Social Activities & Events
The Shakespeare Club was a fixture of the social scene for decades, composed of ladies from the upper reaches of society. They were noted for their Shakespeare readings done in full costume, both men’s and women’s roles. From left: Mrs. Will Hampton, wife of the Charlevoix Courier editor (“Is that a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?”); Mrs. George Priest, wife of a photographer; unidentified; Mrs. Robert Paddock, wife of a farm manager and businessman; Mrs. Robert Armstrong, wife of a doctor; and Mrs. A. D. Bridge, wife of a banke
The Venetian Festival has taken place since the mid 1930s, having evolved into the biggest event of the year and Charlevoix’s unofficial annual homecoming. Days of concerts, sporting events, programs, kids fun, a grand street parade and a spectacular fireworks display in Lake Charlevoix culminate on the fourth Saturday in July with a nighttime parade of illuminated boats around Round Lake concluded by another fireworks extravaganza in Round Lake as thousands cheer.
The Venetian Festival has always had a queen and her court, except for the World War II years. The first group of candidates in 1935 was, from left: Carol Whitley, Marge Carey, Alice Meyer, Jean Zeitler, Marguerite Hull, Julia Glados, Edna Wyers, and Jean Stelter.
The winner was Marge Carey, captured by Bob Miles in full glittering regalia befitting a first-time Venetian Queen
Every Venetian Festival has had its Saturday parade, for the past several years attracting entrants from across the Midwest. Here, Camp Charlevoix boys and counselors in cowboy and Indian outfits cross the swing bridge in the late 1930s. The top floor of the Bonthron building was where the first basketball hoop was put up in 1909.
Camp Charlevoix, its entry marked by the towering Thunderbird gateway, was part of the town’s summer life for forty-four years, eventually achieving a reputation as one of the nation’s best character-building camps for boys. It was founded in 1927 by Lewis “Chief” Reimann, a director of religious works at the University of Michigan. At its peak Camp Charlevoix was rated one of the top three of its kind in the world. Boys arrived from as far away as Paris and Barcelona. Hundreds of men regard the camp as a major influence in their lives. It closed in 1971. (See the link on the home page for more information.)
nternational recognition came to the Charlevoix area again when, on May 15, 1976 its residents turned out to bake the world’s biggest cherry pie. The project merited entry in the Guinness Book of World Records and was named one of the nation’s top twenty Bicentennial events. The pie’s ingredients were combined in a cement mixer and dump truck; the dough was laid out with a lawn roller. Almost 7,000 people showed up to eat 10,000 pieces of pie. The recently restored and landscaped pie tin is on display on U. S. 31 South just outside the city limits.