Eight local restaurants had booths offering a wide selection of fish dishes at the St. Ignace Fish Feast. Demonstrated by the crowd pictured on the marina dock, the fourth annual event drew a strong crowd of local residents and visitors. Now in only its fourth year, the St. Ignace Fish Feast has established a reputation for being one of the most popular summer events in St. Ignace. The Fish Feast celebrates the town's commercial fishing heritage and its most popular delicacy, fresh whitefish, and has come to serve as a gathering place for friends, families, and class reunions.

“The admission lines never stopped,” said Eileen Evers from the Chamber of Commerce of the attendance at this year's event, which she says drew roughly 5,000 people to the St. Ignace Public Marina Saturday, July 24. “It was a full house at the end, and we had wonderful fireworks. The marina dock offers a beautiful perspective of the boats on the bay.”

Matthew Valletta of St. Ignace holds up a fish he caught at a pond during the Fish Feast Saturday, July 24. He is pictured with his father, Mike. The event began with a maritime blessing at the Fisherman's Memorial at 4 p.m. People gathered around the monument while Darryl Brown, a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, gave a Native American invocation honoring local fishermen who lost their lives on the lakes. The names of many are inscribed on the stone monument near the boardwalk.

A fishing tank and other games were offered for children, alongside local restaurants serving fresh fish, pies, and roast pork on the pier and musicians entertaining the crowd. Fireworks concluded the night's festivities.

“It's a great family event that offers things for the family, from two-year-olds to adults,” said Kari Visnaw of St. Ignace, whose children took part in the games that included a dunk tank, ring toss, and several inflatable bouncing toys.

Elizabeth Brown (right) and Krysti Peck from the Pavillion of downtown St. Ignace serve a variety of wine at the Fish Feast. Reuniting with old friends is another attraction at the Fish Feast, where, this year, the LaSalle High School classes of 1970, 1980, and 1990 held their reunions. Dawn Beard of Orlando, Florida, a member of the class of 1980, attended the Fish Feast for her first time.

“I haven't seen so many of my classmates in 30 years,” she said, adding that the Fish Feast offered a spectacular setting for the reunion. “The food and the music are great.”

The feast also drew visitors from both downstate and across the Midwest, including Donna Accetta of Walnutport, Pennsylvania, who attended the event for the first time with her husband.

A youngster pitches a ball to send Margo Brown of St. Ignace plunging into the dunk tank Saturday, July 24, during the Fish Feast at the St. Ignace Marina. The dunk tank was one of the variety of games for children, which included inflatables and a fishing pond. “This is the first time I had whitefish,” she said of the local favorite, adding that she and her husband are interested in buying vacation property in St. Ignace. “The people here are so friendly.”

Mike Valletta's two young sons, Luke and Matthew, spent most of their time playing the games set up by the city recreation department.

“My favorite part is fishing,” said Matthew, holding up a freshly caught trout.

Mr. Valletta said his family looks forward to the Fish Feast every summer.

“It's all about spending time with my sons,” he said of the family activities.

Fish Feast revelers watch the fireworks display from the marina dock. Filmmaker Doug Routheaux of Mount Pleasant showed part of his documentary on commercial fishing aboard an Arnold ferry boat moored at the dock.

“I wanted to do a documentary about commercial fishing to honor fallen fishermen,” he said, explaining that his brother, Mike Bigelow, lost his life on the lake in Epoufette in 1985. “It shows you how the fish are caught from the lake using trap nets, to the dinner table.”

While thunderclouds loomed on the horizon in the early afternoon, the skies cleared in the evening, and throngs of people poured onto the marina dock, forming lines in front of the food stands, which were selling whitefish, lake trout, walleye, soups and pies, soda pop, beer, and wine.

As the evening progressed, children and adults enjoyed dancing along to live music, which was provided by The Pub Runners of Gaylord, “Pirate” Pete Trappen, and St. Ignace disc jockey SoundWave Music.

At right: JR Fulgenzi of the Pines Trading Post roasts a pig on the grill, one of many local offerings at the St. Ignace Fish Feast Saturday, July 24. Other restaurants represented included the Galley, the Driftwood, Mackinac Grille, Village Inn, Horseshoe Bay Restaurants, Fred's Pub, and Bentley's Cafe. About 50 people served as volunteers at the Fish Feast.

Bringing the evening's festivities to an emphatic close, fireworks illuminated the waterfront sky, their colors reflected in the calm waters visible from the marina pier.
Sisters Alex (left) and Kateri Sayre from Occoquan, Virginia, attended the Fish Feast for their second time Saturday, July 24. On her favorite part of the event, Kateri said, “I love catching fish and lifting them out of the water, the games, the T-shirts, and being with my big sister.”