One of the websites that I like to browse for something different to do is michiganfun.com. This website is where you can find festivals and events around Michigan for just about every day of the year. This is where I learned about the Midland River Days and Balloon Festival.
We arrived in Midland and didn’t see any signs of the festival from the main road off of the freeway. Going just a few streets to the east we found the festival. Then parking was easy to find with available spaces and close to the festival.
From the edge of the parking lot where we were parked came the smell of BBQ chicken being made by the Lions Club. Kids were climbing the portable rock wall and sliding down the zipline. As we walked further into the festival we walked through the food truck area there were a variety of trucks including BBQ, pizza, Kona ice, and kettle corn.
Next to the entrance to the Tridge, which is a bridge that crosses both the Tittabawassee and Chippewa Rivers where they intersect, there was set up an old tractor that was trimming wood. They were also branding the wood pieces with River Days on them for free souvenirs. A short distance from them was Ike’s Mobile Kayak Rentals.
For just $5 per person you were able to take a kayak ride down the Tittabawasee River. The ladies at the tent were very helpful in getting you a life jacket and knowing who was next. There was a guide out on the water that had a large yellow duck tied to the back of her kayak. It made her easy to see. She was out there to help make sure you didn’t go too far and assist if you needed any help. At the turn around point there was a rope hanging down from one of the tree branches. The rope reminded of something you would see kids holding onto and jumping into the river by. Putting the kayaks in and taking them out of the water was an intriguing contraption that made it easy for anyone to get in and out. You had no worries of the kayak tipping over while trying to get into or out of.
After our kayak trip we ventured over to the food truck section. We knew exactly where we were headed. It was the truck where all the smoke was coming from. This was Olvera’s BBQ. We have seen this truck at other food truck festivals, but have never eaten there due to the long line. This time there was no line, we lucked out. Undecided at first, because everything sounded and smelled good, we both had the rib plate with 1 side. There were many sides to choose from, such as cole slaw, beans, potato salad and chips. The ribs fell off the bone and full of flavor. There was sauce on them, but it was a light application and not dripping with it. We now know why there has always been a line up when at other food truck festivals.
To let our food settle, we took a casual stroll through the arts fair area. What great artists they had. Plus, for their festival t-shirts they had a few display shirts and the tables were filled with colors and sizes of shirts. The shirts were then printed on demand. This is good to note because then you don’t ahve
My favorite part of balloon festivals is always the balloons. However, they are dependent on the weather, more so than the rest of the festival. A storm came through and they were unable to go up. What I did like though was the updates that they kept up with on their Facebook page. I highly recommend that any festival you are thinking of going to, visit their Facebook page and like them. Be sure to have the all notifications turned on. This way you know any updates that are posted. So, although disappointing that the balloons did not go up, the festival committee does not control the weather.
Overall, this was a festival that we’d go to again. Have you been the Midland River Days and Balloon Fest? What year did you go? What was your favorite activity?