CHASSELL, Mich. (WZMQ) – In the Copper Country on Friday, the community of Chassell got its fair share of sweets at the 75th Strawberry Festival. This year’s festival brought over 70 volunteers to help out. There seems to always be a fan favorite at the festivals all around the UP, but for the Strawberry Festival in Chassell, it has to be the shortcakes. “We opened up today at 9 AM and there were people waiting for shortcakes. We’re also selling flats of shortcakes as quickly as farmers can bring them down they sell out and then the farmers go pick more,” commented Chassell Lions Club President Ross Rinkinen.
The team anticipated to sell of over 5,000 strawberry shortcakes, and the community and farmers of Chassell were hard at work putting on this festival of sweetness. Rinkinen said the farmers were ready for the task. “Do we have enough rain? How are the fields? How are the berries? As I talked to a couple of the farmers today they said the berries are gonna be excellent this year,” continued Rinkinen.
To put that in perspective, the farmers cleaned over 184 flats of berries bringing around 1,464 berries to the plate with more on the way. After that, the berries headed straight to the shortcake team to be assembled (pictured below).
“We have a lot of fun interacting with each other talking and joking with the people at the window and everyone’s really patient and friendly so it makes it a good time. They wanna be nice to the people making their treats,” said Chassell Lions Club Member Erica Bates.
From the queen pageant, fish boil, and the shortcakes, Lions Club member Erica commented this festival always hits close to home to her. “It’s really cool actually really special to me I’m a local I grew up in Houghton my aunt and uncle own a strawberry farm the festival is deep in my soul I guess,” continued Bates.
“I’ve attended the strawberry festival since I was an infant and it’s great it’s such a sense of community and I can remember being a little girl and running around and playing on the playground and then coming back and grabbing a strawberry shortcake,” commented Strawberry Festival Vendor Grace Kluchka.
Friday night, the town crowned a new queen for the pageant, and tomorrow the community can enjoy the festival parade.
