MORENCI — The annual Morenci Town & Country Festival will take place on the final weekend in May in Wakefield Park, featuring music, rides, games, and lots of entertainment for the whole family.
Committee chair Sue Snyder confirms that there will be a carnival this year. Some festivalgoers last year were disappointed by the lack of rides after the vendor backed out last minute. For this year, the committee has secured Michigan-based carnival company Native Amusements to run the rides.
Recent electrical upgrades in the park will allow for more vendors and merchants than in the past, Snyder said.
Softball will take place all weekend, and there will be pickleball games on Friday and Saturday. (For information about softball, call 517-902-1620. For information about pickleball, call 734-652-6810.) There will also be bingo in the Northeast Pavilion for most of the weekend. (For more information about bingo, call 517-401-0171.)
Thursday, May 29
Festival hours on Thursday are 5-10 p.m. The festival kicks off with a Royalty Contest on the mainstage at 5 p.m. (For more information about the Royalty Contest, call 989-264-2808. Entry forms are available at City Hall.)
The beer tent, operated by Morenci American Legion Post 368, will be open from 5-10 p.m.
Friday, May 30
Festival hours on Thursday are 5 p.m. to midnight. The mainstage entertainment will be the band Stealin’ Copper, performing from 7-10 p.m.
The beer tent will be open throughout festival hours.
Saturday, May 31
Festival hours on Saturday are 11 a.m. to midnight. The Town & Country Festival Parade will begin at 10 a.m. (For more information about the parade, call 517-438-3968. Parade registration forms are available at City Hall.)
Mainstage entertainment on Saturday will be:
- Cheer demonstration, 11:30 a.m.
- Encore Dance Studio, noon.
- New Heights Gymnastics, 12:30 p.m.
- Talent show, 1-3 p.m.
- Music by Soup Sandwich, 3-5 p.m.
- Music by Johnny Lightning, 5-7 p.m.
- Music by The Metros, 7-10 p.m.
Michigan Pedal Pullers will be in the west parking lot at 1 p.m. (For more information, call 517-458-4053.) The Little Tykes Mud Drag, open to kids ages 3-8, will be at 2:30 p.m. in the back of the park. (For information about the mud drag, call 517-306-8571.)
Fireworks will cap off the final day of the festival beginning at 10:20 p.m.
The history of the Town & Country Festival goes back to 1980, when it took place over two days in August. It ceased after 1987 due to a lack of volunteers, but was later revived.