The summer season seems to be the shortest time of the year.  It seems like the kids just got out of school and now here we are going to school orientations, picking up schedules and purchasing backpacks, notebooks and pencils! Where did the summer go? Well, don’t go putting away the summer clothes just yet, there is still more activity planned in Cheboygan before the fall festivities begin.

Thursday marks the end of this year’s summer concert season in Washington Park. Billy Jewell and Chip Stead will take to the proverbial stage on Thursday to close out the 2011 Washington Park Free Summer Concert Series. This was a great summer filled with music. Billy and Chip partnered up during the Downtown Music Festival in July – you won’t want to miss this duo. The pair begins their performance at 7:00 p.m. down by the River in Washington Park near the footbridge.

The 2nd Annual Cheboygan River Cleanup will be on Saturday. Northern Michigan Dive Center is coordinating this effort, but this isn’t just for divers. Yes, they need licensed divers, but they also need shore-support. Anyone interested in helping is encouraged to attend an 8:00 a.m. meeting on Saturday on the east side of the Footbridge and then be ready to start cleanup efforts at 9:00 a.m.

The Old US 27 Motor Tour rolls into Cheboygan on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. This tour features classic cars which travel the nostalgic US 27 roadway from Coldwater to Cheboygan, making stops in Lansing, Clare, Grayling, Cheboygan and Alpena. The public is welcome to come look at the historic cars parked on Main Street in front of the Eagles. Dinner and a cash bar will be available inside the Eagles Lodge.

The annual State Street Labor Day Bridge Walk will be September 5th.  Get outside and enjoy Downtown Cheboygan…the place to shop, dine & unwind!

Today is the kickoff to the Cheboygan Riverfest celebration. There is so much happening in Cheboygan!

In case you are not familiar with Riverfest, let me acquaint you. The community comes together for this event, melding together events and activities from local organizations under the heading of Riverfest, which is essentially a way for us to celebrate our greatest natural treasure… the Cheboygan River.

August 18: The event begins with the Wanigan Parade on Main Street at 6:00 pm. After the parade Charlie Reager will perform in the Riverfest Tent on Water Street from 7:00-11:00 pm.

August 19: An Arts & Craft Show will be on display in the grassy area next to Mulligans from 10:00 am until 7:00 pm. Churchill Classic Late Registration and Packet Pick Up will be from 4:00-7:00 pm in Citizens National Bank parking lot. The Fraternal Order of Eagles will provide a Fish Fry from 5:00-8:00 p.m. in the Riverfest Tent, while Nate King performs. Highway Robbery will begin their performance at 8:00 pm and will conclude at Midnight.

August 20: The Churchill Classic 5K/10K Run & 1 Mile Walk will start from the new trailhead on Western Avenue at 8:00 a.m. sharp. The route travels along the Gaylord-Mackinaw Trail. The Riverfest Craft Show will continue in the grassy area next to Mulligans from 10:00 a.m – 7:00 p.m. The Wanigan Race will begin at the M-33 bridge at 10:30 am and travel to the Lincoln Avenue bridge; an awards ceremony will begin at 4:45 pm in the Riverfest Tent. A kayak race will take place from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm, with an awards ceremony taking place at the DNR Park near the Lincoln Street bridge at 2:00 pm. The Friends of Ottawa Park will host a free art workshop from 10:00 a.m. until noon for the public to create macrame jewelry and braiding. Kiwanis will offer food for sale from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. in the Riverfest Tent. Kort McCumber will perform in the tent from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. and then the Blitz will play from 8:00 pm until Midnight.

Be sure to call the Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce – 627-7183 or www.cheboygan.com – if you have questions or to get more information about any of the events taking place during Riverfest. This should be a great week of fun and I’m sure there will be plenty of people enjoying Downtown Cheboygan. It truly is the place to shop, dine & unwind!

When it comes time for summer vacation from the schools, we all start thinking about our summer plans – whether we go away on vacation or we plan several stay-cations.  Urban Dictionary defines stay-cation as “a vacation that is spent at one’s home enjoying all that home and one’s home environs have to offer.”  Have you planned a stay-cation for the summer?

There is plenty to do in the Cheboygan area all summer.  I haven’t had an actual summer vacation with my family since I started my job in downtown Cheboygan.  You see, my busy time of the year is in the summer with the various events and activities planned in the downtown area.  My family knows that we are all about the stay-cation in the summer.  Never once, have I heard a complaint from my kids or husband so I know they enjoy the comforts close to home.  You will see us throughout the summer at Gordon Turner Park.  What a treasure we have in GTP, as the Guenther’s like to call it.  We like to go to the park and grill hot dogs with friends, take a dip in the crystal clear waters of Lake Huron, and a trip to GTP wouldn’t be complete without a girls vs. boys volleyball match on the new sand volleyball courts!

The Cheboygan Opera House has plenty to offer throughout the month:  The Young Americans perform on June 10 & 11 as part of their Northern Michigan summer concert series.  Admission for this show is $22 for adults and $15 for students through 12^th grade.  Northland Players Children’s Theatre will present “Secret Agent Gram” June 17, 18 and 19.  Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for students.  The Huron Shores Chorus, the Midstatesmen Chorus, and Right on Q will perform a Barbershoppers extravaganza on June 25.  Admission is $12 for adults and $8 for students through 12^th grade.  To reserve tickets for any of these performances, call the Cheboygan Opera House box office – 627-5841.

The Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce will have its annual Arts & Craft Show on June 17 and 18 in Citizens National Bank’s parking lot.  The Cheboygan Street Rods 28^th Annual Car Show will be on display at the Eagles Hall on June 18.  The Chamber’s Summer Concert Series begins on June 30 with Billy Jewell at 7:00 pm.  Typically, the concerts take place in Washington Park, but while the park is under construction, the concerts will take place right across the footbridge in Major City Park.

Ottawa Park will host free youth workshops throughout the summer.  On June 25, kids will try their hand at creating tie dyed tee shirts.  No registration is necessary.

In addition to all of these great downtown activities, the Cheboygan Public Library is offering youth art classes for different age groups, two days a week for five weeks.  Classes are $20, limited to 15 students and must be pre-registered to attend.  “Art for the Young” is for 5 & 6 year-olds and will focus on exploring a variety of art materials & discovering the numerous possibilities of creative and artistic expression.   There are two sessions of  “Claying Around” classes -  7-11 years and 12-18 years.  This class explores the basic hand building construction techniques while creating individual pieces.  Classes are $20

The Cheboygan Museum is offering a Children’s Summer Museum Camp for 3^rd and 4^th graders June 20-24 and 5^th and 6^th graders June 30-July 1. Space is limited to 8 children per session and registration is $25 per child.  To register, please contact the museum office at 627-9597 or fill out the form on www.cheboyganhistorycenter.org.

Start planning your stay-cation in Cheboygan TODAY!

I am amazed at the number of Cheboyganites who have expressed the need for more parking downtown.  Not only do we have 316 parking spaces in city parking lots, but we also have on-street parking availabilities, yet downtown patrons continue to search for the closest possible parking space to their desired location.

Does downtown have a parking problem or a parking perception problem? Yes, it is nice to drive to your favorite downtown store or restaurant and find the perfect parking space right in front. Perfect as it seems, how realistic is that scenario? Why is it that customers don’t seem bothered to park several yards from the door at a big box store, but when parking downtown, people spend so much time searching for a close spot? The walk from your car to the mall door could take 10-15 minutes and you don’t see too many people grumbling about the walking distance. Why is it expected to park in the boonies when you are at a box store or the mall, but downtown parking is expected to be so much closer? In Cheboygan, we are very lucky because we do not have to pay to park in our downtown district on the street or in the public lots. In some downtowns throughout the state you would see parking meters.

Another issue is the fact that some downtown employees will park in front of the business where they work. Business owners should remind their employees of designated parking locations.  Premiere parking spots should be reserved for the customers. Downtown Cheboygan businesses have an exceptional level of customer service and this should start the minute a customer parks their vehicle.

Downtown businesses are ready to serve you, giving you the same great service that you have come to trust…. and you don’t even have to feed a meter!

The shopping mall craze became popular in the 1980’s and carried through to the 1990’s, but as with most trends, we see this popularity dwindling at a rapid rate. Today in many urban locations, the new trend is to have an open air shopping center. This type of shopping center features more than one anchor store within the complex, but strives to give the feel and appearance of a traditional downtown, without actually being located in a downtown district. This is interesting to me. Malls are becoming less popular in the urban cities, yet the “new” type of mall is trying to copycat the downtown experience. So the urban developers have decided that the downtown atmosphere is where customers would like to spend their time; however instead of actually locating this vision within traditional downtowns, developers are creating their own downtown-esque locations (complete of course with a huge parking lot instead of your traditional parallel parking scenario.) 

It doesn’t matter what kinds of bells and whistles developers create with this new type of shopping center, you will not get a true representation of a traditional downtown. Generally, a city’s character is found in their city centers which are located within the core downtown district. Every downtown is unique and tells a certain story; downtowns are gritty and full of history, something you cannot replicate with an urban open air shopping complex.

Do I think these types of urban shopping centers are hindering people from doing their business in downtown Cheboygan? Not really, given the fact that many of these types of complexes are featured downstate. BUT, I do think what does hinder our local downtown retailers is the fact that some people do travel elsewhere to make their purchases. The downtown merchants are your neighbors, friends and supporters of the Cheboygan community. Cheboygan is a generous town and the business owners are very supportive of the variety of causes, but it would be nice if community members not only asked for donations from businesses, but would also patron the stores where they are soliciting donations.

Retailers understand that you may not be able to purchase everything you desire in downtown Cheboygan, but if you were to get in the habit of beginning your shopping search locally, that would go a long way with your local merchants who are your friends, neighbors, and community supporters. Let’s all support each other and make Cheboygan the place to be!