Port Huron Blue Water Festival presents new drone show – The Voice

The Blue Water Festival in Port Huron, popularly known as Port Huron’s Boat Weekend, runs July 17-20. (Courtesy of Blue Water Festival/Facebook)

Port Huron’s Blue Water Festival, popularly known as Port Huron’s Boat Weekend, returns July 17-20.

This year, visitors can enjoy familiar favorites such as concerts, Operation Transformation Family Night and Mannequins Making a Difference, as well as new attractions.

“This is an exciting year for the Blue Water Festival,” said Natacha Hayden, director of the Downtown Development Authority. “This year the event coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Bayview Mackinac Race, which features a record number of participating yachts.”

The total number of participating yachts on June 26 was 338.

The Blue Water Festival traditionally begins with the Rotary International Day Parade, which this year takes place on July 17th at 6:30 p.m.

“This is the 104th year of the parade hosted by the Rotary Club of Port Huron, a tradition that predates the Thanksgiving Day parades in Detroit and New York,” organizers said in a press release.

The theme of this year’s parade is “All Hands on Deck – A Century of Sailing.” It celebrates the 100th running of the Bayview Mackinac Race. The parade will be led by Casey and Carrie Harris.

The parade will start at the same location in downtown Port Huron as previous years at Huron and Glenwood Avenues and will end at Court Street, a slightly shorter route than previous parades.

There will be a family fun zone at McMorran Plaza on July 18 and 19 from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

“We’re replacing our rides with magicians, balancing acts and a Lego station, and we’re partnering with Wonder Wolf Entertainment for balloon animals, face painting and a community art project,” Hayden said. “These family-friendly activities will ensure the festival is fun for visitors of all ages.”

OT’s Family Night will be held on July 18 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the northeast corner of the 10th Street Bridge and will include bounce houses, a petting zoo, hair braiding and more.

New this year is a drone show presented by Moses Roses, which Hayden says is what she is most looking forward to at this year’s event.

“On family night, around 10 p.m. at dusk, a display of 200 drones will light up the sky, themed around our boating weekend,” said Hayden. “It will take place at Desmond Landing, where we traditionally host the fireworks. The drone show will replace the fireworks this year, as we want to create an immersive experience to celebrate the milestone of the Bayview to Mackinac Race.”

There will be a Royal-T Cakery Cannoli Eating Contest on July 19th at 3pm and the Mannequins Making a Difference event on July 18th and 19th from 5:30pm-10pm.

During Mannequins Making A Difference, live mannequin models prepared by local artists and organizations are exhibited to raise funds for local charities.

The Blue Water Street Fair will be held on Huron Street between McMorran Boulevard and Quay Street and will run from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on July 18, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on July 19, and 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on July 20.

Hayden said the street festival has been extended through July 20 to accommodate spectators who come to the area to cheer on the sailors.

“When event-goers come to say goodbye to the boats, they can stay downtown and purchase unique items from vendors from across the state and surrounding areas,” she said.

There will be a classic car show on McMorran Boulevard on July 20th, and food trucks will be on West Quay Street, Grand River Avenue and McMorran Boulevard on July 18th and 19th from 4pm to midnight.

From July 18 to 20 there will be live concerts with local and national artists.

“Our national music stage will feature artists like LANCO and Elle King,” said Hayden. “On the other stages, we will celebrate our local musicians and artists. I’m especially excited about our performance on Saturday on the McLaren Stage at McMorran Plaza, where one of our own, Barbara Payton & The Instigators, will take the stage at 7 p.m. Barb is a Port Huron native who has toured with Bob Seger and Kid Rock. She’s a rock star and we’re proud to have her at our festival.”

Other acts this weekend include Los Gringos, The Gobies, Thomason Band, Prodigal Redemption, Greg Hind, Rhoedes Band, Dusk till Dawn, Killer Vibes, Big Pappa & The Machine, Bandwagon, St. Clair County Community College Jazz & Symphonic Band, Meldrum Brothers, For a Few More Dollars, Dave Frendt and Cabana Boys.

The Bayview to Mackinac Race begins at 8 a.m. on July 20. Participants can watch the sailing yachts cruise down the St. Clair River from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Port Huron Yacht Club or the Double Tree by Hilton.

To ensure everyone can enjoy the festival, organizers offer free shuttles from Blue Water Area Transit from the parking lot at Desmond Landing.

“While there is ample parking in downtown Port Huron, we understand that the street closures can cause inconvenience,” Hayden said. “Therefore, these shuttles will help alleviate the parking shortage and make your ride to and from the festival pleasant and convenient.”

Hayden said planning for this year’s Blue Water Festival has been underway for about four months. She said organizers expected about 60,000 attendees last year and are expecting even more for the race’s 100th year.

“The feedback has been very positive,” she said. “Event attendees enjoy the music, the street vendors, the food trucks and the opportunity to walk through our community district with their favorite beverage.”

For more information about the Blue Water Festival and a full schedule, visit thebluewaterfest.com or facebook.com/phbluewaterfest.

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