The 2nd Annual Dairy Festival was held today in the Village at the Commons, by the old State Hospital in Traverse City. There were at least a few hundred in attendance on this sunny yet cool Sunday. The festival can only get bigger and better!
I arrived around 1pm, missing the parade and the walk out to the prized dairy cow's grave site. However, the vendors were varied, from recycled glass jewelry and hardware, to natural pumpkin seed butter, to martial artist schools, and even falafel and pita. There was a live band, someone and the True Falsettos, none of which sang falsetto...either way, we set up our folding chairs and swatted away the flies, watching kids run around with Moomer's Blue Moon, witnessed a raffle for Doo Dairy Compost, and drinking free un-homogenized chocolate milk.
At 3pm, 5 restaurants competed in a Grilled Cheese Grill-Off. We sampled 4 out of 6 for $5, and picked and voted for our two favorites (spinach and pesto on Bay Bread & The Underground Cheesecake Company's smoked gouda---we also got a slice of their Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake--my oh my). There were coffee sack races, a variety of baby goats and chickens to pet, and a calf named Oscar who sat docile in the shade, having photo after photo being taken of him. The aromas of pulled pork, hot dogs, and waffles cones tempted attendants as they made their way to the various craft tables, demonstrations, and into the wine tasting building.
All in all, this Festival, despite the ill-planned belly dancing with warranted our departure, is one that will hopefully grow and attract more locals and visitors! Maybe it'll rival the Cherry Fest one day.
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