MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Festival of the Sled Dog took over the streets of downtown Marquette Friday night.
Thousands lined Washington Street in downtown Marquette, ready to see all of the sled dog teams, get face painted and listen to some rocking music– which is just some of what the festival had to offer.
“We definitely tried the Trenary Toast and that was great, just watching the sleds. It’s interesting to see how they are interpreting it in their own way this year,” remarked Julia Hanslmen.
In a winter that has not seen much snowfall, organizers were concerned if the street would have enough,but just hours before the festival began mother nature dumped almost 5 inches onto Marquette.
“You can see the sled dog track behind us, last year it was just a main track, we did one down and one back, this year it’s like a real race track,” said organizer Ross
Without official races teams still made the trek to Marquette to promote the sport of sled dog racing. Some even offered rides to attendees, with official starts.
“This is almost the feel of race night, we have dogs going up the main street, we have orange fences, we have people in the businesses,” commented Tom Bower, a Sled Dog Musher.
This year organizers had more time to plan and execute the festival. Last year’s race cancellation came just 24 hours before the start, this year it was canceled almost 2 weeks before.
“It just gave us some more time to get things together and amp up what we did last year,” said Ross.
Organizers have said they are hopeful for next year’s race and already have begun the process of preparing for 2025. Official merchandise from this years festival can be purchased here.
