FIREWORKS, FESTIVALS AND FUN

2008 SUMMER EVENTS ON LAKE MICHIGAN ISLANDS

BEAVER ISLAND
Here is just a sampling of the good times on the most Irish of the Great Lakes islands.

JUNE 27-28 -- Electric Car Show. Listen to the hummmmmm.
JULY 3 -- The Chenille Sisters with music, wit and giggles for the opening of the new Beaver Island Community Center.
JULY 4 -- An Independence Day parade down Main Street, a carnival for the kids and come dusk a boat parade followed by fireworks.
JULY 5 -- Everything Irish -- Music, dance, stories and, heaven-protect-us, food.
JULY 18-19 -- Beaver Island Air Show, featuring the Yankee Lady, a B-17 bomber from World War II that usually is housed at the Yankee Air Museum in Hangar 2 at Willow Run Airport near Ypsilanti.
Beaver Island Music Festival with all kinds of music all over the island.
JULY 21-26 -- Museum Week. Music, presentations on nature, Native American culture, oral histories, a pet show, an art show and lots of fascinating stuff about the famed James Jesse Strang, the island's -- and America's only -- Mormon king.
(If I once again may be immodest, you can find a fine retelling of the Strang story in my book Islands: Great Lakes Stories.
JULY 29-AUGUST 3 -- Baroque on Beaver Here are five days of classical gas.
Some 80 first-class musicians -- professionals,students and island amateurs -- will be playing at events around the island. Also a music camp for youngsters.
AUGUST 4-8 -- Writers Gathering & Literary Event. Well-known authors come to talk about their craft, teach and do readings from their works at Bluebird Farm. Those who come to take workshops, and places might all be filled by this point, will pay $550 for the privilege. Others can pay $10 to hear the readings. Contact Beaver Island Writers.
SEPTEMBER 13 -- Celtic Games. Look on as sturdy men in kilts struggle to heave huge weights and toss the caber, the somewhat archaic art of lifting a 18-foot-long, 150-pound cedar log and throwing it end-over-end for distance. This, typically, is not an event for the writerly types who showed up the month before.
For details, contact the Beaver Island Chamber of Commercece or the Beaver Island Beacon newspaper.

WASHINGTON ISLAND
Here are a few things to do when you are not basking on a beach, fishing or sipping bitters in a bar.

JULY 4 -- Independence Day fireworks at the baseball park.
JULY 5-7 -- The musical Oliver, performed by the Island Players.
JULY 12 -- Art in the Park with lots of watercolors and photos.
AUGUST 1-3 -- Scandinavian Fest
AUGUST 1 -- Scandinavian Fest Kaffe and Stavikirke (see photo above) Open House.
AUGUST 2 -- Scandinavian Dance Festival
AUGUST 3 -- Scandinavian Worship Service at Trinity Lutheran Church.
AUGUST 4-15 -- Music Festival with first-rank musicians from the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and other symphony orchestras.
Concerts will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on August 4, 7, 10 and 15 at the Arts & Nature Center. Price: $12 for adults, $6 for children.
Music lovers also can attend, at no charge, an open rehearsal on August 9.
In addition, the island will have a Children's Concert at 11 a.m., August 13 and the Under the Big Top Concert with island musicians at 7:30 p.m. on August 14.
In addition, a benefit concert will be given on Memorial Day weekend.