Star Spangled Fourth of July at Fort Mackinac (left) and Grand Hotel's "An American Picnic" at Fort Mackinac (right)
Special Independence Day Celebrations Held at Original Revolutionary-Era Fort
June 28, 2010
Mackinac Island, Mich. — On July 4, people from across the country will take a break from their hectic lives to indulge in the celebration of America, and there’s no better place to pay tribute and have fun than at Fort Mackinac, an original Revolutionary-era fort. Fort Mackinac’s Independence Day events, the “Star Spangled Fourth of July” and “An American Picnic,” combines fun and history with great food.
The uniqueness of this celebration will be immediately noticeable when stepping into the historic fort decorated in red, white, and blue. The “Star Spangled Fourth of July,” beginning with a concert of military and patriotic music, occurs at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
“It’s a very different Fourth of July celebration,” said Craig Wilson, Fort Mackinac lead interpreter. “It offers a chance to experience a different type of patriotic celebration.”
Sing and clap along as interpreters, dressed as 1880’s American soldiers, play your favorite patriotic tunes on fife and bugle. “Historically, these are some of the things that would’ve happened in the time the soldiers were here,” said Katie Cederholm, MSHP curator of education. “Over one hundred years ago, this is how they celebrated.”
Following the military concert, Mackinac State Historic Parks (MSHP) interpreters and park guests will honor America and recognize those who served in our military. Veterans and active members of the military will be invited to gather on the parade ground as Girl Scouts raise a 20-by-38-foot American flag and historic interpreters fire a 38-gun salute — once for each state in the union in the 1880s. The “Star Spangled Fourth of July” celebration is included in regular Fort Mackinac admission, which is $10.50 for adults, $6.50 for youth ages 5-17, and free for children four and under and Mackinac Associates members.
The fun continues into the evening with Grand Hotel’s “An American Picnic,” held at 6:00 p.m. inside Fort Mackinac. At “An American Picnic,” dine on Grand Hotel’s baby-back ribs, grilled chicken breasts, hot dogs, hamburgers, and delicious treats while sitting on the parade ground on checkered picnic blankets or at nearby tables. Costumed interpreters will engage you in fun, Victorian-era dances and games throughout the evening while live dinner music plays.
Tickets for this Independence Day feast, which can be purchased at Grand Hotel and the Mackinac Island State Park Visitor’s Center on Main (Huron) Street across from Marquette Park, are priced at $42.00 for adults, $21.00 for children ages 5 to 17, and free for children ages 4 and under if purchased prior to 6:00 p.m. on July 4. Prices increase if purchased after 6:00 p.m. Admission to Fort Mackinac is included in the ticket. Mackinac Associates’ tickets are $31.50 for adults and $14.50 for youth ages 5-17.
Many agree that there’s no better place to celebrate with your family than among the fun and excitement of Fort Mackinac. “Fort Mackinac, being Michigan’s only original Revolutionary War fort, is the ideal place in Michigan, if not the entire Midwest, to celebrate the Fourth of July because of its heritage,” said Greg Hokans, MSHP chief of development and marketing. “Because of what Fort Mackinac represents — first a British fort, then after the Revolutionary War, an American fort, it symbolizes that reason we celebrate the fourth of July as Americans.”
In addition, by attending “An American Picnic,” guests are able to take in the beauty of the Straits of Mackinac while watching the spectacular display of the Mackinac Island fireworks show from Fort Mackinac, set on a bluff towering 150 feet over Lake Huron.
For more information about the Fourth of July Celebration at Fort Mackinac, call (906) 847-3328.
Mackinac State Historic Parks, a family of living history museums and parks in northern Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac, is an agency within the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment. Its sites—which are accredited by the American Association of Museums—include Fort Mackinac, Mackinac Island State Park, Historic Downtown, and The Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum on Mackinac Island, and Colonial Michilimackinac, Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse and Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park in Mackinaw City. Mackinac State Historic Parks is governed by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, established in 1895 to protect, preserve and present the parks’ rich historic and natural resources for the education and recreation of future generations. Visitor information is available at 231-436-4100 or on the web at www.MackinacParks.com.
Written by Carolyn Klarecki, public relations intern
