Return of the Sun: The Elberta Solstice Festival One of Northern Michigan’s newest festivals also has one of its most dramatic locations: Elberta’s Solstice Festival is held in the town’s expansive Waterfront Park on Frankfort’s harbor, with great views of the lighthouse and Lake Michigan. The Benzie County event is the first music festival of the summer in Northern Michigan (along with Brethren’s Spirit of the Woods Festival), taking place this Saturday, June 19 from noon - 1 a.m. Plus, you can’t beat the entrance fee for this family-oriented festival: it’s all free of charge. “It’s a big local party that the whole family gets to have fun at,” says co-chair Josh Stoltz. “And it all wraps up with a fireworks show that a lot of people say is the best in Northern Michigan.”
MUSIC & HANG GLIDERS With headliners including local heroes, K. Jones & the Benzie Playboys, the festival at Elberta Waterfront Park offers a full afternoon and evening of music along with fun for kids and their parents. Some highlights will include a kite building class and exhibition by Third Coast Kite and Hobby; hang gliding and paragliding exhibitions off Elberta’s legendary bluffs; a 75-foot sun dial created by Dean Conners; crafts related to the summer solstice; teen music and dance; a beer garden; games, dancing, an open mic and more. “The festival started out in 2002 and we’ve had some slower years, but it has picked up since then and we’re expecting a great turnout this year,” Stoltz says. Stoltz joined the Solstice team last year, bringing a wealth of experience in marketing and festival organization. The son of Benzie Playboys washboard scrubber Mark Stoltz, he grew up in Lake Ann, attended Benzie Central High School, and went on to pursue a career in direct marketing in Phoenix and Miami before returning to the area. At one point, he was employing up to 70 people, marketing for businesses such as Staples in Arizona.
GLORY DAYS Stoltz has had a colorful past here in the area: he recalls traveling with his dad to Cajun music festivals in the Louisiana bayou and to Mardi Gras as a child -- a musical experience that shaped his interest in festivals. He also owns “The Future” school bus, a camping vehicle painted with Earth-inspired scenes which he used to travel around the country. Additionally, he was part of the team that staged the Dunegrass and Blues Festival in Empire, leaving the organization over budget issues before the ill-fated 2008 festival that lost more than an estimated $300,000. “My budget advice was ignored, so I got out before the festival went down,” he notes. But Stoltz’s expertise in marketing and organization was recognized by those putting on the Solstice Festival and he was approached to lend a hand at the fundraiser for Elberta Waterfront Park. “One of my goals is to make enough money so that we can make this a sustainable festival that will bring in a really big band every few years,” he says. How do you make money at a free festival? Beer sales. Mom or Dad can enjoy a brewski at the Festival’s beer garden while still keeping an eye on their kids at the open landscaped park.
DOWN THE HATCH You’ll also find some unusual cullinary opportunities this year, including the “Gross Eating Contest” for kids ages 8-13 which involves consuming things like beet jello, or a brussel sprout and pickle juice smoothie. For adults, there will be the introduction of the “Green Plate Challenge” by Jim Barnes of Crystal Lake Catering and Eco-Building Products. “Five chefs from the area will be creating ‘green plate’ dinners that have to include at least 90 percent local ingredients,” Stoltz says. “Then they’ll be serving these dishes at their restaurants throughout the summer.” Participating restaurants include the Cabbage Shed, Betsie Bay Inn, Tali Bistro, Coho Cafe and The Thistle, all of which will be offering a taste of their green plates at the Solstice Festival.
-- by Robert Downes
Festival Events:
UPPER DECK STAGE M.C. & Music: Brett Byrnes Noon-1:30: Acoustic Dynamite 1:45-2:45: Waterline 3:00-4:00: Dear Sasquatch 6:15-7:00: Gross Eating Contest (ages 8-13) 7:00-7:45: Hannah Rae Beale 8:00-10:30: K Jones & the Benzie Playboys 10:30-10:45: FIREWORKS!! 10:45-11:45pm: sub-Prime Blues Band 12:00-1:00am: Free Love
TEEN PAVILION 7:00-?: Bonfire 9:00-10:30: (live music) Upon Your Pedestal 10:45-?: DJ
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