R. R. Branstrom

rbranstrom@dailypress.net

ESCANABA — A new event called “Village Summer Fest” will be held this weekend — Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7 from noon to 9 p.m. — at the Antique Village, which sits on about two acres at the southeast corner of the Upper Peninsula State Fairgrounds in Escanaba and is closely tied to the U.P. Steam and Gas Engine Association.

The two-day event will feature demonstrations, opportunities to drive tractors, and live music. Shops will be open until 5 p.m. The remainder of the evenings will be for bonfires, camping and socializing.

On both days, daytime demonstrations are to be given in a number of activities: blacksmithing, candle-making, spinning, weaving, rope-making, corn-shelling, pottery, shingle-making, butter-churning. Some will be inside shops and buildings; others take place in the open air.

Old-fashioned outdoor games from decades ago will be set up, and people who have never driven a tractor will get the chance to do so.

Attendees may visit the various shops and stations in the Antique Village, which include the general store, the Scoop and Float Ice Cream Shop, the Rock Shop, the agricultural museum, The Wooly Sock, the schoolhouse, the textile shop, Beck’s Cheesecakes, Belongie Station, the chapel and more. Only the Cook Shack is expected to be closed, according to Wendy Gibson.

On Saturday afternoon, the musical sounds of Granny Fox and the Farmhands, Jim Finlan, Failte and Wild Prairie will fill the air. Live performances can be expected from about 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday only.

This may be the first time Summer Fest has officially taken place, but Gibson said it was formed as a sort of combination of past events Village Days and Night at the Village. It may become a regular event the first weekend of June in future years.

Summer Fest is free to all and is a family-friendly affair. Though there is no admission cost, donations for the Delta Animal Shelter may be accepted.

Throughout the summer, the Antique Village is regularly open on Thursdays from noon to 4 p.m.