COMING SEPTEMBER 8/9! MI New Favorite Snack Partners With Boat the Blue Antique & Classic Boat Show for "Boats & Bites" Fun

MEDIA CONTACT:

Patti Samar

The Write Company

810-300-2176

pjsamar@aol.com

COMPETITOR CONTACT:

Jon Holden

All Star Services

734-323-6793

jonholden@allstarservices.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 29, 2023

Boats September 8-9 and Bites September 9

MI NEW FAVORITE SNACK COMPETITION

PARTNERS WITH "PORT HURON BOAT THE BLUE

ANTIQUE & CLASSIC BOAT SHOW"

PORT HURON, Mich. – Boats and Bites, oh my!

The MI New Favorite Snack Competition has partnered with the Port Huron Boat the Blue Antique & Classic Boat Show to provide boating entertainment and delectable treats for the whole family in September.

Both events are taking place within easy walking distance of one another and ample directional signage will help attendees of both events make their way seamlessly from one activities to another.

"We are really excited about partnering with 'Boat the Blue' and creating a really fun 'Boats & Bites' event," said Randy Maiers, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, the Presenting Sponsor of the MI New Favorite Snack Competition. "We've got some really unique and interesting new snack products we are very excited about showcasing right here in Port Huron."

"We are excited about partnering with the MI New Favorite Snack Competition to provide a well-rounded weekend full of fun in Port Huron," said Mark Walker, chair of Boat the Blue. "Most of all, we are excited about sharing our love of boating on our beautiful Great Lakes with the community. This is a really great opportunity to see some of the most unique antique and classic boats from across the region."

The Port Huron Boat the Blue Antique & Classic Boat Show will take place beginning Friday, September 8 at the James C. Acheson/River Street Marina on the Black River in downtown Port Huron. Boats will be on display and a beer tent will be open from 3 to 8 p.m.

The Cabana Boys will play from 4 to 8 p.m.

On Saturday, September 9, the boat show will continue beginning at 10 a.m. with food vendors; a beer tent from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; free boat rides from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; activities for kids from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and America's Best Frisbee Dog Show at 1:30 p.m. Roger Blume will provide entertainment in the beer tent from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The MI New Favorite Snack Competition will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the McMorran Place Plaza in downtown Port Huron. More than 20 snack vendors from across the state of Michigan will be on hand, providing free samples and selling pre-packaged snack goodness. Admission is $10 per person. Tickets/wristbands can be purchased in advance by visiting the Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce website.

In the event of inclement weather, the MI New Favorite Snack Competition will be held indoors at McMorran Place instead of outside on the plaza.

Fifty snack makers from across both peninsulas of Michigan entered the contest and, in August, the competition was narrowed down to the Top 20 finalists. They will compete for more than $75,000 in cash prizes on September 9 in Port Huron.

"We had some excellent entries this year, and our team had some very spirited discussions regarding the finalist selection…it was NOT easy," said Jon Holden, vice president of sales and marketing at All Star Services, a Break Room Services company based in Port Huron, and a competition partner. "We are very excited about sharing the 20 finalists with our judges in September. They will have some very difficult decisions to make."

The 2023 finalists were broken up into four different "snack categories." The 20 finalists competing for $75,000 in cash prizes this year are as follows:

Sweet Sensations:

Popside Candy (Cotton Candy Puffs) of Whitmore Lake;

Dave’s Sweet Tooth Toffee (Maple Bourbon Pecan Toffee) of Harrison Township;

What’s the Dill (Kool Aid Pickles) of Detroit;

Chippers 906 (Flavored Waffle Cone Chips) of Marquette; and

Royal-T Cakery (Build Your Own Cannoli Kit) of Port Huron

Confectionary Creations:

Mae Bell Pound Cakes (Lemon Pound Cake) of Westland;

Love Muffins (Carrot Cake Muffin) of Kalamazoo;

Wani Cakes (Berry Summer Omich) of Dearborn;

MJ Bakes (Cookies n’ Cream Cookie) of Fort Gratiot; and

Sweet Encounter Bakery (Salted Caramel Cupcake in a Jar) of Lansing.

Mindful Munchies:

Nakee & Co. (Cacao Peanut Butter Nakee Butter) of Detroit;

Ferry Farms (Hardwood Smoked Beef Stick) of Litchfield;

Live Crispy (Blueberry Pineapple Fruit Crisp) of Ferndale;

Emme’s Plantain Chips (Mango Spice Plantain Chips) of Wyoming; and

Yolk Baking Company (Hello Granola) of Sterling Heights

Crunchy Cravings:

Big Skinny’s (Smoked Pretzels) of Hesperia;

Papa’s Peanut Brittle (Papa’s Original Peanut Brittle) of Kalamazoo;

OTB Enterprises (Apple Cinnamon Chunk Nibbles) of Troy;

Freekeh Harvest (High Protein Baked Pita Chips) of Bloomfield Hills; and

Sherman’s Tennessee Hot Crackers (Sherman’s Original Tennessee Hot Crackers) of St. Clair Shores

The MI New Favorite Snack Competition, now in its second year, aims to provide capital to a few micro-businesses -- consisting of 10 or fewer employees -- based in Michigan. In both 2022 and 2023, the competition attracted 50 entries from both peninsulas of Michigan.

In 2023, the grand prize winner will again receive both a cash prize and also a distribution agreement with All Star Services.

The MI New Favorite Snack Competition is produced by the following sponsors and community partners:

Presenting Sponsor:

Community Foundation of St. Clair County

Platinum Sponsor:

McLaren Port Huron

Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

Eastern Michigan Bank

Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling

Community Partners:

All Star Services

Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce