Tip Up Town 2016 is Finally Here

Day 75

Tip Up Town is finally here. Kick off is tonight in the adult beverage tent (adults only) with entertainment by Uncle Groovy.

Saturday morning is the parade at 10 am, ending with the annual bed race finishing by Pineview Highlands golf course. Parade float judging later in the day.

An official Tip Up Town 2016 badge ($10) gets you lots of free stuff.

FREE STUFF: Free parking at the high school and free shuttle service from there to the TUT site. Free carnival rides, petting zoo and pony rides. Of course, plenty of free family entertainment all day long at the Family Fun Tent and various areas around the site. Also free admission to the adult beverage tent. Food and beverages are not free.

The ever popular Polar Bear Dip contest will be held on Saturday, January 30th at 1 pm. Dippers should arrive early as the line to register starts forming a couple of hours before 1 pm. Be sure to wear a pair of shoes to jump in with, as bare feet will stick to the ice OUCH! Most wear an old pair of sneakers they don't mind getting wet. Have an unusual bathing costume? Bring it. The crazier the better. There is a fee to participate in the Polar Bear Dip but you get a sweatshirt.

And so much more. Contests and competitions abound see schedule.

The weather is cooperating with temps in the mid twenties to mid thirties over both weekends. Tents are heated to help you stay warm.

For more info, TUT schedule of events and site map click here.

Hope to see you there.

Until tomorrow,

Ken

TIP UP TOWN USA 2016 Fundraiser Event January 16, 2016

Day 63

There will be a fundraiser event held at Shenanigans Pub on Saturday, January 16th at 7pm with live entertainment and a free Nacho Bar. Will be asking for a $5 donation that will go to Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce in support of Tip Up Town.

Tip Up Town gets more expensive each year as the cost of insurance and rides goes up. The local business community does great but this they need a little help. Thus the fundraiser asking a mere $5 donation. Wow. What a deal. Hope to see you there.

Houghton Lake Has Ice-Not Yet Safe

Day 55


For all of you ice angler's out there. The ice has finally begun to form on the lakes in our area. This is great news with Tip Up Town USA only a few weeks away. Whether or not the ice will be safe in time for TUT remains to be seen. The festival will go on either way as all of the rides, vendors and contests are held on snow covered land with the exception of a few, such as the ice fishing contest.

Late ice on the lake has happened before. A few years ago the ice didn't form up until the very end of December and TUT went on without a hitch. I'm sure I'll see someone on the ice in the next two weeks whether the ice is safe or not.

Unusually warm weather was the culprit a few years back. This year we set a new record for December average temperatures. Just over 40 degrees average for the month.

I don't ice fish so I'm not upset in the least. I look forward to an early spring and getting my boat back in the water at either Backus Lake or Reedsburg Dam area. I prefer fishing from my small two man boat. Over the last four years I have become very fond of trolling at Backus Lake. Partly for bigger fish but lately for any fish. The winter kill over the past two winters has been devastating to the smaller and shallower bodies of water.

Fishing has gone down so much at Backus there were hardly any campers there this past summer. One good thing though, the deer flies were almost none existent. Deer flies like to fly around your head and they bite. Mostly they bite my hands and ankles. Right through my socks! It's hard to catch fish when your constantly swatting at biting flies. I don't look forward to the flies but I have an electric fly swatter. Once you zap the first dozen they don't come back right away. So it's all good.

Anyway, the point is there's ice forming on Houghton Lake and a little snow on the ground. So ice fishing and snowmobiling aren't far away. Spring isn't far away either.

Until tomorrow,

Ken