Bay Port Fish Sandwich Festival 2012

Great weather greeted the crowds for the 34th annual 2012 Bay Port Fish Sandwich Festival. Folks waited for a chance to grab a huge fish sandwich that required two hands to hold. Others strolled the vendor booths looking for a bargain in the flea market area. In addition, there is music, bingo, and local organizations that also partake in festivities.

The fish sandwich festival has been going on since 1978 and is considered by many to be the inspiration for the Cheeseburger in Caseville festival which starts next following weekend. The star of the event, the fish sandwich, is prepared with a secret coating and lightly fried. It’s a true Pure Michigan experience.

Bay Port Fish Sandwich
Bayport Fish Sandwich Festival
Bayport Fish Sandwich Festival
Bayport Fish Sandwich Festival
Bayport Fish Sandwich Festival
2012 Bay Port Fish Sandwich
2012 Bay Port Fish Sandwich
2012 Bay Port Fish Sandwich
The queen helps at the festival.
Live entertainment at the festival
Getting Fish Sandwiches ready
Cooking at the Bay Port Fish Sandwich Festival
Kings and Queens Bayport Fish Sandwich Festival

Bay Port Fish Sandwich Festival Sponsors

The 2012 Bay Port Fish Sandwich Festival is held with the cooperation from community organizations and local volunteers. The event is sponsored and coordinated by the Bay Port Chamber of Commerce. There are fireworks, live music, arts and crafts show, crowning of the king and queen, historical demonstrations and a parade during the weekend’s festivities. Festival is held the first full weekend in August and thousands of fish sandwiches are sold.

Bay Port was formed around the fishing industry in the 1800s. The village was home to several successful fisheries, it was rated as having the largest freshwater fisheries in the world.

  • 17 Things to Do Near Caseville if You’re Bored with the Cheeseburger Festival – The festival is late summer, fun-filled family event with plenty to do and see. However, there is only so much grass skirt, trinket stands, and cheeseburgers that one can handle for the multi-weekend event. What else is there to do in Michigan’s Upper Thumb? 
  • Bay Port’s Famous Fish Market – The Bay Port Fish Company is a commercial fishery on Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay, established in 1895. Located in Bay Port, Michigan the store is open seven days a week during the season. If your lucky, you can see the staff in action preparing the catch for sale in the store
  • Run 5k’s in Upper Thumb Events – A friend of mine signed us up for a 5K run/walk during the Cheeseburger festival several years ago. I’ll freely admit that I’m not into running or jogging. So it was a relief that he pointed out that we could walk it too. Which is what we did.
  • How Art, Kayaking, and a Farm Market Saved Port Austin – The town at the tip of the Thumb has taken a different approach; offer the community has a destination for the entire summer season. The 4th of July weekend in 2005 Port Austin Farmer’s Market debuted with just over 50 vendors. Now with over a dozen years in operation, Port Austin claims one of the largest outdoor markets in Michigan.
  • Port Austin Farm Market Saturday Mornings – Each Saturday morning during the summer, the Port Austin farm market offers local locally grown produce, crafts and flea market items from all over the thumb. The weekly event is not hard to miss as it’s only a block away from the harbor. You can park just about anywhere in town and figure out where to go.

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Malcom Mott

Malcom Mott is our junior editor and contibrutes outside publications to various sites at Thumbwind Publications. He is also editor at AITrueReview.

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