Latest news, weather, high school sports for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

SANDS TOWNSHIP -- It's just about Father's Day, so why not treat dad to a weekend at the rodeo?

FOX UP is an official sponsor of this weekend's 5th annual Great Lakes Rodeo at the Marquette County Fairgrounds.
 
"There's activities, there's going to be vendors, pony rides.  It's just going to be a fun activity weekend for the whole family," says Jessica Melchiori of the organizing committee.

Here's the full slate of events:

It all gets underway Friday evening at 5 p.m. with the Rodeo Queen Competition. 

Be sure you're back Saturday at 11 a.m. for the all-new Team Penning Event.  The family fun festivities all day Saturday until the first rodeo performance at 6 p.m..  Following the competition, the crowd will move to the barn for a good ol' fashioned barn dance and musical performance by "Bordertown".

Then Sunday, we'll do it all again.  A second rodeo performance starts at 2 p.m. 

Tickets are available at the door--$12 for adults, just $6 for kids, and all the money raised goes back into the community.

"All of the money that we raise from the Great Lakes Rodeo goes to the youth in Marquette County.  Youth organizations fill out grant applications, they send them in to us, and then the money that we make from the rodeo, we divvy up to all of the youth organizations that apply for it," Melchiori explains.

Last year, 14-year-old Oscar Graves wrote a grant application for the Salvation Army Recreation Center in KI Sawyer.  As a result, the rodeo gave the Rec Center more than $800 to put towards its youth.

"It actually felt really good to know the kids would be behind us and help us get equipment because it's a lot of work for us, and it's not always easy to get money to do the bigger projects.  So having one of the youth do it for us really gave us a sense of satisfaction that we've made them feel that they want to be here and contribute," says Patricia Coker, Rec Center Recreation Assistant.

Elizabeth and I will both be at the rodeo Saturday evening right around 6 p.m.  They're trying to get us on a bull.  I personally think the bleachers are the better, safer option.