Doors open at 5 p.m. for fundraiser at Castle Creek
IMLAY CITY — You can help support Imlay City’s 2019 Michigan Busker Fest by joining in the fun and bidding at Saturday’s (April 6) Busker Fest Auction at Castle Creek Golf Course.
The doors open at 5 p.m. and admission is free. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Sponsored by the Imlay City Area Chamber of Commerce, money raised from the fundraiser will go toward the cost of entertainment and activities associated with the 2nd Annual Michigan Busker Fest, June 15-16 in downtown Imlay City.
Along with the chance to socialize with friends, neighbors, business leaders and city officials, the highlights of the evening will be the traditional silent and live auctions.
Chamber President Barb Yockey said this year’s auctioneers will be Brian Rowley and Ray Krakowski, who can be expected to keep things “lively and with plenty of laughs along the way.”
Yockey reminds all MSU basketball fans that they need not worry about missing Saturday night’s NCAA semi-final game to start around 9 p.m.

Not all the items going up for bid at Saturday’s Michigan Busker Fest Auction are intended for big people. Michael Hamel is shown with something he hopes his mom and dad will bid on at the annual fundraiser. photo by Tom Wearing.
“There will still be plenty of time to come out, bid and take home all kinds of great items, such as event tickets and travel packages,” said Yockey.
Of course, Auction attendees are welcome to stick around and watch the game with their friends at Castle Creek.
Yockey said the Busker Fest Auction is vital as it provides absolutely essential financial support for the Busker Fest.
“The auction raises around $18,000 annually and those funds are necessary so that the Chamber can have all of activities for kids and teens,” Yockey said. “Like cash prizes for the ‘Tomorrow’s Buskers’ contest, chalk drawing, the video game trailer, pickle eating contest and pet parade, as well as the Michigan Busker Fest Parade on Saturday night and all of the great entertainers.
“If not for the generous donors and bidders at the auction, we could not put on the Busker Festival for your enjoyment.”
Items up for bids
Yockey said the list of auction items continues to grow.
Among the items going up for bids on Saturday are: tickets to Greenfield Village; chiropractic services; a flat screen TV; a Roomba vacuum; liquor; a wheelbarrow full of garden supplies; fresh baked pies and other goodies; a tree of lotto tickets; tools; car cleaning supplies; an Instant Pot pressure cooker; luggage; lots of gift certificates for local restaurants; art; garden decor; legal services; entry fees for four people for the Venture Global Engineering golf outing; a Mackinac Island package; a gift basket from Indigo Farms; yoga gift package from Peaceful Moon Yoga; oil changes; Eastern Michigan State Fair tickets; photography services; and certificates for haircuts and nails.
Donations of auction items are still being collected at the Chamber of Commerce office inside the Imlay City Police Station.
For questions or more information about the 2019 Busker Fest Auction, call the Chamber office at 810-724-1361, or contact Chamber Executive Director Shannon Hamel directly at 810-542-3256.
Tom Wearing started at the Tri-City Times in 1989, covering the Village of Capac as a beat reporter. He later served stints as assistant editor and editor. Today, he covers Imlay City and Almont as a staff writer. He enjoys music and plays drums and sings with various musical groups in the Detroit Metropolitan area.