The Michigan Sugar Festival is an event that occurs one weekend in the middle of June each year. It is held in the village of

Sebewaing, Michigan Sebewaing is a village in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,759 at the 2010 census. The village is within Sebewaing Township. This community is known as the Sugar Beet Capital, due to the Michigan Sugar slicing m ...

Purpose

The purpose of the festival is "To show the area's appreciation to the sugar industry which has purchased sugar beet crops from farmers and processed sugar here with local employees since 1902."

History

During a Chamber of Commerce meeting in early February 1965, then President Herb Gettel opened a discussion about having a sugar festival in Sebewaing, one of the four towns in which the

Michigan Sugar Company Michigan Sugar Company is an agricultural cooperative, based in Bay City, Michigan, that specializes in the processing of beet sugar. Founded in 1906, Michigan Sugar sells beet sugar under the brand names ''Big Chief'' and ''Pioneer.'' Michiga ...

had a factory. The town's newspaper editor Walt Rummel, Norman Schroeder, and Carl Hess went to the company's headquarters in

Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...

to propose the idea. The idea was a hit, and on March 4, 1965, the Sebewaing Chamber of Commerce voted to hold a Sebewaing Sugar Festival on July 2 and 3. It was the first major community celebration since the Sebewaing Centennial in 1953. 2020 saw officials cite the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

as grounds for cancellation. The 56th was deferred to 2021.

Events

The village park is the location for the midway, which has local vendors selling goods, along with carnival games and rides for all ages. There is also an entertainment tent, where bands perform and a dance is held on the first night of the festival. The main events are the crowning of the Sugar Queen Friday night, the Grand Parade on Saturday morning, and the Fireworks show Saturday night. In addition, there are tractor pulls and softball tournaments, among other events.

Sugar Queen

The Sugar Queen was once called "the sweetest girl in the world." She, along with a first and second runner up, are determined in June. To run for Sugar Queen you must be ages 18–23 and live for at least one year in one of the "21 counties in the state of Michigan in which sugar beets are grown." A general knowledge of sugar beets is recommended. Previous Queens include (no Queen in 2020):

Fund-raising

Many local businesses give donations to put on the festival, and the Sebewaing Fire Department takes donations year round for their Fireworks show. Donation boxes can be found all around the area at local businesses.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Michigan Sugar Festival Festivals in Michigan Tourist attractions in Huron County, Michigan