Ontonagon celebrates Labor Day with parade

ONTONAGON — The Ontonagon Labor Day Festival Parade brought large crowds, music and ingenious home built floats to River Street Sunday.

Float competition was close.

“Judging this was really tough,” said Don Lutz. He was in Ontonagon for his 50th class reunion and to serve as one of five float judges.

The first place went to the Norwich Country Club with its three-part float. The first section featured WLUV TV weatherman Karl Bohnak, a weary ice fisherman and the tough winter of 2013. The second was “Summer in Margaritaville” and the third a water skier.

The second place float brought the crowd to its feet with the “Gangnam Style” music and dance of the more than 30 members of the John and Dorrie Cherro family.

Third place went to St. Paul Lutheran and Siloa Lutheran churches vacation Bible school with a large castle scene and theme “Kingdom Rock- where kids stand strong for God”.

In fourth place was Stein Club riding the waters in “PONDTUNE”

The Ontonagon Golf Club float with golfers taking care of black flies and mosquitoes, water hazards and 19 holes took fifth place. Other open division floats included the Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital float urging young and old to stay active and featured active residents of the long term care facility, OCAP with its animal protection message, and Ontonagon Volleyball players.

Winning the youth division was a group from Greenland with a colorful handmade dragon. It wound its way through the streets to big applause.

The commercial division was won by Calumet Machinery.

Marty’s Goldenaires and Ishpeming’s Blue Notes Drum and Bugle Corps marched and each played a concert following the parade to a huge audience. Bessemer, Hurley and Ontonagon high school bands and a clown band from Houghton completed the musical presentations.

The Ontonagon Area Cancer Association served as parade marshals.

The 50-50 ticket winning number was 3096, claimed by Frank Podkomorka of Ontonagon, who won $2,267.