ELSIE, Mich. — The village of Elsie is the dairy capital of Michigan, and it just kicked off its annual Dairy Festival downtown with a talent show, for both people and pets.
"They've been doing the Dairy Fest since the late '60s, early '70s," Village Manager Shane Grinnell said. "There was one year we didn't do it, and that was due to COVID."
The three days consist of yard sales, street vendors, carnival food and rides from noon to 10 p.m., nightly entertainment and, of course, free ice cream for the kiddos.
"Tonight we have Nitro-Gen performing," Brooke Wooley, an Elsie Dairy Festival planning committee member, said. "We have some cardio drumming from one of the local churches tomorrow night, we have another performer and Gemini Circus, a couple of acrobats performing."
The Tipsy Cow bar in town is also celebrating. Friday and Saturday night they have a beer tent with live music.
Grinnell said the village also partnered with local Green Meadow Farms to provide tours and a celebration at their farm.
But, that's not all.
"We have a light parade that the fire department's doing," Grinnell said. "The fire department's doing a fundraiser for the 'Jail and Bail' they call it. So, they 'arrest' somebody and they have to get out of jail, you have to make a donation to the fire department...going toward their CPR machine that they're trying to get."
Grinnell said Elsie's population is about 900, but the weekend of the Dairy Festival each year that number doubles.
The festival ends Saturday night, so if you want to ride some rides and eat some ice cream, you better get moo-ving!
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