Race fans are in for what a local dragway is calling “an exceptional treat” this weekend, as the venue prepares for their 4th of July Showdown.

The event will take place at the Northern Michigan Dragway in Kaleva, and will feature the SuperCharged Thunder blown nostalgia exhibition members. Several of the race teams will be coming in Friday afternoon, getting their race cars out for display at Friday’s Night Moves event, and preparing for their showdown Saturday night.

At least one car that will be racing on Saturday evening will be showcased in the Manistee National Forest Festival parade; Organizers of the Northern Michigan Dragway’s 4th of July Showdown believe the car’s appearance in the parade will help draw additional traffic to their event.

In addition to the races that will be held this Saturday, the SCT race teams will be available for autographed posters, t-shirts and other interaction with the crowd. They also plan to have a fireworks display on the racetrack to make their event “even more exciting.”

This weekend’s race includes entries from around the Midwest; a few Ohio entries include Jamie Palmer with a ’37 Chevy, Tom Glick with the “Helter Skelter” ’32 Bantam Roadster, Scott Quizenberry with a ’55 Chevy, Pat Quizenberry with a ’40 Willys, Al Lee with “The Punisher” 23T, and Scott Braskett’s ’53 Corvette. Rounding out the show will be the NMD track record-holding 1963 Corvette “Dixie Hustler,” driven by Jason Icenhower of Bloomfield Hills, MI.

Friday night’s racing will begin with time trials at 7 pm, with Night Moves eliminations set for 9 pm. Saturday night will feature bracket racing time trials at 6 pm, and eliminations set for 8 pm. Supercharged Thunder qualifying and competition rounds will begin shortly thereafter and into the late evening hours.

For further information about this weekend’s event, visit NorthernMichiganDragway.com or call (231) 362-3439.

“There’s no business like show business,” and the Manistee Civic Players, along with the West Shore Community College Performing Arts Series, are out to prove it, by producing “Annie Get Your Gun” the Broadway musical that made the phrase a theatrical mantra.

“Annie Get Your Gun” tells the story of Annie Oakley, America’s premier sharpshooter and her beau Frank Butler, a fellow marksman who finds fame on the circus and Wild West show circuits.

“Annie Get Your Gun” will be performed six times in Manistee’s historic Ramsdell Theater on June 25 and 26 and July 1, 2 and 3 at 7:30 p.m. A June 27 performance will also take place at 2 p.m. 

Tickets for the musical can be reserved by calling 1-800-836-0717 or 231-843-5507. Advanced tickets may also be purchased online at www.ramsdell-theater.org

It may still be a few weeks away, but a huge celebration will be taking place in Cadillac in early July.

The Downtown Cadillac Association and Cadillac Area Visitor’s Bureau will hold their first ever Independence Day Celebration beginning at 1pm on July 3. While the organizations have celebrated Independence Day in the past by holding fireworks displays, this year’s expanded celebration is a new event for Cadillac.

Activities begin at 1pm on July 3 with a parade in downtown Cadillac. From 2pm until 10pm, live music will be offered at the Rotary Performing Arts Pavilion, with children’s activities like bounce houses running from 2 until 8pm. Food and beverages will be served throughout the day, with the festivities wrapping up at dusk with a fireworks display over Lake Cadillac.

For more information on the Independence Day celebration, you can log on to CadillacMichigan.com or DowntownCadillac.com.