Hoisting the Anchor

From staff reports

Empire celebrates its annual Anchor Day festival on July 18-19 to commemorate the raising of an anchor found 37 years ago in 18 feet of water off the Lake Michigan shore.

The celebration kicks off Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Township Hall with the Empire Museum showing of two films. Empire Anchor Recovery recounts the events of July 13, 1977, by capturing the removal of this wooden beamed anchor from the grips of Lake Michigan and including several underwater photographs. The second film of the evening is the newly released Empire in the Good Old Days, a step back into the town’s past, through photographs, postcards and maps detailing the history of Empire and exploring its lumber, agricultural and Air Force days from the 1870s through the 1950s. The whole family is welcome, and free popcorn is included.

On Saturday morning, Soni Aylsworth’s new shop Empire Outdoors sponsors a fishing contest from 6 a.m. until noon at nearby inland lakes. Bass and pike are fair game (please use live wells or stringers to keep the fish alive, and call 231-326-5433 for information). The Anchor Day Run follows at 9 a.m. at the Empire Beach Park Pavilion (register by 8:45). Then at 2 p.m. the Anchor Day Parade makes its first of two passes through town (line up at 1:30 at the Apple Barn). The Lions Club BBQ Chicken Dinner follows at the Town Hall from 2-8 p.m. Round out the evening with a 7-11 p.m. street dance and live music by “Streaker”, sponsored by the Sleeping Bear Surf and Kayak Shop, which celebrates 10 years in Empire this summer.

Anchor Day is sponsored by the Empire Area Community Center, which hosts monthly concerts to benefit anonymous individuals in need in the community.