Hello Summer in Petoskey!

May 27, 2016

Annual Open House Kicks Off the Season

Petoskey’s Spring Open House ran for six years, from 2006–2012, but fizzled out after the weather. Now it’s back, re-energized, and rebranded as the Petoskey Summer Open House. Under the direction of Downtown Promotions Coordinator Kate Manthei, the event’s popularity is quickly catching up to that of the city’s Holiday Open House in December.

STRIKE A POSE

At the center of it all: Pennsylvania Park, with additional events spidering throughout downtown Petoskey, starting with an opportunity to mark your attendance at the Open House. “The Graphic will be setting up a Petoskey-themed booth where you can get your picture taken to commemorate the night,” Manthei said. “They’ll upload the photos to the website, and you’ll be able to download them for free.” Booths from Emmet County Recycling and North Central Michigan College also will be open for your perusal.

GOURMET GOODIES

Once you’ve checked in (the photo booth will be available starting when the open house kicks off at 5pm), it’s time to make your way to the Taste of Downtown, one of the most recent additions to the Summer Open House, where downtown restaurants set up tent booths to help showcase their new summer menus. “Tickets are just $1 [each], and each restaurant sets how many tickets their ‘taste’ is,” Manthei explained. “This started last year, and we’re excited to see it grow. There also will be a drinks tent for adults to enjoy a beverage.”

EYE ON STYLE

Music will fill the background as you wander the food stands; Lite 96.3 personalities will spin the tunes and emcee the Open House Fashion Show at 5:30pm. “The runway will go right down the middle of Lake Street, with the latest style trends for the whole family,” Manthei said. At 6:30pm, what Manthei considers the biggest draw of the festival, arrives: the Petoskey Steel Drum Band. “They’re massive,” she said. “We love having them downtown, and it’s a great chance for the locals to see them.” Following the Steel Drum Band, singersongwriter Charlie Millard will continue the music until 9pm in the drinks tent.

LOCAL LOVE

The night wraps up with an outdoor movie in the park at 9:30pm. But before you take your seats, get inspired by The Buy Nearby Guy, the bright blue, Michigan-shaped mascot who’s part of an initiative encouraging local shopping to help boost the economy. It’s all part of this friendly fest that’s focused on community and what’s best about Petoskey’s downtown. “This truly feels like a night to celebrate the things that make our community so wonderful, and I love seeing everyone enjoying everything that downtown has to offer,” Manthei said. “A lot of the stores stay open late and have fun promotions, so it’s a great opportunity to explore downtown before the heavy summer traffic hits.”

The Petoskey Summer Open House will be held on June 3 from 5–9pm. For more information, visit petoskeydowntown.com or call (231) 348-0388