Ben Garbacz/Daily Mining Gazette Despite the cloudy skies and cooler temperatures, Bridgefest hosted a sizable crowd. Live music, vendors and food stands filled Kestner Waterfront Park for the festivities.

HOUGHTON — Houghton and Hancock’s annual Bridgefest celebration, presented by Copper Shores Community Health Foundation, took place over the weekend with an impressive crowd showing up at all events despite cloudy skies and cooler temperatures. Visitors to the area, as well as locals, browsed multiple vendor booths and enjoyed live music. There was plenty to eat from food stands and food trucks, like Rez Robin Fry Bread, Bosio Biscuit Co. The Curious Pig from Crystal Falls, Jen’s Kitchen from Calumet, a Fish Fry food truck from the Garden Peninsula and more spread throughout Houghton’s Kestner Waterfront Park. The festival also featured events such as a hot dog eating contest, the Keweenaw Classic Car and Vintage Motorcycle Show in Hancock and a cornhole tournament.

Some regular vendors returned to the festival, while others made their debut appearance at Bridgefest. Among the first timers were Main Street Rocks and Crystal Shop and Happy Snout Bakery. Main Street Rocks and Crystal Shop opened in downtown Houghton last year, but did not participate in Bridgefest. Their wares included a plethora of different rocks and crystals with other items such as wooden toads with ridged backs which mimic croaking sounds when their backs are grazed with a stick.

The owner of Mainstreet Rocks and Crystal Shop, Ryan Cawood, said the shop’s presence was mostly to advertise themselves but they did find some customers intrigued by the selection they displayed. “It seems like a lot of sterling silver jewelry and some of our new copper wrap rings have been selling well,” Cawood said. “The little croaking toads have been doing very good as well.” Cawood said he was enjoying the music and was glad Bosio Biscuit Co. was present at the festival since he would not have to go far to enjoy some of their menu items. He said the business will return to Bridgefest next year.

Another first-time vendor is a business in its infancy as well with its official opening set for July — Happy Snout Bakery. Owner Emilie Sander sold a variety of dog treats she made along with dog bandanas and waste bag holders. She will sell her goods online and run the business from her house, but saw Bridgefest as an opportunity to make the area aware of Happy Snout Bakery’s existence. Sander said Bridgefest was a good way to meet people from the local community. “They love it,” she said. “I mean, everybody loves to buy things for their dogs and pets. So everybody seems to be happy with the products and stuff.” Sander offers a unique dog treat –dehydrated sweet potatoes, as well as more traditional treats. Those who missed the bakery at Bridgefest can visit them at the Chassell Strawberry Festival.

Aside from merchant stands were first responders such as the Houghton Fire Department. Second Assistant Daniel Salo said funds the fire department raise go back into the community through fire prevention. “So we’ll go to the schools and have little seminars with the kids so that they’re up to date on what to do in the event of a fire or bring materials home for the parents to assist with teaching them what to do, is it’s informational for the kids and then they bring stuff home for the parents,” Salo said. He said Bridgefest is a great public relations opportunity and gives the Fire Department a chance to showcase the equipment they have with the Touch-A-Truck event and hopefully interest attendees into considering volunteering for firefighting. Also on hand was Third Coast Diving, a group which works with all levels of cognitive and physical abilities for adaptive recreation and scuba diving, to raise funds and public awareness.

The U.S. Army also had a booth to assist those interested in the military branch which was celebrating its 250th anniversary. The booth had a punching bag game that gained the attention of numerous children which would record the strength of their punch. The soldiers on hand interacted with teenagers and college students showcasing some of the opportunities the Army offers. Staff Sergeant Luis Canedo said their presence was not only for recruitment, but to be a part of the community. “It’s my first time actually coming to this event,” Canedo said. “I think it’s awesome seeing the community members, seeing everyone from everywhere, and we’ve been embedded with the community.”

Canedo said the Army’s targeted demographic does not necessarily apply to the event and that it is really just the soldiers meeting people and shining a positive light on the Army and showing how the Army can help build and shape a foundation for each individual person’s future.

“For example, if there’s a kid here graduating Michigan Tech and he’s a little bit in debt [and] doesn’t want to fully commit to the army but needs to take care of that debt to be able to establish a good life, we give him the resources and opportunities, the financial stability, as well as putting him into a job placement that’s relatively close, if not spot on, to what he was studying at Michigan Tech. And then that’s the foundation for his future so he doesn’t have to commit a full 20 years.”

Saturday’s activities ended with a fantastic fireworks display, sponsored by Incredible Bank