Northville Steps Back in Time for Victorian Festival

The parade is always a good time at the Northville Victorian Festival, which continues through Sunday. (Patch file photo)

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The annual Victorian Festival will take downtown Northville back to the 19th century this weekend.

Now in its 26th year, the event kicked off Friday with a parade and continues through Sunday. A full schedule of events is found on the sponsoring Northville Chamber of Commerce’s website.

The theme of this year’s festival is “The Lumbering Industry,” which was important economically in the Victorian Era and was the primary driver of Northville and Michigan’s growth, The Observer & Eccentric reports.

One of the main entertainment attractions is the Great Lakes Timber Show, in which a group from the Upper Peninsula will conduct demonstrations, and many festivalgoers will wear period clothing appropriate for the lumber industry.

Organizers added carnival this year to increase the festival’s appeal to teenagers.

“This is a new element to the festival this year. We really wanted to add something for the teen group. In the past, we didn’t feel like we had a good draw for the teens in the community. We think this will appeal to them,” chamber member Traci Sincock said. “There will be rides for the little kids as well.”

Elliott’s Amusements of Mason is setting up the Ryde Park Carnival, as it’s being called, at Northville Downs. The carnival runs until 11 p.m. Friday, from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Another new feature is an Art Fair sponsored by Handcrafters Unlimited, which sponsores three other arts and crafts shows a year at the Northville Community Center. About 50 vendors will sell a variety of handcrafted arts, from pottery and jewelry to paintings and clothing.

Finally, the first-ever Tour de Ville bicycle ride takes place Sunday morning with 10-, 35, or 70-mile courses. The ride is sponsored by the Northville Rotary Club and University of Michigan-Northville Health Center.

» Click here for the full schedule.