My Apple watch said it was 34 degrees outside, but it felt a lot colder standing next to the small beach on Lake St. Clair in downtown New Baltimore, MI.
It was 1 pm on Sunday, Feb. 25th and the wind was blowing strong off the lake. About 50 people were on the beach in bathing suits ready to charge into the frigid water.
Yep — you read that right!
It was the annual New Baltimore Winterfest Polar Plunge, hosted by the New Baltimore Lions Club. I did not join the plungers. Instead, I stood bundled in warm winter gear with my son Justin and a few hundred other people laughing and cheering on the people who were about to run into the lake.
The event kicked off with a live singing of our National Anthem followed by a 21-gun salute from members of the Lempke-Blackwell VFW Post 7573 Color Guard. You can’t get any more `small town’ than that.
Then, summoned by the event’s MC and by cheers and taunts from the crowd, groups of 10 people at a time started walking — others running — into the frigid lake. They ventured out about 40 yards to waist-deep water, then headed back in to dry off. Some took joy in plunging their whole body into the water; others accidentally stumbled and fell in the water.
Most of the participants wore bathing suit bottoms or shorts and many wore T-shirts. Polar plunger Martin Ullicny wore an aluminum trash can — with the words `trash can chili’ — around his waist. He wore the aluminum lid on his head.
MGM Dumpsters, a waste management service company in Ira Township, was one of the sponsors of the event and many people who made the plunge wore red or yellow shirts bearing the company’s name, including Kristin Ullicny, who said she’s done several of the polar plunges.
After the event, Kristin made me and Justin promise that we’re joining the plunge next year. We didn’t officially shake on it and I may have had my fingers crossed behind my back, so I’m thinking the promise may not have counted. Justin on the other hand…enjoy the plunge next year!
After the Polar Plunge, the crowd headed into the Lions Den beer tent on Washington Street to warm up with some adult beverages. A crowd of around 300 people joined in the fun, played corn hole, and listened to the live band Gopher Broke play some popular tunes.
Other entertainment during the weekend for Winterfest included a beer stein hoisting competition (dang it, I missed that!) on the first night of the festival, kids activities on Saturday, and several music performances by Anchor Bay Jazz Orchestra, the Gobies, BlueSkye Riley, Paisley Grace, and Set N Stone.
Just before the Polar Plunge kicked off, the New Baltimore Police Department and New Baltimore Fire Department battled each other in the 3rd annual Guns ‘N Hoses tug-of-war in the downtown. The police department had been victorious the first two years, but the firefighters took the match this year about 30 seconds after it started.
After having a couple beers and chatting with some people I knew, Justin and I walked out of the tent for some lunch and ended up at The Local Goat, New Baltimore’s newest restaurant on Washington Street.
Formerly Camille’s Cantina, The Local Goat had just changed hands and opened only 72 hours before the festival. We went inside and it was packed with people! What an opening weekend. Fortunately, we were able to get a seat in a booth after only a 10-minute wait.
The menu had a large variety. Justin and I shared some appetizers and I had delicious barbecue chicken soft tacos. It may have been because it was Winterfest, but it was a great atmosphere and vibe. As packed as it was, the wait staff was great and orders from the cooks were coming out fast.
Plus, the Local Goat has a bonus — a small arcade that features several videos games, pinball machines, and a giant floor-to-ceiling Connect 4 game. Don’t worry, it’s not Chuck E. Cheese or Dave and Busters, but it’s just large enough for the adults to enjoy their adult beverages and watch a sporting event while the kids can be occupied playing in the arcade.
We still had one more stop on our list on Funday Sunday — Tashmoo Distilling Company. I’m a veteran patron of the place, while Justin was a rookie. The place was packed inside at 5 pm, but we got a seat at the bar. I had the Polar Plunge, which was made with vodka, orange liquer, citrus, and blue curacao while Justin had the Grand Pointe Cocoa. Check this out — it had whiskey, coffee, demerara sugar, cocoa bitters, marshmallows, and a drizzle of chocolate on top. Wow! After drinking that, the smile never went off Justin’s face. By the way ladies — Justin’s single!
While it’s a small town in a big city, New Baltimore definitely knows how to do it and bring out the people and the fun. It was my first time attending Winterfest, and it was a blast.
Some other events coming up in the downtown include: the 5k St. Patty’s Strev Strut race on March 16, the 5k Parkinson’s Warrior Run on April 27, the Bay-Rama Fishfly Festival June 19-23, and the Anchor Bay Triathalon on July 13.
