Tip-Up Town USA

TIP-UP TOWN is best described as the largest winter festival in Michigan, with families gathering from in-state and out-of-state reaching Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. For more than twenty years, this festival has been acclaimed among the top ten festivals in the nation with nearly 14,000 men, women, children, families, and friends alike, all traveling to Houghton Lake to partake in the winter fun the last two weekends in January each year. It’s hard to put into words how Tip-Up Town USA has come to be the very description of winter fun and enjoyment for the whole family at Houghton Lake.

It all began in February 1951, when community-minded persons realized that Houghton Lake, which produces great ice fishing, was literally a “Community on the Ice” each winter. Two local businessmen, Bob Sweet and Bob Carmen, conceived the idea of creating a little fun on the ice to relieve the long winter months, and by which they might attract more tourism to the area during the off season.

A nationwide contest to name the “Winter Festival”—as it was then being called—drew more than 500 entries. The contest judges eventually chose “Tip-Up Town USA” as its name. Tip-Up Town USA is now a trademark of the Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce, registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The earlier festivals were financed for the most part by the sale of advertising and listings in a program book. Starting in 1953, the sales of TUT USA badges (originally made of wood and costing fifty cents) became a tradition that has continued through to this current year. However, the wooden badges have been replaced by metal badges. The sale of these badges brings the largest revenue to finance this event. Collecting these badges and acquiring the earlier “wooden” badges had become quite a growing hobby for young and old alike. Displaying the current year’s badge is necessary to participate in the event’s FUN and GAMES. A special “Medallion” is manufactured each year and hidden somewhere in the local area on public access land. A contest is held to find it, using special ‘Clues’ given out each day until the medallion is found. A prize is given to the clever person able to decipher the clues and successfully locate the medallion. A Grand Parade opens the festival activities on Saturday of the first weekend at 10:00 a.m. The Grand Parade travels east from the Houghton Lake Heights along M-55 and ends up at the TUT USA site, where clowns, games, contests, concessions, cavorting, demonstrations and aerial performances are part of the feverish activity. Approximately 80,000 people turned out during the past festivals to enjoy the results of hundreds of hours of work put in by individual volunteers and various community committees.

Courtesy of houghtonlakechamber.net For more information go to tip-up-town.com and also visit houghtonlake.com

January 19th-21st & January 26th –28th

“It’s a Country Western Tip-Up Town” Purchase your badge for $10 and get 6 days of fun!!!

Official Kick-Off is Saturday, January 6, 2018 at 6:00P.M. Houghton Lake Playhouse

Come and meet the Queen Candidates, vote for Mayor & Marshall Auctions on collectible Badges, Lures, & 1st 10 spots for Polar Dip Stay for the after party from 8:00-11:00 PM $10.00 Live Music, Food, & Fun

NEW 2018 Vintage Arts & Craft Show, Snowmobile Freestyle Event, Bull Riding Demonstration, Helicopter Rides, Professional Ice Craving Demonstration

OTHER EVENTS Grand Parade * Polar Bear Dip * Carnival * Petting Zoo * Pony Rides* Ice Fishing Contest * 5K Run * Fireworks* Games on Stage * Poker Run * & MORE!!!