Hackley Park's Christmas decorations are up for the season!
Oh what a night we had at Smash Wine Bar and Bistro on November 21st! It was a short month between shows it seemed, Smash is really becoming a destination for GREAT entertainment in Downtown Muskegon and we booked a little early in November because of the Thanksgiving holiday coming up and all of the incredible entertainment Smash has planned! Hey, that's what we're in business for! We LOVE to see places succeed when we're there and we're so incredibly thankful to Smash for being our anchor in Muskegon!
Today Paranormal Muskegon was on location at the Montague Museum in Montague, Michigan. Having learned from their website that the museum had amongst their exhibits a couple of rather curious artifacts, we wanted to check them out in person as well as find out more about the history of the museum. The building was formerly a United Methodist Church, which was evident by the beautiful stained glass windows and high vaulted ceilings. The church was built in 1872 and sold for a nominal fee of $1.00 to the Museum Board in 1969, where it has been since then.
Last year was the first year that the Mona Shores Singing Christmas Tree was ever shown live outside the live performance and we were so excited and so incredibly honored to be able to show the rest of the world this incredible spectacle that happens annually for 35 years now right here in Muskegon. When we first had the idea, we were certain of a few things. One, we wanted to make sure that our production of the show could live up to the tireless effort put in by everyone involved with the tree. Two, we wanted to make sure that we lived up to the incredible beauty and splendor that happens live and, Three, we wanted to make sure everything on our end was satisfactory before we said a word that we were going to be showing the Tree live! All of that worry and preparation left us with about 3 days to get the word out once we were sure we could pull it off. 
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Well, the word spread quick. In those few days, we saw what was almost unthinkable. The word spread world wide and as the show began, the number of viewers was staggering. We had a few sample viewers in different areas watching during the rehearsals for things like sound, and picture quality. We also had a unique situation pop up in the fact that everyone in the production of the tree got nightly review "tapes" to see where they could make tiny improvements as the final Saturday show got closer and closer. In our few days of spreading the word around, when the final count was done at the end of the night, 10,200 live viewers had watched from every corner of earth. United States, Canada, Germany, India, Brazil, Japan, Australia, Guatamala, Hong Kong, Cayman Islands, Bolivia, New Zeland, Phillipenes and more.
We learned too that with the size of the audience, came a few issues. Mostly, problems came with slower internet speeds on the receiving end. Those with DSL or slower speeds seemed to experience some lag in the broadcast. There were some on DSL who saw everything just fine, and an explanation was not able to be found. It was an isolated problem we think and we're hoping this year that the frustration doesn't repeat. We'd recommend that if you do use DSL internet, that during the time of the live show, that you limit what's taking up bandwidth in your house to help avoid the lagging.
Some other ideas. Maybe gather some friends together to watch. Have a watch party and spread a little holiday cheer together! We know of one town hall outside of Berlin Germany that did that last year! Do you have a mobile phone you can cast to a television? We were getting word last year that people were driving around and able to watch on 4g and higher speeds with no problems. That might help if you have a slower service at home. Are you a Comcast Cable subscriber in the Muskegon area? We will also simulcast the Singing Christmas Tree on Channel 96 that evening, although it will not be in high definition as Channel 96 is the PEG channel and only operates in SD. The Singing Christmas Tree will NOT be live on the Muskegon Channel's app for Roku or Amazon Fire TV. unfortunately, streaming life to those is not available yet.
We are thrilled to be bringing you the tree once again, and we hope you enjoy the show!! We'll have a special screen up early on December 7th alerting the audience about the start time and how to begin to watch the stream at 7p. In the meantime, below you'll find a very quick sample from last year to get you ready!! Tell some friends and let's all celebrate the accomplishment of some of our young people in Muskegon this holiday season with another remarkable showing of the Mona Shores Singing Christmas Tree!
We were incredibly honored last year to have been given the chance to show the world one of Muskegon's biggest and best annual events.
It's a growing and booming market. Sports memorabilia and collectibles are something that everyone enjoys and as the hobbies continue to be fueled by interest from collectors as well as companies wanting to feed the beast, collecting, trading and swap meets have taken on a whole new level of fun while maintaining that classic feel of being able to go to an event to find that "magical unicorn" of an item that you just have to have to round out that card collection of a certain team from a certain year or maybe it's that one item you had as a kid that you've been looking for ever since.
We've seen the emergence of the "Con". Where it's an entire weekend of dress up and cos-play around everything pop culture. Toys, games, gamers, movie stars, developers, computer nerds....you name it. Entire Garrisons of Star Wars characters show up and a sensory overload ensues. All a lot of fun but there are those collectors too who like to stick to sports and maybe dip into some of the pop stuff as well. 
See Bill's Detroit Tigers Collectors Page on Facebook
As Bill Welch and Rusty Morningstar saw it, Muskegon was a little behind on the sports card and collectible shows. Sure, they remember going to the mall back in the day for the shows and of course anyone can go on Ebay and buy stuff, but it's the combination of a lot of things that make the collecting fun. It's the strolling past the vendors, the random chats about sports memories, the anticipation of what you might find minus the search engine on some website and maybe, you'll see something there you have and had no idea how much it was worth till you saw it's match at the show! Oh ya, there's another great thing about sports card and collectible shows... meeting the sports stars themselves!
This Saturday, at the VFW located at 5209 Grand Haven Road, Bill and Rusty open the doors at 9am for the fun! You'll be able to meet and get autographs from Denny McClain of the 68 Detroit Tigers, Dave Rozema of the 84 Tigers, Larry Foster of Detroit Tiger fame as well as Terrance Taylor from the University of Michigan and Jay Vincent of MSU fame! Admission to come in to the show is free but some of the signers do ask for a small fee. There will be awesome food catered by Bone Ends of Whitehall, which Rusty happens to own and that timeless atmosphere of the collectors show will be back once again.
I met up with Bill and Rusty to talk about the event. Take a listen.
A great time coming up. If you're a long time collector or just see it on TV, stop in. If you'd like your kids to meet some of your favorite sports hero's, they will be there. If, like us you want to help a couple of local guys trying to keep alive a great tradition and pretty timeless event...get there from 9a-3p this Saturday!
Behind The Mask Masquerade Ball RED CARPET 2019
Previously live from the Trillium Event Center
Today Paranormal Muskegon visited the U.S.S. L.S.T. 393, A World War II vessel moored at the Mart Dock, in Muskegon, Michigan to learn about some of the history as well as some of its mystery. Patrick McKee, member of the Board of Directors of the LST 393 Museum and Ike Villapando, were kind enough to show the Paranormal Muskegon team around and tell us a little of its background, including touring it. He explained that it has the distinction of being only two of the remaining LST vessels left out of the 1,051 that that were built in July 1942 . They were launched on November 11, 1942 and commissioned on December 11, 1942, being launched in response for the need for ships for combat vessels that could invade by sea. The LST measured 328 in length with a 50 foot beam. Built in “Cornfield Navy” Shipyard in Seneca, Illinois and several other states, these hardy ships were built in a mere 60 days, with over a 1,000 of them being built in just three years. 
Visit the LST on Facebook
Visit the LST on FacebookThe LST’s extensive military campaigns were a major participant in WWII, serving in Sicily, Italy; invasion of Normandy in 1944, Omaha Beach, the liberation of the Philippines, capture of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. A few of the ships were in service right up until the Vietnam era. I asked Patrick what the letters LST stood for. He chucked a bit and told me that while LST actually stands for Landing Ship, Tank, the men serving on board liked to call them, “Large Slow Targets,” but in reality they stood tough; with only 25 losses in combat, nine were sunk. Unfortunately though, Patrick stated, after WWII, there was no longer any need for them as militarily, thus half were scrapped, some were sold to commercial use or foreign countries. Luckily for Muskegon, efforts were made to purchase one of last two remaining. It was brought to Muskegon, coming up the Mississippi river to our port where it sat, languishing and in sore need of repair for many years. Efforts to revitalize it were slow but through the efforts of several groups; one of which was headed by Dan Weikel and Bob Wygant, the ship was able to be returned to its glory days as a museum, housing thousands of artifacts, photos, and memorabilia as well as restoration to commemorate and honor the lives of those who served. The walls are lined with photographs of those having serviced, including Patrick’s father and grandfather. Many of the photographs have been submitted by family members who wish to commemorate their loved ones service. The museum will display the photo ad information about any service personal, as along as they are a veteran, for a small fee. One especially poignant exhibit that he showed us depicts photographs of those who did not make it home.
In keeping with Paranormal Muskegon’s quest to seek out Muskegon history as well as some of the goings on of a more mysterious nature; I asked Patrick about the stories that are told about the LST 393 being haunted. Patrick said he indeed has heard strange creaking, groaning, and other noises at night when it is quiet. He has had the occasion to sleep there at night, a few times, bunking in one of the Commissioned officer’s quarters, upstairs on the third deck. He told us that he as well as other have often felt a presence on this ship, especially in certain areas; but Patrick feels this spirit is happy because they are not forgotten and enjoy having people aboard to come and find out about the men who serviced valiantly on this vessel and that they are still with us; in the memories of them; memories important to their family members in keeping them alive in spirit. Because when we remember them, they live on. Perhaps this is what people feel when entering the ship; the connection to these men’s lives; how they fought, how they perished; and this feeling they get is that they can sense that walking amongst who selflessly gave service to their country, even though they left loved ones behind at home. So while Paranormal Muskegon found no real, tangible proof that there were apparitions aboard, the best take-away to all of this is that in keeping the memory alive of how vital this ship was to the world in some of its darkest days, and remembering those who served on it and in other wars; we will appreciate the sacrifice they made for us and continue to make.
Here's the chat I had with Patrick in the bridge of the LST. Take a listen.
It's hands on history in Muskegon. To Learn more about the LST 393 you can click on the photo below to visit their website. Our thanks to Patrick and Ike Villapando who helped open the ship for us for today's story.
It was quite a night for the return of Muskegon Tonight to Smash Wine Bar and Bistro! We had spent 2 months up at Pub 111 in Whitehall enjoying what the White Lake Area had to offer a little more. Pub 111 was nothing but awesome and we're excited to go back, but Smash is where it all started and we were so glad to to be back in the warm surroundings talking about all things Muskegon and surrounding again with a great audience and outstanding guests.
It's the return of Chef Char to the Muskegon Channel!! After a super busy Summer filled with appearances at festivals and of course her TV schedule and classes for all ages at Kitchen 242 in the Muskegon Farmers Market, Char is back on the Muskegon Channel just in time for a Halloween treat that will delight all the little ghosts and goblins out there and....fill them up before they head out trick or treating.
We'd like to introduce you to a new member of the Muskegon Channel. In fact, she's so excited to get going, she wrote her own welcome piece. :) That's initiative!
What a night! We were so incredibly lucky to have had another completely sold out show and packed house at Pub One Eleven in Downtown Whitehall on Wednesday September 25th! The food was amazing, the drinks were flowing and the atmosphere is one of inclusiveness and neighborly fun, just like you'd expect from a neighborhood pub in a quaint community. It truly is a place where friends gather and community is built.
Over the last year or so, Ricarlo Williams - Winston has kind of become part of the family here at the Muskegon Channel! He was our very first comic guest on Muskegon Tonight Live, he helped arrange countless big name comedians to make an appearance with us while he was with the Back Alley Comedy Club in Sherman Lanes and he's also become a great friend and trusted partner. Ricarlo is a very hard working and dedicated comic, husband, dad and event organizer and not so long ago, he decided it was time to up his game and venture out on his own to start his own career as not only a touring comedian, but a promoter for other comics and promoter of shows, large and small, to help bring a little more laughter to his hometown of Muskegon! 
Click Here to Follow Fresh Ghost Comedy on Facebook
The new venture is called Fresh Ghost Comedy. You'll find the shows popping up at different venues in town. Right now there are scheduled shows at Racquet's and our main spot for Muskegon Tonight Live at Smash Wine Bar and Bistro! Fresh Ghost Comedy can also handle bookings for private functions like parties, fundraisers and more. Ricarlo is plugged in really well in the Midwest region and can help find just the right comic for the kind of show you'd like to have! He's also working to give young comics a shot to get started in what's considered one of the hardest disciplines of entertainment....stand up. Smaller shows give that guy looking for a few minutes of stage time a chance to get up there and get going, and building a growing future talent is essential in any endeavor.
Ricarlo and I sat down for a few at Smash Wine Bar and Bistro, and talked a little about the upstart of the business and his future plans to not only infuse some entertainment around town but to make his mark for himself a little and the other comics. Take a listen!
Boom! Love it! We started all of what we do with a free blog website and a GoPro camera! Ricarlo is light years ahead of us and poised to bring a lot of great entertainemnt to Muskegon and a lot of opportunity to venues, comics and fans! It's been a great working realtionship with Ricarlo and The Back Alley and to add more laughter to the world...a noble endeavor on all accounts! Stay tuned, the weather is cooling off and comedy season is upon us! We'll tell you where to get the guffaw's, belly laughs and snickers right here on the Muskegon Channel!
With the thought of full disclosure...Andy O'Riley is the Mayor Pro Tem of Roosevelt Park and this article is appearing out of nothing but pride in community and a sincere wish for you to come and join us for an awesome day with a little something for everyone in the family at the annual day to celebrate in Roosevelt Park, which is Saturday September 7th 2019!! Now that we have the disclaimers out of the way, let's get down to the fun! 
The City of Roosevelt Park Online
Hey, for years in the Muskegon area Roosevelt Park Day was THE event! Over time though, as things do a fresh approach was needed and while the party on Broadway was great, it had dwindled a little and the time had come to shake things up a little so, to utilize the assets that Roosevelt Park has the most of was the idea that came up and so set in motion a move to the center of the city at the expansive park at the Community Center where the park itself could be surrounded by food trucks with every kind of fare to please any palate. We could also add in some extra free fun for kids with the grassy areas dedicated to kids games and inflatables from Kangaroo Palace. Crafters and vendors all have plenty of space by the tennis courts do display and sell their incredible hand crafted items. We can put up a stage, rope off an area for some ice cold beverages and while we're at it, let's call Lewis' Farms and see if they'll bring down the Candy Cannon and blast that off at the Del Mar Playfield at 3:30. It all seemed to come together nicely.
Of course, it all kicks off with a Pancake Breakfast hosted by the Trinity Lutheran Church with proceeds going to benefit the Muskegon Rescue Mission. Fill your family up for only $4 for those 13 and over and $3 for kids 6-12, kids under 5 eat free! The breakfast will be held at the Roosevelt Park Community Center. The parade gets underway at 10 lead by Grand Marhsall, Eagle Scout Jason Fitzpatrick. It's free for entries if you have a business or organization that would like to join, but you do need to complete an application that can be found by CLICKING HERE. Once the parade is complete, the morning set up will be done and you are invited to come get a taste of the trucks! Delightful temptations of savory fare, sweets, deserts and more. Sights, sounds and smells will abound and the music gets rolling with the Mona Shores Fiddlers, followed by Country Current a little later in the day, and the evening rounds out with everyone's favorite local party band Yard Sale Underwear!
The BIG moment for the kids happened last year for the first time though. Scott Lewis of Lewis Farms came down for a visit and brought along the Candy Cannon! Every Saturday and Sunday the Candy Cannon goes off at Lewis Farms, however, 3:30p is the time to be at the Del Mar Playfield as 80 pounds of candy goes boom and then rains down on the kids! It's quite a sight to behold!
Andy O, Roosevelt Park City Manager Jared Olsen and City Clerk Ann Wisnewski gathered up to talk all about the fun and what's to come. Take a listen.
Consider yourself invited! Roosevelt Park considers itself a "Proud Community" and it's our chance to throw out the welcome mat with great entertainment for all ages, delicious offerings of all kinds of food, great music, great community togetherness and with Mother Natures blessings...some perfect weather for such an occasion! It's going to be a full day of fun September 7th! We'll see you at Roosevelt Park Day!
It was a great night of talk and fun as we took Muskegon Tonight Live to the northern tier of Muskegon County to enjoy the surroundings and awesome food and drink at Pub One Eleven! It's an amazing spot and a sincere focal point in Whithall where so many amazing things come out of. Not only amazing things like burgers, wraps and other tempting food specials, but programs that impact the community....an idea hub to make things better as a community and a place where friends meet to share special occasions or just swap lies for a while over a couple of cold ones.
Parties in the Park! Our weekly Summer gathering spot wraps up the 35th season of fun this coming Friday August 23rd. It's been an awesome season once again of making the best use of our centrally located urban paradise. Pretty much, every week, all Summer long the beer flows, the chat ensues, music is played, friends are caught up with and we all kind of exhale after a long week of making Muskegon happen. But like just about anything in Muskegon, we've found a way to add purpose to the party and give back through a good time and make a difference for some of our area organizations who do for others. 
Visit Parties in the Park Online
Yes, every week at Party in the Park, a different non profit is selected to help run the show and reap the rewards of the gathering. The non profit pitches in with the set up, serving and clean up while the board of directors for Party in the Park takes care of things like sponsorship's, booking the bands, renting the port-a-johns etc. It's a pairing that ends up making a difference for a lot of very worthy causes over the Summer, and a great way to give back.
As we approach the finale, they have really gone all out on the big finish. This Friday, Parties in the Park is welcoming a national name! Laith Al-Saadi was a finalist on NBC's "The Voice" and has numourous tour credits to his name. Big names too loke Bob Seger, BB King and more. He's bringing a brand of Blues/Rock that Muskegon will absolutely LOVE and sticking with Parties in the Park tradition...won't cost you a penny to get in an see the show!
I met up with Tracie Kuhn who's a member of that committee who helps pull it all together. Take a listen to our chat about this staple of life in Muskegon as it gets set to sail into the sunset with a bang this season!
A good time for all! We in Muskegon have to figure out innovative ways to make things happen. What better way than to utilize our centerpiece every week, all Summer to gather as a community and enjoy the company? As one season closes, another is planned for and the 2020 season of Parties in the Park should be bigger, and better than ever thanks to the dedicated committee and amazing groups that come together to remind us all, that we really are one big giant neighborhood here in Muskegon. If you'd like a sampling of Laith's music, please follow the link under his picture to visit his website
It was a picture perfect day for a boat race on the beautiful banks of Bear Lake in North Muskegon. August 10th saw the Cardboard Boat Regatta brought to you by J. Nedeau Realtor. We were contacted months ago about the idea of being part of a build your own boat event as part of the North Muskegon Family Funfest. We jumped at the chance because who doesn't love a tired and true event where a little innovation and some willingness to sink or swim can prove to be a pretty good time! 
City of North Muskegon Online
It started off with a boat show at the beverage tent! Competitors lined their boats up for the Peoples Choice Awards. Not all of the boats were present, but a nice showing none the less while Yard Sale Underwear rocked the crowd. Some boats had yet to even be built....so....that's another story. Teams arrived, rules were set and we took a few minutes to meet up with the competitors, talk a little strategy and smack and then get ready meet up on the beautiful shores of Bear Lake.
We've put it all together in a little video that you'll have some fun watching. Take a look at the Cardboard Boat Regatta sponsored by J. Nedeau Realtor at the North Muskegon Family Funfest.
The City of North Muskegon is filled with friendly and awesome people who really know how to put on a great time. Events from the Art Fair, to the Taste of North Muskegon...the Foam Pit looked like a great time...the Beverage Tent the massive parade and more...the North Muskegon Family Fun Fest is a staple of our area when it comes to Summer fun. Our thanks to the teams, the spectators, J. Nedeau Realtor and everyone involved in the fun! We hope you enjoyed the recap of the Cardboard Boat Regatta!
Summer is still in full swing. Even with schools starting early there is still so much for you to pack in before that first day back. Thursday August 8th North Muskegon will be kicking off there Northside Family Fun Fest with a Parade starting at 7:30pm. The parade will begin at Fleming St. head down Ruddiman dr. and end on Charles St. You will not want to miss this one because there will be over 100 entries.
Make sure not to make plans for Friday night on August 9th because you are not going to want to miss all of the yummy food that the Taste of Northside will have to offer. Not to mention there will be a beer tent, Live music (Yard Sale Underwear), pony rides, a car display and so much more.
The fun continues Saturday August 10th with the art fair in Walker Park from 9am-4pm. Along with the Art Fair, Walker Park with also be holding the kid’s expo, candy scramble and a Frozen Yogurt Eating Contest that is being sponsored by Yodels Frozen Yogurt. The festivities continue through the day with so many more fun activities for the whole family to enjoy including the nightcap with the fireworks at dusk over Bear Lake Beach.
For a full List of the events, activities and times throughout the whole Northside Family Fun Fest you can visit the links below.
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