The Leland Wine and Food Festival has been canceled for this year.
The Leland Chamber of Commerce announced today that the popular event will not take place in June for “There are too many unknowns that have to be resolved in a short period of time for us to risk the investment in deposit to go forward,” chamber President Mark Morton said. Morton explained the situation to the Leland Township Board last week.
Historically, the event has been hosted in the parking lot of the Leland Harbor. However, the venue was changed in 2022 and 2023 to the Leland Lodge due to construction in Fishtown.
Morton explained that the Lodge was no longer an option and the chamber is looking for an alternate site.
The Leland Harbor Commission turned down the chamber’s request to return to the Harbor in June citing restrictions in place by the Department of Environmental Quality and Waterways Commission for use. Waterways won’t allow the ramp or parking lot to be impeded access to the lake. This, on top of the general congestion at the harbor and loss of revenue, the Harbor Commission rejected the proposal as the site is “ no longer a suitable site for the wine festival.”
Another suggestion was to close Lake Street between River and Pearl streets. This would require the board endorse the plan which then go to the county Road Commission for approval.
Morton was scheduled to return to the board next month with an update.
But township officials didn’t have to wait long. The chamber announced the cancelation three days later.
“One of the biggest of these unknowns is the manifold hoops that have to be jumped through with the Liquor Control Commission to get a liquor license approved that could be denied at the last minute,” Morton said. “There is also the consideration of having volunteers put in the many extra hours that will be required to make it happen in an untried area.”
The festival is a huge fundraiser for the chamber which contributes to the annual July fireworks, Christmas light, trash receptacles with trash pickup and flowers on the bridge in Leland.
The lost revenue may mean changes in services.
“We will be looking at all these on a case by case basis as they total to almost $50,000 depending on the year,” Morton said.
The chamber will continue to do the core functions it has done for member businesses which include website and social media, along with the printing and statewide distribution of over 30,000 brochures most of which is paid for by membership dues.
The Chamber will regroup and start planning right away for a Wine Fest in 2025 including considering all the possible alternate locations we have discussed.
“We find ourselves at a pivotal moment, urgently needing to devise a new strategy to ensure these community initiatives can continue without the festival’s traditional revenue stream,” Morton wrote to chamber members. “The festival will be back in 2025, but we will not have this significant income flow in 2024.”
In light of this, the chamber is appealing to the community for support. They are seeking donations and sponsorships to navigate this unexpected setback.
Contributions can be made at lelandmi.org/donations or checks can be made out to Leland Chamber of Commerce and sent to P.O. Box 741, Leland, MI 49654. The organization is also seeking donations through gofundme.com.
