Ypsilanti Heritage Festival draws crowds, vendors
Stretching from Depot Town to downtown, the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival brought out crowds and vendors during today's fall-like temperatures.
With nearly 200 street vendors this year, event organizer Cathy Bennett said they had to turn booths away because they ran out of space.
“Because of the economy, people aren’t going away,” she said. “They want to do what’s local and not drive somewhere.”
Now in its 31st year, the country fair-like festival included dozens of family-friendly activities ranging from clogging to pole-vaulting to camel rides.
“It’s just the whole town getting together and seeing people you never see,” Ypsilanti resident Shana Sylvester said. “Everybody’s here, everybody’s smiling.”
This year, the event extended from Depot Town to downtown in a partnership Bennett described as relatively new.
“What better time to showcase (your downtown) than when you have 80,000 people in your park?” Bennett said. “We just want people to realize we also have a great downtown.”
Connecting the two areas, Ypsilanti’s Riverside Park offered patrons a mixture of old-fashioned fun, including pony rides and trader booths, with modern inflatables and live music.
But it was some of the festival’s more unique events that enjoyed the most success.
Returning for its fourth year was the Nightmare Cruise, where contestants compete to see who has the worst car or “biggest pile of junk that made it (t)here under its own power.”
Rolling in with his 1987 Oldsmobile Calais, Ypsilanti resident Michael O’Brien took home the $2,000 grand prize.
“I had to go to extremes to win this year,” he said.
And that was an understatement.
To guarantee his success, O’Brien attached a generator to the trunk of his car that ran his “air conditioning” fan in the rear window, and the halogen and Christmas lights that decorated the top of his car.
“When the prize is $2,000, I’m going to do what it takes to win,” he said.
Tomorrow brings the closing of the festival and another day of family fun.
“This is a destination this weekend,” said Lynda Hummel, another event organizer. “It’s always a pleasure to provide the kinds of things that people expect at the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival.”
Photos and slideshow by Lon Horwedel, AnnArbor.com.
Photo 1: Scott Thomas, a cook for Hotel Hickman Wild West Adventures, checks on his batch of apple cobbler.
Photo 2: With her sister Maya, 5, behind her, 3-year-old Chava Baum-Ferrise, 3, of Ypsilanti, makes the long climb up the inflatable slide for children at the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival.
Erica Hobbs is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach our news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.
Comments
ypsiRK
Mon, Aug 31, 2009 : 12:50 p.m.
We went on Friday night and Sunday and I didn't care for the teen crowd at all on Friday. However, I think that MMCitizen forgot something: Police: Festival incident blown out of proportion Paul DeRidder, acting police chief for Ypsilanti, said the incident that took place Saturday night in Riverside Park has got blown out of proportion. What had been reported as a stabbing in the park just as the Heritage Festival was closing down for the day can not be substantiated, DeRidder said. On the phone this morning, he said the initial incident started as a physical confrontation between teenagers near the childrens activity tent in the festival, which was empty as it was nearing 9 p.m. He said several teens from the area ran to where the fight was taking place, to witness the events. He said different reports vary the size of the crowd from 100-150. All the kids came to watch, DeRidder said. As police responded to the scene, he said the group ran through the park headed to toward Michigan Avenue, where officers were responding to the incident. He said the group then came running back toward the festival, and was eventually dispersed. He said there were arrests made, and a report will be ready at the end of the week. The Citizen interviewed several vendors Sunday, and those that were at the scene gave a similar story to what DeRidder said today. Somebody in the crowd (told police) they thought they saw somebody stab somebody else, DeRidder said. However, he said no victim came forward at the scene, and none checked in to any county hospitals. He said no complaint had been filed and no blood was discovered at the scene. The vendors interviewed by the Citizen Sunday said they didnt see any weapons during the incident. (The police) did a very good job, said Tom Pokryfky, from the Rainbow Feathers Bird Club, who had a booth at the event. They got it under control very quickly, Pokryfky said. They were tolerant.
mmcitizen
Tue, Aug 25, 2009 : 3:18 p.m.
I am MMCITIZEN below......here is the article from the Ypsilanti Courier which explains exactly what kind of RIOT I am talking about...... From the Ypsilanti Courier Stabbing at Riverside Park during Heritage Fest At about 8:30 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to the scene where a fight broke out between five teen-agers in the Childrens Village area of Riverside Park during the Heritage Festival. As the officers arrived, approximately 150 teens all began running southbound toward Michigan Avenue causing a panic among visitors and vendors. One officer reported that "bystanders were screaming and vendors were hiding under their tables and closing their booths down prior to closing time." Many teens were trampled after an unidentified female yelled, "He has a gun." Moments later a second unidentified female was witnessed stabbing an unidentified male in the back with an object. The condition of the victim is unknown.
mmcitizen
Tue, Aug 25, 2009 : 2:08 p.m.
My family and I attended the festival on Saturday. The kids were really excited and we even entered the beautiful baby contest! The food was great and up until just before dark we were having a nice time. JUST BEFORE DARK is when all of the teens/young adults showed up in the masses. It was altercation after altercation, requiring the "pairs" of police officers to constantly keep up with the riff-raff. This made for a very uneasy feeling and a "NOT SO FAMILY FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE". Quickly, the mass of teens/young adults began a HUGE RIOT. My family and I were witnesses to the whole thing. I had to RUN MY DOUBLE STROLLER with my infant son and my toddler daughter into HIDING. My husband was at a nearby booth and had to SCOOP UP our 4yr old son and RUN LIKE MAD to avoid getting trampled or WORSE. I WAS TERRIFIED and In TEARS. MY CHILDREN WERE CRYING. NOT SO FAMILY FRIENDLY, HUH?? Clearly there was NOT ADEQUATE POLICE PRESENCE for the cliental that the city is aware will frequent this event once it becomes dark. I say this to the City of Ypsilanti...KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER....AND THIS EVENT HAS 2 TYPES OF CUSTOMERS...... - people who want to go and have a good time with their friends and family and -people who want to live the THUG life and ruin everything that is good in society. The City of Ypsilanti OUGHT TO KNOW BY NOW that this is WAY OF LIFE for many of its residents, so GET WITH THE PROGRAM AND DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO, TO AVOID THIS EVER HAPPENING AGAIN. If it means that the city cannot host such an event for the safety of those that attend, then so be it. Otherwise, BEEF UP THE POLICE FORCE TO KEEP THOSE WHO DON'T ENJOY THE THUG LIFE, SAFE.
Laura Bien
Mon, Aug 24, 2009 : 9:39 a.m.
We went on Friday and returned on Saturday and spent the w h o l e day there. Saw bed races, car-crushing, mini goats, pole vaulting, historical reenactors, musical performers, neat stuff for sale, and just soaked in the end-of-summer vibe, complete with mustardy and utterly delicious corn dog. It was a BLAST. Kudos to the thousands of hard-working volunteers who created such an enjoyable time.
Mary Bilyeu
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 9:12 a.m.
I hadn't been to the Festival in years, but went yesterday and had a ball! I'm sorry it took so long to get back there, and I'll definitely become a regular....
old east sider
Sun, Aug 23, 2009 : 8:08 a.m.
What a wonderfilled festival and what a great job every volunteer has done to make this as much fun as it is for all ages. If you have never been to a Heritage festival be sure to come today! Thank you for working so hard community! I'm looking forward to next year.