ESCANABA — Ludington Street is turning into a stage for a day of live music and lumberjack action in June in celebration of Escanaba’s rich timber heritage.
The first-ever Escanaba LogJam Music Festival will be held Saturday, June 28 in Escanaba’s downtown.
“The festival pays tribute to the city’s deep-rooted connection to the timber industry, which plays a vital role in its growth and identity, while bringing the community together with live music, entertainment and cultural traditions,” said Craig Woerpel, executive director of the Escanaba Downtown Development Authority.
The free community event will be held on Ludington Street between 10th and 12th Streets and include a stage for music and an area for a logging show as well as vendor stands and food trucks.
The main stage will feature four acts including Them Pesky Kids from Minneapolis. The band includes guitarist Mark Woerpel of Escanaba, who is looking forward to returning home to play on the city streets.
“I’m excited to come back,” Woerpel said. “It’s good rock music. We play the songs we like to play. Big vocals, big guitars, big drums. It should be fun.”
Woerpel said his first concert ever was on Ludington Street when he was a high school Freshman with a band called Mirkwood for a DeMolay dance at the Masonic Temple building. This year, he is celebrating his 45th high school class reunion.
Mark Woerpel went on to play with other local bands Reach, Orion, Cactus and regional bands Stormbringer and Moxy Roxx. He led the band Warp Drive which produced two CD’s on AOR Records London and toured worldwide. He then joined Blackfoot and was featured on their finale album “After the Reign.”
Them Pesky Kids is the band behind Ricky Medlocke from Lynard Skynard and Blackfoot for his new Rickey Medlocke Band that has been performing nationally.
To highlight the vibrant local music scene on the Main Stage at the Escanaba LogJam Music Festival will be Sit Down Francis of Escanaba, Sky Pilots of Munising and Stonewall of Escanaba.
Bruce Belanger is also looking forward to performing at the festival. He has taken his lumberjack show, the Great Lakes Timber Show, all over the country for more than 40 years to perform at fairs and festivals.
“It has been a long time since we were at the U.P. State Fair and I appreciate performing at home,” Balanger said. “I know there are people who want to see us so I’m anxious to be able to do this at home.”
The Great Lakes Timber Show showcases traditional lumberjack skills with a display of chainsaw carving, axe throwing, cross-cut sawing, and logrolling. Belanger emphasizes the importance of educating audiences about logging, highlighting its ongoing significance in modern society.
“It is a little bit of history, a little bit of humor and little bit of fun all mixed together,” he said.
The event will take place in the new Social District that has been approved for the downtown. Festival-goers are expected to be able to purchase drinks from participating businesses during the event.
The Escanaba DDA is looking for sponsors and vendors for the event. More information is available at escanabadowntown.com.
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