Paul Bunyan Days in Oscoda Celebrates Hometown Legend
An annual tradition for more than 45 years, Paul Bunyan Days in Oscoda is a weekend full of games, music, crafters and demonstrations, and good food. This lively festival, which celebrates one of America's most famous folklore heroes, is on tap for Sept. 17-19, at Furtaw Field, in the shadow of a 13-foot statue that memorializes this giant lumberjack legend.
Who is Paul Bunyan? He's a larger-than-life woodsman and hero in American folklore. The fictional character and his trusty sidekick, Babe the Blue Ox, were brought to life by the stories of North American loggers told way back in the 18th century. Paul Bunyan's exploits revolve around the tall tales of his superhuman feats of strength.
The lore of Paul Bunyan continues to live on in Oscoda today. In 2006, the state of Michigan proclaimed Oscoda as the folk legend's official birthplace. It was here that the earliest stories of Paul Bunyan first appeared in print in the Oscoda Press in 1906. The tales were written by James McGillivray, once himself a lumberjack, who later became a newspaper editor.
It's fitting that Paul Bunyan should hail from Oscoda, with its colorful lumbering past. (Be sure to visit the Lumberman's Monument for more on the area's logging history.)
Paul Bunyan Days is sponsored yearly by the Oscoda-AuSable Chamber of Commerce. The festival features classic carnival rides and games, tasty fair food, live music, a craft show, and more. In the spirit of the area's rich logging heritage, there are chainsaw carving and log chopping competitions, with the chainsaw carvings then auctioned to the highest bidder. Other friendly competitions include a corn hole tournament, burger grilling competition and pie eating contest. Join in as a participant, or just take in all the fun as a spectator.
Paul Bunyan Days
Sept. 17-19, 2021
Furtaw Field
415 N. Lake Street
Oscoda, MI
