Curwood Festival

Last updated
Curwood Festival
Statusactive
FrequencyAnnually
Location(s) Owosso, Michigan
Country USA
Website www.curwoodfestival.com

The Curwood Festival is a celebration of the American novelist James Oliver Curwood in Owosso, Michigan. [1] Many of his novels were written in Curwood Castle on the banks of the Shiawassee River.

Contents

History

The annual Curwood Festival started on the 100th anniversary (June 1978) of the birth of James Oliver Curwood. Curwood lived in Owosso (508 W. Williams Street Owosso, now the Curwood Hoddy House) and was a famous author and conservationist. [2] Curwood built the Curwood Castle for his writing studio and left it as a gift to Owosso. Curwood wrote 33 nature adventure books and out of those, approximately over 200 movies were made based on his novels and short stories. Some of the movies were premiered in Owosso. Most of his books were based in Canada. [3] The festival was started to celebrate Curwood's contribution to the community. [4]

Dates

The Curwood opening ceremony is held outside of Curwood Castle, the first full weekend of June. The Curwood Festival takes place outside the Owosso City Hall and the Owosso fire and police departments. The Curwood Heritage Parade takes place on Michigan (M-21) Main Street in Owosso, from Dewey Street to Chipman Street in West Town Owosso. The Kids in Curwood Parade takes place right outside of Emerson Elementary school and proceeds to downtown Owosso.

Events

There are several other events that happen during the Curwood Festival. One is the Curwood Saga Writing Contest. Every year the contest has a theme having something to do with nature, like all of James Oliver Curwood books. They have carnival rides and games along with vendors selling assortment of crafts. One event brought back from earlier festivals is the River Daze, where contestants race down-river. Each year behind the castle is a Michigan/Shiawassee County Time Line, (Michigan surveyor's, Black Smith, Revolutionary War reenactment, and Civil War Reenactment.)

Between Curwood Castle and the Judge Ellis Comstock Cabin is the Arts and Crafts show. Carpetbaggers Row Is on exchange Street Parking lot. There are rides on Water Street and behind the Owosso Public Safety Building. The Entertainment Tent is also behind the Public Safety Building. There are food vendors next to the Public Safety Building, Carpetbaggers Row and near the Curwood Castle. Before the Festival is the Curwood Writing Saga Contest, Beautiful Baby Contest, and Curwood Festival Queen and Princess contest.

Thursday Night is opening Ceremonies at Curwood Castle.

Friday Night is the Kids in Curwood Country Parade.

Saturday Morning is Pancake Breakfast at Owosso Middle School, Heritage parade steps off at 2:00 pm. River Daze follows the Heritage Parade, as does the Mr. Owosso Contest.

Sunday, Kids day.

There is Kids Fishing Derby, Cat Contest, and Dog Flyer Contest.

2017 Event Applications

Related Research Articles

Shiawassee County, Michigan County in Michigan, United States

Shiawassee is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 68,094. The county seat is Corunna, and the largest city in the county is Owosso. In 2010, the center of population of Michigan was located in Shiawassee County, in Bennington Township.

Saginaw County, Michigan County in Michigan, United States

Saginaw County, officially the County of Saginaw, is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 190,124. The county seat is Saginaw. The county was created by September 10, 1822, and was fully organized on February 9, 1835. The etymology of the county's name is uncertain. It may be derived from Sace-nong or Sak-e-nong, as the Sauk tribe is believed by some to have once lived there. A more likely possibility is that it comes from Ojibwe words meaning "place of the outlet" –sag and ong. See List of Michigan county name etymologies.

Grayslake, Illinois Village in Illinois, United States

Grayslake is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. It is located in the Chicago metropolitan area, about 40 miles (64 km) north of Chicago's downtown, 14 miles (23 km) west of Lake Michigan, and 15 miles (24 km) south of the Wisconsin border. The village's population at the 2020 census was 21,248.

Williamston, Michigan City in Michigan, United States

Williamston is a city in Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,854 at the 2010 census. Williamston is located east of the city of Lansing and borders Williamstown Township to the north and Wheatfield Township to the south. The Red Cedar River and M-43 run through the center of the city.

Holly, Michigan Village in Michigan, United States

Holly is a village in north Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,086 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Holly Township. It is about 15 miles (24 km) south of Flint and 55 miles (89 km) northwest of Detroit.

Owosso, Michigan City in Michigan, United States

Owosso is the largest city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,194 at the 2010 census. The city is mostly surrounded by Owosso Township on its west, but the two are administered autonomously. The city was named after Chief Wosso, an Ojibwe leader of the Shiawassee area.

Spruce Pine, North Carolina Town in North Carolina, United States

Spruce Pine is a town in Mitchell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,175 at the 2010 census.

A literary festival, also known as a book festival or writers' festival, is a regular gathering of writers and readers, typically on an annual basis in a particular city. A literary festival usually features a variety of presentations and readings by authors, as well as other events, delivered over a period of several days, with the primary objectives of promoting the authors' books and fostering a love of literature and writing.

James Oliver Curwood Novelist, conservationist

James Oliver Curwood was an American action-adventure writer and conservationist. His books were often based on adventures set in the Hudson Bay area, the Yukon or Alaska and ranked among the top-ten best sellers in the United States in the early and mid 1920s, according to Publishers Weekly. At least one hundred and eighty motion pictures have been based on or directly inspired by his novels and short stories; one was produced in three versions from 1919 to 1953. At the time of his death, Curwood was the highest paid author in the world.

Curwood Castle Historic house in Michigan, United States

Curwood Castle is a small castle, now a museum, located in Owosso, Michigan, built by the author James Oliver Curwood.

The Thumb is a region and a peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan, so named because the Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten. The Thumb area is generally considered to be in the Central Michigan region, east of the Tri-Cities and north of Metro Detroit. The region is also branded as the Blue Water Area.

Renaissance fair Outdoor weekend gathering that emulates a historical period

A Renaissance fair, Renaissance faire or Renaissance festival is an outdoor weekend gathering open to the public and typically commercial in nature, which purportedly recreates a historical setting for the amusement of its guests. Some are permanent theme parks, while others are short-term events in a fairground, winery, or other large public or private spaces. Renaissance fairs generally include an abundance of costumed entertainers or fair-goers, musical and theatrical acts, art and handicrafts for sale, and festival food. Some offer campgrounds for those who wish to stay more than one day.

<i>Moros y cristianos</i>

Moros y Cristianos or Moros i Cristians literally in English Moors and Christians, is a set of festival activities which are celebrated in many towns and cities of Spain, mainly in the southern Valencian Community. According to popular tradition the festivals commemorate the battles, combats and fights between Moors and Christians during the period known as Reconquista. There are also festivals of Moros y Cristianos in Spanish America.

Shiawassee River River in Michigan, United States

The Shiawassee River in the U.S. state of Michigan drains an area of 1,201 square miles (3,110 km2) within Oakland, Genesee, Livingston, Shiawassee, Midland and Saginaw counties. It flows in a generally northerly direction for about 110 miles (180 km) from its source to its confluence with the Tittabawassee River creating the Saginaw River, which drains into the Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron.

WOAP is a commercial radio station broadcasting Regional Mexican Syndication of WMJH. Licensed to Owosso, Michigan, it serves Shiawassee County. While the station is a daytimer, licensed to operate during daylight hours only, its programming is heard around the clock on its FM translator W276CZ (103.1 MHz) in Saginaw.

Depot Town Commercial area of Ypsilanti

Depot Town is a commercial area, with some residences above storefronts, in Ypsilanti, Michigan's historic district. Depot Town proper consists of East Cross Street from the Huron River to North River Street, and a small area on the 300-block of North River Street. However, several blocks in the surrounding area are also commonly referred to as part of Depot Town. These areas include Riverside Park, Frog Island Park, and River Street extending north and south for several blocks. First established in the late 1830s, most of the buildings standing today were constructed between 1850 and 1880. Over the years, Depot Town has included hotels, an Underground Railroad station, an American Civil War barracks, and a building that has housed a bar and restaurant continuously for more than 150 years, switching to soft drinks during Prohibition. Today the area is dominated by restaurants and stores. Depot Town also hosts several large summer festivals each year, as well as weekly bike nights and cruise nights.

Relleu is a municipality in the comarca of Marina Baixa, Alicante, Valencia, Spain.

Old Sandwich Town is located along the Canada–US border of the Detroit River, and was established in 1797. It is considered one of the oldest, most historically significant settlements in Ontario and has been the site of several historically significant events in Ontario's history. Many historic buildings remain in Old Sandwich Town and the area hosts an annual festival to celebrate its heritage. The area is now a neighbourhood of the city of Windsor.

Oliver Street Historic District United States historic place

The Oliver Street Historic District is a primarily residential historic district, located along Oliver Street between Third and Oak Street, as well as some adjacent sections of Williams and Goodhue Streets, in Owosso, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Shingen-ko Festival

The Shingen-kō Festival is a Japanese festival (matsuri) which is held annually to celebrate the legacy of daimyō Takeda Shingen in Kōfu, the capital city of Yamanashi Prefecture. It is the "largest gathering of samurai" in the world.

References

  1. "Tour". Archived from the original on 2010-03-27.
  2. "missing".[ dead link ]
  3. "James Oliver Curwood". www.sdl.lib.mi.us.
  4. "Curwood Festival". Curwood Festival.

Coordinates: 42°59′46″N84°10′28″W / 42.99611°N 84.17444°W / 42.99611; -84.17444