Indian River SummerFest

Returning July 21-23, 2023!

Indian River SummerFest is one of the highlights of the summer season, a weekend of fun, food and camaraderie. Organized by the Indian River Chamber of Commerce, the 2023 SummerFest is scheduled for July 21-23.

The SummerFest began as a community festival back in the 1980s and was originally known as Old Fashioned Days. The name was later changed as the festival grew to include a wider variety of activities.

Most of the events take place downtown and a portion of the main street is blocked off on Friday and Saturday to allow the activities to take place. A two-day craft show begins on Friday and continues on Saturday. Friday’s events also include Kid Zone children’s activities for children organized by the Indian River Baptist Church. There will be other community events throughout the weekend, including a kayak/bicycle biathlon on Sunday morning.

The biathlon takes place on Sunday morning. It begins at DeVoe Beach where 80 to 100 competitors run to kayaks waiting on the shoreline, jump in and then paddle out to the end of the pier and into the Indian River. When the kayakers race into the Indian River, it creates one of the most colorful scenes of the summer. Kayakers race to a point just past the Indian River bridge and then come back to DeVoe Beach where they hop on bikes and race approximately 11 miles, traveling north on the North Central Recreation Trail to Topinabee and then back to the finish line between Marina Park and the Indian River Chamber of Commerce building.

For more information about 2023 SummerFest, contact the Indian River Chamber of Commerce, 231-238-9325.

LobsterFest, July 19

The Indian River LobsterFest is the primary fundraising event for the Friends of Inland Lakes Schools (FOILS) organization. Each year money raised at the lobster dinner is donated to a specific Inland Lakes school program. The 2022 LobsterFest raised $21,000, which was used to support the Inland Lakes Schools Career Tech Educational (CTE) program.

Through the CTE program, Inland Lakes students can take classes in Construction, taught by a certified builder and through a partnership with Burt Lake Marina take a class in Power Sports equipment taught by a certified power sports mechanic. The CTE program also provides an opportunity for Inland Lakes sophomores to have exposure to health care, concrete technology, engineering, electrical lineman, manufacturing, welding and CNC trade courses through Alpena Community College.

The CTE program is the latest program to receive financial assistance from the FOILS LobsterFest. In previous years, FOILS made donations to the Robotics program, the visual arts department, a radio security system, the industrial arts program, an elementary school health and hands program, and the music department.

In its 15th year the LobsterFest (which will take place at the Cooperation Park Pavilion) has raised more than $200,000 for educational supplies for Inland Lakes programs. FOILS established an endowment fund in 2019. To make donations to that fund, contact the school’s central office at 231-238-6868.