By Shelby Stewart-Soldan
Staff Writer
Ortonville — The Ortonville Downtown Development Authority is bringing summer into the cold winter months.
From noon-4 p.m., Feb.10, the DDA will host their first Flip Flop Fest at 486 Mill St., Ortonville. The family-friendly event includes a heated tent, music, games, dancing, raffles, food, a ticketed VIP event and more.
“The DDA has been brainstorming ways to get people downtown during the dreary winter months,” said Leanne Claxton, a member of the DDA board of directors. “It is typically a slow time for local businesses and one where we don’t have a lot of events like we do in other seasons. A lot of companies have ‘Christmas in July’ events, so we decided to create a ‘Summer in Winter’ type event, essentially flip-flopping that idea, which brought us to that name. So the idea is basically to bring some sunshine to the cold by bringing a fun event to our downtown.”
Entry for the games, dancing, raffle, prizes and more is free. There will be BBQ or cheeseburgers from JB’s BBQ available for purchase, and there will be prizes for Flip Flop Spirit (Best Dressed), a hula hoop contest, a limbo contest, a Find the Flip Flop scavenger hunt downtown and other games depending on weather.
There is also VIP access, with 100 total spaces. This includes indoor entry to a live show by Jimmy Buffett Tribute/Trop Rock band The Leaky Tikis Paradise Band, a souvenir cup, $1 off all drinks for that cup and one free drink. There is also an option to purchase pre-paid meals at a discount. The deadline for the pre-ordered meals is Jan. 27. All proceeds go to the Ortonville Farmers Market.
“Our amazing Farmers Market volunteer team has been brainstorming ways to enhance our summer Farmers Market,” she said. “The Flip Flop event just seemed to align with the summer-y theme of the farmers Market, so we made it into a fundraiser to support these efforts.”
The funds raised will go towards enhancements at the Ortonville Farmers Market, including weekly kids programming, food accessibility programs, infrastructure updates, nutrition and community programs, and entertainment and demonstrations.
“This is going to be a really fun day,” said Claxton. “Events with activities like live music and games allow people to just laugh and enjoy each other, fostering a sense of belonging and shared identity. We can transcend barriers of age, culture and background, creating an atmosphere of collaboration and unity. Strong communities enrich the fabric of life, and events like this are crucial in building strong communities. So everyone should come out and enjoy a fun-filled day, while supporting a great community-focused cause.”
Tickets are limited. To purchase, visit the event page on the Ortonville Farmers Market Facebook