Every year, we all look forward to the BIG WEEKEND at the end of July; our very own Bass Lake Festival! This year's festival is quickly coming together with a lot of people getting involved. Sponsors continue to take on many of our traditional events, and we look forward to even more. If you have an idea for an event, would like to sponsor an event, or just volunteer a few hours, please let us know!
The festival was officially formed in the 70's, but many of the events were formed long before then. This is one of many Bass Lake tales where many of the details are known by some of our long time residents and visitors. Dig for more details on this on some of those late summer night sitting around the fire!
The Bass Lake Festival is a long tradition that solely relies on monies generated from fundraisers, corporate sponsors and community support!! Your financial support allows us to offer a festival full of events for all ages. Therefore, we need your help and support to keep this tradition going! If you are interested in donating, go to our CONTACT US page for our address. The meetings are the 4th Sunday of the month at the BLPOA at 10AM cst.
GRAND MARSHAL - JEANENE LAVERYJeanene Lavery is the 2022 Grand Marshal of the Bass Lake Parade. With the theme of Sail Away, she is honored to be selected and a great ambassador for sailing on Bass Lake. Jeanene has been coming to Bass Lake for over 30 years and sailing has been a big part of her life at the Lake.
She was born and raised in St. Paul, MN. She met her husband Bill when they were both attending college in St. Paul. Together they raised their children in Darien, IL, where she taught dancing in her home studio. In the early 70’s, they purchased their first sailboat, a 22-foot South Coast, on their way to a campground on Green Lake in Wisconsin. Along with their five children, they started a family tradition of sailing on their boat, aptly named the Magnificent Seven.
From there, they began sailboat racing on Lake Michigan with their five children as the crew on the Magnificent Seven. This eventually led to a few family members sailing on larger boats on the Chicago to Mackinaw Race. Jeanene would make the road trip up to Mackinac Island every year to see the finish of the race and enjoy the celebration afterward. She would then join her husband in sailing the boat back down to Chicago, stopping at different ports along the way.
After years of sailing on Lake Michigan, Jeanene and her husband purchased their Bass Lake house which they call Irish Shores in 1992. When they first came to Bass Lake, they immediately brought their joy of sailing with them. They quickly accumulated their own small fleet of sailboats. They bought five sunfish sailboats, a catamaran and an O’Day day sailor. Their collection of boats caused more than one person to stop and ask if the boats in their “harbor” were for rent.
While their boats weren’t for rent, their generosity became apparent. The Lavery’s took ownership of the Festival Sailboat Race shortly after their arrival and have been hosting it ever since. They shared their boats for those who didn’t have one, gave out trophies and t-shirts to all participants, never charging an entry fee. One summer, Jeanene’s son Rick, gave sailing lessons to a number of children on the lake who then participated in the race. Jeanene was in charge of the Race Committee, responsible for sending the boats off using a time and flag system to signal the beginning of each section. She then recorded the finishing order of each boat for the awards.
Jeanene continued to host the sailboat race after the passing of her husband Bill in 2007, and the race was named in his honor. She has kept the tradition alive with her ongoing generosity and enthusiasm for sailing on Bass Lake.
Sail Away!
The festival was officially formed in the 70's, but many of the events were formed long before then. This is one of many Bass Lake tales where many of the details are known by some of our long time residents and visitors. Dig for more details on this on some of those late summer night sitting around the fire!
The Bass Lake Festival is a long tradition that solely relies on monies generated from fundraisers, corporate sponsors and community support!! Your financial support allows us to offer a festival full of events for all ages. Therefore, we need your help and support to keep this tradition going! If you are interested in donating, go to our CONTACT US page for our address. The meetings are the 4th Sunday of the month at the BLPOA at 10AM cst.
GRAND MARSHAL - JEANENE LAVERYJeanene Lavery is the 2022 Grand Marshal of the Bass Lake Parade. With the theme of Sail Away, she is honored to be selected and a great ambassador for sailing on Bass Lake. Jeanene has been coming to Bass Lake for over 30 years and sailing has been a big part of her life at the Lake.
She was born and raised in St. Paul, MN. She met her husband Bill when they were both attending college in St. Paul. Together they raised their children in Darien, IL, where she taught dancing in her home studio. In the early 70’s, they purchased their first sailboat, a 22-foot South Coast, on their way to a campground on Green Lake in Wisconsin. Along with their five children, they started a family tradition of sailing on their boat, aptly named the Magnificent Seven.
From there, they began sailboat racing on Lake Michigan with their five children as the crew on the Magnificent Seven. This eventually led to a few family members sailing on larger boats on the Chicago to Mackinaw Race. Jeanene would make the road trip up to Mackinac Island every year to see the finish of the race and enjoy the celebration afterward. She would then join her husband in sailing the boat back down to Chicago, stopping at different ports along the way.
After years of sailing on Lake Michigan, Jeanene and her husband purchased their Bass Lake house which they call Irish Shores in 1992. When they first came to Bass Lake, they immediately brought their joy of sailing with them. They quickly accumulated their own small fleet of sailboats. They bought five sunfish sailboats, a catamaran and an O’Day day sailor. Their collection of boats caused more than one person to stop and ask if the boats in their “harbor” were for rent.
While their boats weren’t for rent, their generosity became apparent. The Lavery’s took ownership of the Festival Sailboat Race shortly after their arrival and have been hosting it ever since. They shared their boats for those who didn’t have one, gave out trophies and t-shirts to all participants, never charging an entry fee. One summer, Jeanene’s son Rick, gave sailing lessons to a number of children on the lake who then participated in the race. Jeanene was in charge of the Race Committee, responsible for sending the boats off using a time and flag system to signal the beginning of each section. She then recorded the finishing order of each boat for the awards.
Jeanene continued to host the sailboat race after the passing of her husband Bill in 2007, and the race was named in his honor. She has kept the tradition alive with her ongoing generosity and enthusiasm for sailing on Bass Lake.
Sail Away!
