The event is the largest to come to Tourist Park
MARQUETTE -- You could call the Hiawatha Music Festival an unofficial holiday here in the Upper Peninsula.
"We've been coming for 25 years, 25 plus years," says Hiawatha veteran Kim Pierson.
Over 4,000 people will be packing Tourist Park this weekend for the 33rd annual event, which will feature three stages for music, 11 food concessions, and 25 arts and crafts vendors.
But just as Rome wasn't built in a day, neither is Hiawatha. And all the work is done exclusively by volunteers.
"People who work on this all year-round, this is the focus point, this is the point where it all ramps up," says coordinator Maggie Morgan.
Since Monday, hundreds of volunteers have been battling the blistering heat while getting the Tourist Park venue ready, such as the dance floor, which is made out of 8,000 pounds of wood.
"I enjoy it because when I'm at the festival itself, it seems so much nicer to know that I put that up there, I helped do that; when you're out on the dance floor, 'Hey! I built that dance floor,'" says Hiawatha volunteer Zachary Pierson.
Campers started lining up to get their spot on the grounds Thursday night. Normally, Tourist Park has 110 sites, but for this weekend, that number jumps to 500.
And the crowded, bustling atmosphere contributes to Hiawatha's feeling of community.
"The vibe of Hiawatha is just very open and free, and the people are very nice, they're just here to have a great time and celebrate their love of music," says Cindy Noble of Marquette Parks and Recreation.
It all starts Friday night with the dance at 7:30 p.m. and runs through Sunday.
For more on this year's festival, click here.
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