ROCKFORD, Mich. — The city of Rockford is welcoming the season with its annual Start of Summer celebration, a four-day festival that has been a tradition for 57 years.
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The festival is expected to attract more than 50,000 people, providing a boost to downtown businesses.
For some local establishments, this marks their first time participating in the popular event. Maison Blanc, a collaborative shop featuring 15 local vendors, opened just four months ago.
"Very excited. We're not sure exactly what to expect," said owner Amy Hartman. "But we are ready for anything."
Hartman hopes the festival will bring visibility to her business and others in the area.
"While we know that not everybody might come in and be a customer throughout this weekend, we're hoping that it gains extra visibility, not just for us, but for everybody in town, so that people will hopefully come back and explore and spend a little more time in the future," she said.
Hotel Rose is also preparing for its first festival experience. General Manager Daniel Pautsch said the hotel is nearly sold out for the weekend.
"We're completely sold out on Saturday, and that is all backfilled with just transient guests that are here for the festival. Friday is getting there," Pautsch said.
The hotel plans to offer special services at its Char and Barrel bar and expects heavy traffic on its patio.
According to the Rockford Chamber of Commerce, the festival serves as an excellent showcase for the city.
"It still has that small town feel, even though it's updated, and we always have new things happening, new stores going in, different activities happening, so it's definitely something that they still see the charm of downtown, and they can see that it's so walkable," said Megan Randall, executive director of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.
Maison Blanc has already begun feeling the festival's impact, hosting live acoustic music that drew passersby.
"We had a little live local acoustic music. People came in and gathered around as they were walking by. It's just a really fun, you can feel the turn of the season event and spirit in the air that we love," Hartman said.
The Start of Summer celebration runs through Sunday and will feature a parade and fireworks on Saturday.
To see the full schedule of events, CLICK HERE.
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