Entertainment

Friday, September 30

Ron Niemi, Sr., Tim Makela, and Gene Alexander perform their blend of country music from 7 p.m. until ?? at the Chicken and Rib dinner at Boulder Creek Golf Club.

Saturday, October 1

For the 26th year, Dave Parker, Skippy, the Great Pumpkin, and friends will perform live at this year's Pumpkinfest.   Skippy and Dave have logged many miles and over 3,000 performances across the country at schools, clubs, concerts, colleges, conventions, libraries, and countless fairs and festivals.

Dave's cast of characters includes Skippy (his right hand man), Mozart the Dog, Bat Man the Bombastic Baseball Bat, and Skippy's would-be girlfriend for whom he is always pining, Claire da Loon. Parker and his partners prepare and polish each program for its particular patrons, and have performed shows with a variety of special themes including "Rock and Read"; an anti-bullying program for elementary and middle school students; and a very special Lewis and Clark show that features the cast in historical regalia as they portray Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and the other explorers on the expedition.

Before making the switch to full-time ventriloquist, Dave was a singer and songwriter on the college circuit who has recorded and released four albums and three videos, as well as the regional hit "The Old Buffalo," which raised money to restore a historic fire engine near Green Bay, Wisconsin. Some of the most exciting moments of any program are when Dave combines his skills as a ventriloquist with his musical talents.

Traveling with his own sound system, Dave can set up anywhere and is equally at ease in a 1,000 seat auditorium or on the back of a flatbed truck, and he often goes where no ventriloquist has thrown his voice before.

Dave is known as the "Iron Man" of school assemblies, having performed for over twenty years without ever missing a date, and has earned a reputation as being a heckuva nice guy to work with. Some of the highlights of Skippy and Dave's career have been opening for the likes of magician David Copperfield, being featured in the nationally distributed book Dustin's Big School Day, and performing as a main attraction at the world's largest aviation convention.

For more information on Skippy & Dave, visit their website at www.skippyanddave.com.


Saturday's Pie Social at the City Hall Auditorium features the Washington Elementary School choir at 11:30 a.m. while perenial favorite Gogebic Range Concert Band performs from 2 - 3 p.m. 

As you're enjoying your desert and coffee, sit back, relax, and enjoy


Back by popular demand, traditional blue grass favorite Up North Connection will perform Saturday evening from 4-7 p.m. at the Bessemer VFW during the Roast Beef/Rotisserie Chicken dinner.

This three member group from the local area has played many times at Festival Ironwood, the Porkies Music Festival, the Massie field Band Shell, and many other festivals outside the area.

So please join us for some great food and a down-home, foot-stompin' good time.


On Sunday afternoon, Bessemer's own Hank Thundander will close out Pumpkinfest with a free show at the Bessemer VFW from 2:00 - 6:00 p.m. Hank began his musical career at the age of nine in a small town in Bessemer, Michigan. Recognized for his achievements, Hank was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his outstanding leadership and performances in Special Services Entertainment. Hank has repeatedly awestruck crowds with his various styles of music at night clubs, festivals, casinos, ballrooms and theme parks throughout the U.S. His extraordinary talent includes a number of ethnic themes, big band, polkas, old-time, country, 50's-60's-70's, standard, light rock, classical melodies, spiritual, patriotic and holiday tunes.