May Fest Preparation

First Street in Ishpeming will be closed to traffic, starting tomorrow.

It’ll be off limits to cars until Sunday so an annual rite of spring can take place downtown.

It’s May Fest, and the carnival starts Thursday afternoon.

Skerbeck Brothers of Escanaba brings many of the same rides to Ishpeming that they bring to the U.P. State Fair in the summer.

Some of them are already in town — two of them were parked at Lofaro’s Market earlier today.

May Fest organizer Kurt Kipling says this is the Skerbecks’ third stop of the season and their only one in Marquette County each year.

Most of the rides are in Kingsford tonight for a carnival there.

They’ll be pulling into Ishpeming tomorrow.

On Sunday, they head to Newberry.

The proceeds are split between Bay Cliff Health Camp in Big Bay and the Ishpeming Fire Department.

May Fest has raised more and more money for the 2 groups every year that it’s been held.