Michigan celebs of the 80s join celebration
of 30th annual South Lyon Pumpkinfest
Two of Michigan’s top celebrities of the 1980s will bring extra star-power to the 2014 edition of what has become one of the state’s highlight autumn traditions since debuting in that decade — the South Lyon Area Pumpkinfest. The event, now titled the Vibe Credit Union Pumpkinfest and commemorating its 30th year, runs Friday, Sept. 26, through Sunday, Sept. 28.
Milt Wilcox, a key member of the Detroit Tigers pitching staff in the team’s 1984 World Series Championship season, and Miss America 1988 Kaye Lani Rae Rafko, who hails from the city of Monroe, will participate throughout the weekend, beginning with the celebration’s grand opening in downtown South Lyon at 6 p.m. on the 26th. They will be joined by “Paws,” the Tigers mascot.
The grand opening program will raise funds to support Operation Injured Soldiers and the War Dog Memorial. It features live entertainment by Jennifer Westwood and the Handsome Devils, and Stephen Clark (WXYZ-TV Detroit anchorman) and the Trending Topics, headlined by Rock Harley as Johnny Cash.
On Saturday, Wilcox will serve as Grand Marshal of the Pumpkinfest Parade which, along with the annual 5K Run, kicks off an ongoing slate of family activities. Live entertainment will include headline performers Square Pegz on the main stage, plus The Hamiltons, Social Bones, and Shortbus. 100.3 WNIC-FM will be broadcasting live from on Saturday evening.
Thrilling action will be provided throughout the day by the Ultimate Air Dogs (UAD), with canines of many breeds competing in dock jumping. Competitions include Leaping for Distance, (measured from the base of the dog’s tail): Catch-It, which also measures distance, but requires the dog to catch a toy in midair for the jump to count; Fetch-It, which tests a dog’s leaping ability over various distances; and Chase-It, which is a head-to-head swimming race.
The Ultimate Air Dogs consistently attract thousands of spectators at such prestigious celebrations around the country as the National Cherry Club Festival, United Kennel Club Premier, and the Country Music Association Music Fest. Wilcox, who founded the organization in 2005 and is its president, will personally oversee the competitions at Pumpkinfest. Visit www.ultimateairdogs.com/event-info/2014/pumpkinfest.html for an entry form or more details.
Sunday features include the finals of the UAD competitions, and musical performances by Sen Sa Shuns and Dig A Phony, a Tribute to the Beatles.
“The ‘80s theme will thread throughout the entire weekend, in honor of the decade when this annual celebration was inaugurated and began growing into the outstanding festival it has become,” said Natalie K. White, Vice President of the Pumpkinfest Committee. “Today, Pumpkinfest of the South Lyon Area is a recognized Pure Michigan event, as published on www.michigan.org. We are extremely proud of this status and we’re very pleased to have two great Michiganders who became famous in the decade Pumpkinfest got started, Milt Wilcox and Kaye Lani Rae Rafko, helping us celebrate our 30th anniversary.”
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For complete information visit the website, www.southlyonpumpkinfest.com.
Stay connected on LinkedIn and Google+. Pumpkinfest is also trending on Facebook (South Lyon Area Pumpkinfest) and Twitter (SLareaPfest).
