1st Annual YetiFest ~ Saturday, February 16th in Suttons Bay

The first-ever YetiFest takes place on Saturday, February 16, 2013 in Suttons Bay. The festival and fundraiser benefits Suttons Bay Schools, Suttons Bay Chamber of Commerce, and TART. Here’s the schedule:

  • Yeti-Look Alike Contest ~ 9:00 am Registration starts at the school and continues until 1:00pm, Awards at 2:00 pm
  • 4-4 Hockey Tournament ~ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm @ Corner of Lincoln and Broadway
  • YetiFest™ Bicycle Hill Climb ~ 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at Bahle Park, Awards at Water Wheel Park 2:00 pm
  • Abominable Snowman Contest ~ 11:00 am – 1:30 pm @ Water Wheel Park, judging at 2:00 pm
  • Chili Tasting ~ 11:30 am – 2:00 pm @ Water Wheel Park
  • Yeti Story Time ~ 12:00 am @ the Suttons Bay Bingham District Library
  • Kid’s Parade ~ 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm Starting @ the Library, ending in Water Wheel Park
  • Micro-Brew Tent ~ 11:30 am – 5:00 pm @ Water Wheel Park

Wondering about Leelanau’s Yeti connection? Their Sightings page explains that:

Some evidence suggests that the Yeti so favored the cherry, or more precisely the Prunus cerasoides commonly known as The Wild Himalayan cherry. This species is a deciduous cherry tree found in East Asia and is a member of the family Rosaceae and the genus Prunus. Its range extends in the Himalayas from Himachal Pradesh in north-central India, to Southwest China and Burma. It grows in the temperate forests from 1,200–2,400 meters (3,900–7,900 ft.) in elevation.

This range interestingly coincides with the 45th parallel in the eastern hemisphere and it here that the hypothesis begins that the Yeti, in search of a vanishing favored food source began increasing their range to find a larger and more sustainable supply.

Read on for more and also see some photographic evidence of Yeti in Suttons Bay on Flickr.