Blueberry Festival poster contest winner is announced

Taryn Okesson was declared as this year's winner of the 17th annual Blueberry Festival poster contest at a reception at the Marquette Downtown Development Authority. Her chipmunk poster helped her win $150 in gift certificates to downtown Marquette businesses, as well as ten copies of her poster.

The 19 entries included a range of all ages from high school to retired seniors.

"Well it's really fun," Promotions and Events Coordinator for the Marquette DDA, Tara Laase-McKinney said. "It's a great way for the community to get involved in the Blueberry Fest, not just on the festival date, but well in advance. Blueberries are a wonderful part of summer here; we really like celebrating them in the downtown. So it gives something for people early on in the year to look forward to, summer-wise, being able to think about blueberries and create summer art around it."

All posters will be on sale at both the Blueberry Festival and several downtown businesses. The festival is set for Friday, July 27th in Downtown Marquette.