If there鈥檚 one thing Lake Georgians cherish more than blueberries, it鈥檚 community.
And it was all hands on deck for the 39th annual Blueberry Festival, held July 28-30.
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A small, but mighty group of church ladies from Trinity Lutheran baked 104 blueberry pies for Friday night鈥檚 pie and ice cream social. They sold slices to 212 people. The last remaining 25 pies sold at the church鈥檚 bake sale by 10 a.m. Saturday.
Chelsie Miller, joined by her sisters, daughter and nieces, sold Lake George Blueberry Fest T-shirts. She designs the blueberry-and-Northwoods-inspired clothing. She took over the gig three years ago from her mom, Jamie, who held the role for a decade.
鈥淲e came here as kids,鈥� Chelsie said, visiting her grandparents鈥� cabin. 鈥淢y grandparents used to own the Wigwam.鈥�
The Millers used the proceeds for three gift cards to the liquor store, donated a bike to the kids carnival and donated to the Lake George Fire Hall raffle.
Jamie said, 鈥淢y husband (William MIller) passed away in November, and so we asked people to donate bicycles in his memory. We have, at this point, 24 bikes donated in his name.鈥�
The Lake George Fire Department fed 375 hungry guests Saturday night at their ham and bean feed.
鈥淚t went really well,鈥� said Lake George Fire Chief Ben Soderberg. 鈥淲e sold out of raffle tickets an hour-and-a-half before the raffle. We did 3,500 tickets. Really, really good year. They had a stellar kids carnival as well.鈥�
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Firefighters served jumbo blueberry pancakes Sunday morning in the fire hall.
By 9:30 a.m. Sunday, they had already dished up breakfast for 300.
The department has 16 active members. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a lot of new gear, a lot of training,鈥� Soderberg said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking to upgrade one of trucks. There鈥檚 all sorts of things. Whatever we need, this will offset the cost.鈥�
Layna Holmen, 5, of Lake George was one of roughly 200 children hoping to win a free new bike. After careful examination, she picked out a Barbie bike.
Dad Zach Holmen said they鈥檝e been attending the kids carnival for years.
Sarah Bessler of Laporte brought her family and their friends to Saturday鈥檚 carnival. Her son, Kadyn, was 3 or 4 the first time they participated. He鈥檚 9 now. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been coming ever since,鈥� she said.
Community members and local businesses donated bikes for this year鈥檚 give-away to lucky youngsters.
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Debra Manz organized the carnival for 13 years, then Kaaren Mikus took charge in 2023.
鈥淲e started this carnival in 2002. One of the firefighter鈥檚 wife, Colleen Omlid, started it. I was a firefighter鈥檚 wife then, too, so I helped,鈥� Manz recalled. 鈥淚n 2003, my husband and I donated the first two bikes. This year, there鈥檚 at least 59 bikes.鈥濃�淢y husband was a firefighter for 24 years, and that鈥檚 why we started this,鈥� she continued. 鈥淭he firemen did bean feed, and we needed something for the kids to do beforehand that was totally free. So they got pop and popcorn and games.鈥�
Manz recalled how a set of triplets won two bikes last year. 鈥淭he third one, she didn鈥檛 win a bike. I said, 鈥極h, your sisters will share with you.鈥� They said, 鈥楴o, we won鈥檛.鈥� She started bawling, so this older boy, about 10 years old, gave her his bike.鈥�
Manz said she鈥檚 observed that countless times over the years.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really turned into something grand,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t makes you feel good. That鈥檚 the best kind of feel-good there is.鈥�
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