and the First Responders. Sevastopol School has received funds to support
extra-curricular activities such as Destination Imagination, Senior
Graduation Party, Reading is Fun Program and sports programs. The JAC has
supported the youth of Jacksonport through the 4-H program, the Horse and
Pony Project, the Little League and scholarships for those students
continuing their education.
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