The Water Festival, the first of a series of events celebrating the Great Lakes, will be held in Mackinaw City Saturday, August 19, at Conkling Heritage Park on the Lake Huron waterfront. The celebration begins with music at 11 a.m. and continues with brief talks between musical performances until 10 p.m.

The Mackinaw City event is intended to be the first in a series presented around the Great Lakes Region by co-sponsors Earthwork Music, Seeds, and Mackinaw City Chamber of Commerce.

Presenters will include representatives from Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, the Little Traverse Conservancy, The League

of Conservation Voters, Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, and a Great Lakes fisherman.

Musicians performing will be Phil Wintermute and Susan Fawcett, Breathe Owl Breathe, Drew Howard, Robin Lee Berry and Jen Sygit, Kirby, Sweet Water Women, and Madcat Ruth with The Freshwater Dolphines. After a dinner and discussion break at 6 p.m., Daisy May and Seth Bernard will perform for the 8 p.m. "Music in Mackinaw" concert series.

"This is a celebratory call to action," said Seth Bernard of Earthwork Music. "We have a responsibility living here in the Great Lakes basin, and we can explore that responsibility together in a way that builds community. The Water Festival was designed to bring people together through music, facilitating meaningful discussions and the sharing of ideas and information in a relaxed, festive atmosphere. It's about have a good time, and saying I can help, and I will help."

Seeds is a nonprofit research, design, and educational institution whose mission is to seek the development of socially and ecologically sustainable environments. Earthwork Music, through networking and mutual support in the production and distribution of original music, cultivates a community of artists, believing in the power of music to raise awareness.