FESTIVAL EVENTS
Future Blueberry Events for 2011 or later: Dance Competition; Art Exhibit; Talent Show; Blueberry Baking Contest; ORV or Snowmobile Races (yes..in August). Would you like to see any of these events added to our festival lineup? We are accepting new members. Click on our contact page; give us a call. We are looking for any interested and able-bodied volunteer(s) willing to direct new or existing events. Please contact us here.
Blueberry Festival Parades-Always a
Favorite
 The
Montrose Blueberry Festival features two great
parades. Friday, Aug. 20th, evening festivities kick
off with the 19th annual Kids Parade at 6 p.m. that
starts and ends at the circle drive of Hill-McCloy High
School. Children may decorate bikes, wagons and miniature
floats or walk the route in costume. Participants will
be eligible for prizes and will be judged by this year’s
Blueberry Queen and Court. This year’s theme is “Disney Fantasy ” and kids are encouraged to be creative and wear
themed costumes. However, parade chairman, Pat Thorsby
says any costume is fine.
 The 39th Annual Blueberry
Super Parade kicks off promptly at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday,
Aug. 21st. Long a festival favorite, the 100-plus-unit
parade draws an estimated 15,000 spectators. Headlined
by the 2010 Parade Grand Marshals, and featuring the
2010 Blueberry Queen and Court, the parade promises
the return of many traditional entries including the
Keestone Kops, Shrine Clowns, The Frankentrost Band,
the Flint Banjo Club and numerous Queen floats from
Michigan cities. Kudos to our sponsors who help to make this parad such a success: Riverside Market; Montrose Express; ELGA Credit Union.
33rd
Annual Road Race Run & Walk
The 2010 Blueberry Festival Road Race has been reformatted and is now touting a 5K & 8K route. The event includes both a run and walk, and takes place on Sunday,
August 22nd, 2010, at 7:30 a.m. Race coordinator, Mandy
Rindhage, continues to make improvements to this popular event and believes the new 5K / 8K format will bring increased participation. In additon to the new format, the race registration is now in a new location at Hill-McCloy High School on Nanita Drive. Also new this year is Family Fitness Time featuring great activities for all ages on Saturday, August 21st from 3-7 p.m. in the high school gym, and the new Tug-of-War contest also on Saturday from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Check out Big Dog Entertainment's Laser Vault Challenge, located just outside the high school gym, and Maui Wowi Smoothies concession booth. Both the Laser Vault and Maui Wowi concessions will be open Saturday from 9 a.m-9 p.m. and Sunday from 7a.m.-5 p.m.For more information click here: Blueberry Race.
Get
Down and Dirty with the Blueberry Mud Drag / Mud Bog
The 17th annual
Mud Drag and 11th annual Mud Bog is sanctioned
by, and follows the rules of, the Concerned Racers 4/WD
Club. The mud flies Saturday, August 21st, at 3 p.m.
at 11320 N. McKinley Road after the Blueberry Festival Super Parade. Registration takes place
from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Drag classes are: Street Legal
I and II; Open; Super Stock I. Payout all classes! Bog classes areStreet Legal 36 DOT and Under; Class 1-36.5 DOT and under.; Class 2-40 DOTand under; Class 3-44 DOT and under;
Class 4 & 5 Open-any size DOT or Tractor and Cut Tires; Chain Drive Class 3-4-5. Guaranteed purse!
Admission
for spectators is $7 per person, $1 for kids age 5-10.
Under 5 years old free. Food & Drink concessions are available. Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets for seating. Alcohol and fireworks prohibited. For more information, contact Joe at 989-280-3534, or visit the Concerned Racers website at concernedracersclub.com.
Men’s
and Women’s Slo-Pitch Softball Tournaments
A Blueberry Festival tradition is the annual slo-pitch
softball tourney that takes place Friday, Saturday and
Sunday, Aug. 20th-22nd. Tournament co-chairpersons expect
to have 32-34 teams competing in the men’s division and
24 women’s teams in competition. The men’s tournament
will be held at the softball complex on N. Seymour Road,
just a half mile off Vienna Road (M-57). Women’s tournament
play will be held at the softball complex, as well as
diamonds on Hickory Street and at the Montrose Baptist Church on Vienna Road. For
additional information call the Blueberry Festival office
at 810-639-3475.
Blueberry
Pancake Breakfast a Festival Mainstay
 Mouthwatering food is a
festival tradition and the annual Pancake Breakfast
is no exception. Breakfast is served both Saturday,
Aug. 21st and Sunday, Aug. 22nd from 8 a.m. until 1
p.m. in the cafeteria connecting Kuehn-Haven Middle
School and Hill-McCloy High School. The delightful,
all-you-can-eat breakfast features those heavenly blueberry
pancakes hot off the grill, sausage, juice, milk and
coffee. Due to tough economic times, breakfast prices are rolled back to the 2006 price of $5 per person. As always, children 5 and under eat for free.
 The
Pancake Breakfast crew whips up an amazing
20,000 pancakes, cooks over 1,200 pounds of sausage,
and pours an estimated 300 gallons of milk, 200 gallons
of coffee, and 150 gallons of orange juice. Over 400
local volunteers are needed to perform the annual rite.
Call 810-639-3475 if you would like to be a breakfast
volunteer.
Visit the Girl Scout fundraiser on your way out of the pancake breakfast. Pick up a fresh baked blueberry pie or other blueberry baked goods and help the girls raise money for their local chapter.
New Events
Montrose Blueberry Festival / Montrose Fire Fighters 1st Annual Golf Scramble to be held Saturday, August 7th at Briar Ridge Golf Course. The event, organized as a fundraiser for the Montrose Fire Fighters and the Montrose Open Cupboard Food Pantry, promises to become one of the premiere events each year. Mark your calendar for Saturday, August 7th, and make plans to join us at Briar Ridge Golf Course, 11099 Dodge Rd, Montrose. Registration begins at 8 a.m., with a shotgun start at 9 a.m., coney dogs & chips at the turn, catered New York strip steak dinner and prizes after scramble. Contests include separate long drive and closest to the pin for men and women, Las Vegas hole, and a putting contest, in addition to door prizes, raffles, and a 50-50 drawing. Registration is $260 (4-person, pre-registered) with a $100 deposit sent by July 31st. Late registration the morning of the event is available at no extra charge. Call Brandon at 810-422-3643 or Don at 810-639-5548 for more information or an application. Online registration forms are available now on our application page.
Want to be a sponsor for this event? Contact Janet at 810-639-5548 or click here to email us for your sponsor registration form.
Michigan Championship Wrestling makes its debut at the Blueberry Festival on Thursday, August 19th. Event organizers Chad Gross, owner of All American Blacktop Maintenance, and his partner Jim Schramm, have staged the pro live wrestling show in Montrose several times in the past. The show, designed to appeal to the whole family, combines pro wrestling with silly comedy and no profanity. It is truly an action-packed, family-friendly event. As a special attraction, 2009 American Idol finalist Chelsea Roberts, will be on hand to sing our national anthem before the event begins. All your favorite wrestlers including: Los Conquistador's with manager, Handsome Johnny Bradford; MCW No Limits Champion, Frank (So Fine) Stein; the Reverend Chistopher Saint; The London Marvel; Sebastion Rose; The Real Chip-n-Daley; Mr. Jonny Lawless; Sweet Sensation Evan Daniels; MCW Tagteam Champions, Levi Blue & Michael Reaver, Team PBR; MCW Franchise Champion, Corporal Pain; The AWWL Md-West Champion "The Mighty Sabbath"; MCW World Heavyweight Champion Roderick Street; and many more.
Put your team together for our Tug-of War contest on Saturday, August 21st at 3 p.m. in the wooded area just north of the high school parking lot This brand new event pits four teams of 5-10 players against each other on a 4-way tug-of-war rope. Get ready, set, pull, and drag your opponents into the pit of despair. Just kidding, you drag them out of their home base and into yours. Sixteen teams are required for the four rounds leading up to the 5:30 championship round. Only $50 to register your team by July 31st; late registration from August 1-21st is $60. Visit our application page for a downloadable registration form or click here to be directed to online registration.
Returning Events
The 2nd Annual Blueberry Festival "Kick-Off" Car Show, returns on Sunday, August 15th at the corner of Hickory and Saginaw Street. Registration runs from 8-11 a.m. with the awards ceremony at 3 p.m. Trophies to the top 25 vehicles, dash plaques to the first 50 vehicles registered, a plaque for the vehicle with the most original parts, two Queen's Choice trophies, and the Grand Marshal's trophy for the best overall vehicle. This year we add a class for vintage motorcycles, sure to be a show favorite.
"Jam & Slam" makes a comeback on Saturday, August 21st, when the Blueberry Festival once again joins in a fundraiser for the Montrose Railroad Depot. This entertaining and comical event patterned after Genesee County's "Jail & Bail" takes volunteers and unlucky festival visitors, deposits them in a 1930's era jail cell, and requires them to beg for donations. Join in the fun and pay the festival "sheriff" to arrest your favorite convicts then laugh gleefully while they try to make bail.
Montrose Railroad Depot located at 154 W. State Street (M-57), is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Check out all the interesting railroad and other memorabilia from days gone by. Join them Saturday from 4-6 p.m. for entertainment. Contact the Depot via email at montroserrdepot@yahoo.com.
Wednesday
night kicks off the 2010
festival with the 13th annual Beautiful Baby & Kids
Contest held in the middle school auditorium.
Registration at the door is from 6-7 p.m., with the
pageant beginning at 7:15 p.m. Applications can
be obtained on the website application page or by calling
810-639-3475.
Back for a ninth season is Montrose’s
answer to American Idol. The 9th annual Karaoke contest
takes on a new format by eliminating the early qualifying rounds. The contest on Sunday, August 22nd, is open to the public and begins at 2 p.m. in the entertainment tent. Cash prizes total $500
and the contest is open to participants 18 and older with absolutely no entry fee.
Call the festival office at 810-639-3475 for applications
or visit the application page on our website.
Looking for Blueberries? Look no further than the Boy Scouts concession booth located in the heart of the Blueberry Festival, the Montrose city park. You'll find those mouth-watering blueberries, blueberry pies, blueberry baked goods, and blueberry ice cream in addition to other goodies served up by Montrose-area Boy Scout Troop 123.
Returning for a 5th season is our Kid's Karaoke contest. Kid's competition moves to a new day and time this year. Come on down to the entertainment tent on Friday, Aug. 20th, from 5-7 p.m. Participation gifts for all, prizes for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place finishers in each category. Age Groups: 6-8; 9-11; 12-14; 15-17.
The 2nd annual Mom-to-Mom sale will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 21, in the Carter Elementary cafeteria. Come check out the sales and pick up bargains for your little ones. Looking to sell your unused children's toys, clothes, and miscellaneous baby items? Spaces are modestly priced at $20 and tables can be rented for an additional fee. Applications are available on our website application page. Baby and children's items only; no flea market items allowed.
Enjoy
the Blueberry Festival but just LOVE those
Renaissance Festivals? His Majesty hath set forth This Proclamation: "All who come must have fun"!
The Shiabruck Medieval Village opens Friday, August
20th through Sunday, August 22nd. Located near
Campers village and across from Hill-McCloy H.S.,
Shiabruck offers renaissance style re-enactments, jousting,
storytellers, wandering musicians and plenty of souvenirs.
For more information about the Shiabruck Medieval Reenactment
Association just click on this site: Shiabruck, or contact Dana MacVay at 989-652-8444 (8 a.m.-2 p.m. M-F) or 989-624-5925 (3 p.m.-8 p.m. & weekends). Applications can be found on the website or by calling the festival office.
Entertainment
Tent Highlights
Teens are welcomed into the tent on Wednesday evening, August 18th, from 9 p.m. until midnight for their very own night. The annual teen dance returns to the entertainment tent for the fourth year. Enjoy the sounds of DJ Rob Mata from "Him & I Productions", or just socialize. Water and soft drinks available. Cover charge.
Thursday entertainment tent welcomes in Michigan Championship Wrestling featuring some of Michigan's most colorful and entertaining wrestlers. Gate opens at 5 p.m., $5 per person with children under 5 free. 2009 American Idol finalist, Chelsea Roberts sings the National Anthem; show runs from 6 p.m.-10 p.m.
The Canine Competition showcasing man's best friend returns for a sixth year on Saturday, August 21st. Late registration from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., contest begins promptly at 11 a.m. and runs until noon. Participation ribbons for all pooches; first through third place medals; and a Best in Show trophy await all those who enter.
The Kid's Karoke Contest moves to a new day and time, now Saturday from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. in the entertainment tent. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes for age groups 6-9; 10-12; 13-15; & 16-17. Come on out and cheer on your favorites!
Karaoke
returns to the entertainment tent Friday
through Sunday. Open karaoke hours are Friday and Saturday, 11 am to 6 p.m. The adult karaoke contest returns on Sunday from
2-6 p.m. New format for adults, no early elimination rounds to qualify, open to all contestants 18 and older. Grab a share of the $500 prize package.
Hit
the Entertainment Tent on Friday, August 20th, and Saturday, August 21st as the Blueberry Festival offers up live music with popular performers. This year Stone Cold returns as the headliner both evenings with their rousing renditions of classic rock, country and other popular music. DJ Joe returns to keep the music flowing during band intermissions. The tent opens at 8 p.m. and closes at 2 p.m. Must be 21 or older to enter and must have photo ID. No exceptions! Cover charge.
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