Curwood Festival facts for kids

The Curwood Festival is a super fun yearly event in Owosso, Michigan. It celebrates a famous American writer named James Oliver Curwood. He wrote many adventure stories right here in Owosso, often from his cool writing studio, Curwood Castle. This castle is right by the Shiawassee River.

History of the Curwood Festival

The Curwood Festival started in June 1977. This was 100 years after James Oliver Curwood was born! James Oliver Curwood lived in Owosso. He was a very famous author and a conservationist, which means he cared a lot about protecting nature.

Mr. Curwood built the Curwood Castle as his special place to write. He later gave it as a gift to the city of Owosso. James Oliver Curwood wrote 33 exciting nature adventure books. More than 200 movies were made from his novels and short stories! Some of these movies even premiered, or showed for the first time, in Owosso. Most of his books were set in Canada. The festival began to celebrate all the great things Curwood did for his community.

In 2020, the festival had to be cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, the 43rd festival was held in 2021 instead.

When and Where is the Festival?

The Curwood Festival kicks off with an opening ceremony. This happens outside of Curwood Castle. It takes place on the first full weekend of June each year.

Many festival activities are held near the Owosso City Hall. You'll also find fun near the Owosso fire and police departments. The big Curwood Heritage Parade marches down Main Street in Owosso. There's also a special Kids in Curwood Parade. This parade starts near Emerson Elementary school and goes into downtown Owosso.

Exciting Festival Events

The Curwood Festival is packed with many exciting events for everyone!

Creative Contests and Shows

One popular event is the Curwood Saga Writing Contest. Each year, this contest has a theme about nature. This is just like James Oliver Curwood's adventure books! You can also enjoy the Arts and Crafts show. It's held between Curwood Castle and the Judge Ellis Comstock Cabin. Before the festival officially starts, there are other fun contests. These include the Beautiful Baby Contest and the Curwood Festival Queen and Princess contest.

Fun Rides and Games

The festival has awesome carnival rides and games. There are also many vendors selling all sorts of cool crafts. You can find rides on Water Street. More rides are located behind the Owosso Public Safety Building.

Food and Entertainment

If you get hungry, there are plenty of food vendors! You can find them next to the Public Safety Building and near Curwood Castle. There's also an Entertainment Tent behind the Public Safety Building. Here, you can enjoy different performances.

Unique River and History Events

A special event brought back from earlier festivals is River Daze. In this event, contestants race down the river. It's a lot of fun to watch! Behind the castle, you can explore the Michigan/Shiawassee County Time Line. Here, you might see people dressed up. They show what life was like for Michigan surveyors, blacksmiths, and even reenactments from the Revolutionary War and Civil War.

Daily Festival Highlights

• Thursday Night: The festival begins with Opening Ceremonies at Curwood Castle.
• Friday Night: Get ready for the Kids in Curwood Country Parade!
• Saturday Morning: Enjoy a Pancake Breakfast at Owosso Middle School.
• Saturday Afternoon: The big Heritage Parade steps off at 2:00 pm. After the parade, you can watch River Daze and the Mr. Owosso Contest.
• Sunday: It's Kids Day! There's a Kids Fishing Derby, a Cat Contest, and a Dog Flyer Contest.