Traverse City Record-Eagle

2011 Cherry Festival

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  • Nick Ortega sets up tables in the beer tent for next week's National Cherry Festival at the Open Space. Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump

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June 29, 2011

'Buzz' about town as Cherry Festival nears

Warm temps in forecast for next week, but rain could linger

BY ART BUKOWSKI abukowski@record-eagle.com

Tents, power lines, trailers, stages and more continue to pile up at the Open Space this week in preparation for the National Cherry Festival.

And Ryan Fasel always loves watching it come together.

For 15 years, Fasel has sold all sorts of carnival munchies through Fasel Concessions, a local company that sets up at the famed “Gibbyville” inside the Clinch Park train loop. The festival is a blast, he said, but requires loads of preparation and planning.

“Everyone’s got to work together; it’s like a big puzzle,” he said. “The work and effort that people put into this, man, let me tell you.”

But long hours are worth it to Fasel, a Traverse City native who travels around the state and beyond for assorted fairs and festivals.

“You love doing it for your hometown,” he said.

The 85th annual festival kicks off Saturday and will run through July 9. Periodic rain Monday and Tuesday didn’t create the best work environment for contractors and volunteers who set up the infrastructure required for thousands of visitors, but it didn’t cause serious problems.

“We got off to a great start, even though it was a bit damp,” said Tim Hinkley, the festival’s executive director.

Despite the drizzle, festival excitement appears high, Hinkley said.

“It’s nice to see the buzz in town. We’ve had a ton of business, people buying tickets,” he said. “I think we’re going to have a fantastic start to the festival.”

Temperatures should range into the upper-70s and low-80s to start the festival, but the rain might linger.

“The good news into the upcoming weekend is it’s looking to be pretty warm,” said Gaylord-based National Weather Service Meteorologist Nick Schwartz. “However, with the increased heat and humidity, we will be dealing with increased chances of showers and storms.”

Alex Mowczan is president of Summerside Properties LLC, a company that operates four major hotels in Traverse City. Bookings for the festival are promising, he said.

“I’m very happy with things so far. Friday’s lagging a little bit, but Saturday and Sunday are almost completely gone right now,” Mowczan said. “Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are usually hardest nights to sell. This year they’re almost all gone.”

Mowczan said the number of Michigan visitors to his hotels continues to drop by as much as 2 or 3 percent each year. But more rooms are booked by people from out of state, particularly from Illinois and Indiana.

“There’s pent-up demand. People haven’t been able to take trips in (the) past,” he said. “Gas prices are coming down slightly, but not enough that airlines have dropped their fares. You still can’t fly to see grandma, or drive to California. It’s more affordable to take the four-to-six hour trip.”

Downtown was jammed with people Tuesday, and plenty of them stopped in at Harbor Wear, a clothing shop along Front Street.

“I always feel good about Cherry Festival,” said Nora Wiser, who owns the shop with her husband, Randy. “It’s exciting, and the community is excited ... I think it totally benefits our area.”

It and other festivals bring plenty of business to downtown merchants, Wiser said, and that’s always welcome.

“Any event that brings people downtown is good for us,” she said.

For a full schedule of events and more information about the festival, visit www.cherryfestival.org.

Staff Writer James Russell contributed to this story.

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Special to the Record-Eagle/Susan Melton
A National Cherry Festival goer hits new heights at the Open Space.

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