Northern Michigan Events: In addition to the comedy shows for Northern Michigan's audiences, the festival will present some new events and free fun for families in Traverse City, making Front Street an exhibition of the best fun of Northern Michigan's winter.
Here's the cool part—the Traverse City Winter Comedy Festival is closing Front St. to traffic Friday through Sunday to hold a bunch of winter games and events for the whole family in downtown Traverse City:
- Bonfire with free s'mores and music on Friday night on Front Street in Traverse City
- Laser Light Show on Saturday night, sponsored by the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau.
- "Despicable Me" free on Saturday morning at the Traverse City State Theatre, with a bike giveaway sponsored by Grand Traverse Pie Co.
- Party at ECCO Saturday night (on Front Street in Traverse City)
- Pancake Breakfast (with cherries!) to benefit the Fresh Food Partnership & local food pantries.
- The festival is turning part of Front St. into one big Ice Rink with free skate rentals for everyone!
- A man-built Big Sledding Hill on another part of Front St. so kids of all ages can go sledding.
- A winter Ferris Wheel rising above Traverse City for a winter view that can't be beat!
- PLUS: Snowblower Races, Slip'n'Fall Olympics, and Cherry Festival favorites like the Monster Dog Pull, back by popular demand, and Kid Competitions including cherry pit spitting.
The festival is packing in fun for kids of all ages, including family comedy shows to be announced in the upcoming weeks. Kids are also invited to celebrate National Cherry Month with the ever-popular "Make the Bake" pie event sponsored by Grand Traverse Pie Company. This free event for kids 12 and under gets underway at 2 pm on Saturday at GT Pie on Front and Park, right by the sledding hill.
Travor Tkach, executive director of the National Cherry Festival, said, "We're also excited about bringing back WOW!Fest's most popular events: the Soup'r'Bowl, the Bed Race, and Ice Sculptures up and down Front Street. We like bringing good things to the community during February, National Cherry Month, and the power of the Cherry Festival, we'll be sure there's snow on Front Street, no matter what the weather."