TRAVERSE CITY -- Mike Gorney spends each summer with his wife on their boat shuffling between northwest Michigan marinas.
The Cedar couple couldn't care less about the weather when they head to Clinch Park Marina for the National Cherry Festival, and this year's week-long stay along F dock is no different.
The Gorneys plan to relax on the water, docked beside friends just steps from the heart of the festival, an event they religiously attend, regardless of the forecast.
"The weather really doesn't matter to us," Gorney said. "We come rain or shine."
Fortunately for festival-goers, weather experts are predicting much more shine than rain.
Ideal temperatures are expected for opening weekend with highs in the low 70s today, slowly warming into the low 80s by Sunday, said Mike Cellitti, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord.
"It is a tad cooler than normal for the Fourth of July weekend. Nothing record-setting, but about five degrees below normal," Cellitti said.
Cellitti predicts clear skies as the U.S. Navy Blue Angels streak across the bay at this weekend's air show, but a 40 percent chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms are slated for Monday or Tuesday.
Weather likely will turn hot and humid moving toward the end of next week, Cellitti said.
"Beyond Tuesday, we are actually looking at a fairly substantial heat wave coming in ... maybe getting into the 90s," he said.
More than 500,000 people are expected to flood the city's streets from July 4-12 for the 82nd National Cherry Festival. About 80 percent of the festival's budget comes from weekend business, something that largely hinges on the weather, said Tom Menzel, the festival's executive director.
"It is a very risky business model because you can do all the right things, but the one variable you cannot control is your weather," Menzel said. "Years ago we had a much stronger cash position with reserve funds. This year that is not the case.
"Bad weather on the weekends can literally break the festival," he said.
For the past 11 years, Mike Busley brought cherry pies to a festival booth from the Traverse City Pie Company, his downtown store. Bad weather usually means less traffic at the booth, and more business at the store, he said.
This year, though, Busley is hauling a pie oven to the Open Space to let kids try their hand at pie baking, making clear skies more important than in the past.
"This year is a little different because ... the investment is much greater than any other year," he said, adding that his West Front Street store already is attracting crowds, despite the state's economic slump.
"I think people are going to make room in their budget to get in the car and come up and have a good time. The only thing that could make them change their mind is the weather," he said.
Weather certainly plays a role as vacationers mull whether to drive to Traverse City, but many said it's not a deciding factor.
"I think we check it just to see what it's going to be, to see what clothes to bring," said Grand Rapids resident Ken Truax, as he browsed downtown storefronts with his wife, Theresa, during their two-day stay this week.
"My preference is sunny, but we come either way."
Portland resident Jim Spohn said other factors were more important to his travel plans than weather.
"It's the time we had off from work," said Spohn, who strolled downtown with his wife and kids Tuesday.
National Cherry Festival
Print this story
E-mail this story
