TRAVERSE CITY -- It's that time of year for a very Moo-ving experience!
The northern Michigan community will gather Sunday to celebrate the life and legacy of Traverse Colantha Walker, a world champion milk producer who was raised at the former Traverse City State Hospital.
The 2nd Annual Colantha Walker Dairy Festival will be held at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons. The first event of its kind last year was an "udder" success and festival organizers hope to "milk it" for even more fun this time around!
While Colantha Walker was one of 96 Holstein-Friesian cows in the hospital's herd, she was a hoof ahead of the crowd. In 1926 she produced 22,918 pounds of milk. The milk production from just that single year made her the highest producer in the world!
From 1912 to 1932 Colantha Walker produced 200,114.9 pounds of milk. An amazing number when you compare it to the average production of 3,918 pounds of milk from your 'run of the mill' cow at the time.
Admission to the event is free and if you dress the part with heifer attire you could even get more "cow"dos (kudos).
Get in on the fun Sunday, June 12 from 10am - 6 pm. TV 7&4 and 29&8 are proud sponsors of the event - be sure to stop by the station's booth for fun and games (and a prizes!)
The 2011 Dairy Festival schedule is below:
Pancake Breakfast 10am-Noon
The Traverse City Fire Department will be serving up delicious Pancakes & Bacon, Coffee, Juice, and Moomers Milk to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Farmers Market 10am-3pm
Find fresh fruits, veggies & herbs, cheeses, eggs, bread, honey, sweets, and other goodies straight from the farm!
Food Vendors 10am-6pm
There will be plenty of options for the whole family, inside & out: Moomers, Left Foot Charley, Higher Grounds, The Underground Cheesecake Company, Mana, Sweet Asylum, TASTES of Black Star Farms, U&I Lounge, Shetler Family Dairy, Lil Bo, Cuppa Joe, Trattoria Stella, Zakey and more!
Art & Craft Vendors 10am-6pm
Peruse the Piazza for handmade treasures that you simply must have...or head inside to find a bargain or two in The Mercato shops.
Live Music Old Foresters 10am-Noon
Joe Wilson & the True Falsettos 1-3pm
Sour Mash 4-6pm
Participation Parade to Colantha's Headstone* Noon-1pm
Stroll with us, along Red Drive, to Traverse Colantha Walker's resting place by the Historic Barns. Get your kazoo from The Underground Cheesecake Company, so you can play along with the Second Time Arounders during the parade! *The round-trip parade walk is 1 mile.
The Great Grilled Cheese Grill-off 3-4pm Who makes the Greatest Grilled Cheese Sandwich? You be the judge! Vote for the best sammie, as Pearl's New Orleans Kitchen defends their title against U&I Lounge, Lil Bo, and The Underground Cheesecake Company. This is gonna be delicious
Interactive Fashion Show 4-5pm
Head into The Mercato, for a peek at Boutique à la Vie's latest styles in motion. See what clothing is hot this summer, check out the accessories that are sure to turn heads, and learn a few ways to tie a scarf. Would you like to be part of this interactive show? Stop in a bit early to volunteer as a model!
There will also be Demos, Moomers Wagon Rides, Plenty of Kid's Activities, Wine & Cheese Pairings along with Milk & Cookie Pairings for the kids, throughout the day!
More details on the festival can be found by CLICKING HERE.
