Sault Ste. Marie celebrates anniversary of major landmark

Looking for something to do this weekend? Well, you really can’t go wrong with a visit to Sault Ste. Marie, which just happens to be celebrating three Great Lakes landmarks with a host of activities, tours and more.

The celebrations kick off June 28 with fireworks and the lighting of the International Bridge to mark its 50th anniversary. Visitors can walk or bike the bridge June 30th starting at 9 a.m. (a passport or approved identification are needed). That day will also feature tours of the U.S. Coast Guard sector for tours and up-close looks at equipment and vessels used by the Coast Guard.

June 29 will find the city hosting a one-day open house of the Soo Locks, known as Engineer’s Day, which allows visitors to tour the buildings and grounds that are off limits the other 364 days of the year. That same day, Cloverland Electric Cooperative will be conducting tours of the historic Hydroelectric Plant, built in 1902 and boasting 74 turbines over it’s one-quarter-mile long structure.

In other water-related action, the Great Tugboat Parade and Race will take to the St. Marys River June 30 from noon to 2 p.m.

“Engineer’s Day and the Tugboat Parade/Race are two of the most unique events in the Upper Peninsula,” says Justin Knepper, the Sault DDA director. “Downtown Sault Ste. Marie is proud to welcome the thousands of visitors that will be traveling to our community, and invite all of our guests to enjoy our wonderful dining, shopping, and nightlife opportunities.”

For more information about these events and others, visit the city’s website.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Justin Knepper, Sault DDA