Thumbfest music festival is in its 16th year.
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The astronomical calendar says summer’s not over until 4: 02 p.m. Sept. 22.
But for all intents and purposes, the season of fun that started Memorial Day weekend ends with Labor Day weekend.
The festival season is not going down without a fight. The weekend includes the 45th Algonac Art Fair, Saturday and Sunday in the city’s Riverfront Park; the BlueChiligrass Festival, Sunday and Monday at Goodells County Park; the Trek the Trestle walk over Mill Creek on Monday; and, perhaps the biggest of the weekend events, the Thumbfest music festival Saturday in Lexington.
“We are getting more and more support from the local businesses, ” said Dawn Malek, festival director for the sponsoring Blue Water Folk Society . “They like to have the village full, and we do that. We bring in 5,000 people, and it is the largest one-day event in Lexington.”
She said the festival, which starts at 10: 30 a.m. and ends at 10: 30 p.m. Saturday, will have more than 50 musical acts and workshops on 12 stages.
Thumbfest also is known for musicians gathering in public areas of Lexington for impromptu jams.
“That’s for sure, ” Malek said. “Last year I was just walking down Huron Avenue, and there were two guys sitting there playing mandolin and guitar, and they were so good I got goosebumps.
“Any place you turn, you’ re going to see and hear music.”
Thumbfest is in its 16th year. The event started at Camp Ozanam north of Lexington and moved to the village’s downtown in 2005.
“That’s one of the really great things about this festival, that we’ re able to bring it free to the community, ” Malek said.
The festival will have two events focused on young people. It will continue its popular guitar giveaway, expanding this year to 12 guitars and six ukuleles, and it will have a Rising Stars contest for ages 19 and younger.
Performers will be competing for cash prizes of $150 for first, $75 for second and $50 for third.
“What’s so important about this is the Blue Water Folk Society’s mission statement is to promote traditional and acoustic music in the Thumb, and we’ ve added to that to include the fact that we want more young people involved in our organization, ” Malek said.
“These young people are the future of our organization. We have to get them excited about it and involved.”
The instrument giveaway is for youths 10 to 17 years old. Kids who want a chance to get an instrument need to fill out an application at the Lions Hall location during Thumbfest beginning at 11 a.m.
Malek said volunteers start planning for the next year’s event almost as soon as this year’s Thumbfest is finished.
“We are so excited, ” she said. “Have you looked at the weather? It’s going to be a gorgeous day. That’s half the battle right there. You have to have the weather.”
