Over the course of the renovation of the Depot in Downtown Grass Lake, Heritage Day ultimately evolved out of that process and became a day on which the community celebrated its heritage as a farming community and one of the thousands of communities that grew up around a key mode of transportation in the 1800’s; the railroad.
Just a small arts and crafts day that started on the grounds of the Depot, Heritage Day has evolved into a major arts and crafts show which closes two blocks of downtown Grass Lake to include a car show and an open house at the Coe House Museum, where the community can find much of its heritage in antiques, photo albums and records that have been maintained since the Coe House became a museum. Horse and wagon teams move people back and forth between the Coe House and the Depot while various styles of entertainment highlight the festivities at both locations.
Growing to some 55 booths in 2011, the crafts show on the street in downtown Grass Lake continues to be a popular attraction for many as the multitude of booths displays a host of crafts from a bygone era as well as more contemporary styles, while the car show displays the classics of the early 1900’s to the more recent 1980’s from classics maintained as they were off the production line to the modified street rods and muscle cars that developed through the 1970’s to 1990’s.
Originally held on the first weekend after Labor Day, the festivities were moved to Saturday of the Labor Day weekend as the host organization discovered that a number of folks lodged at campgrounds around the area were just looking for something to do on their holiday weekend. Ultimately, that became a limiting factor on the day, so the event was moved back to the first Saturday after Labor Day and continues that way today. Come on out and check it out. Examine the classics from the auto industry and a vast array of crafts and art work spanning the years.
Sponsored by the Grass Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, click the link below for more information on application forms, street booth layout and other details.