MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) – The eighth annual Fresh Coast Film Festival is underway in Marquette. The festival has brought people from across the Midwest to Upper Michigan- which means more people checking out area businesses.
Between 1,000 and 1,200 people are expected for this year’s Fresh Coast Film Festival. With more than 80 movies playing at six venues, it’s something Marquette business owners say they look forward to every fall.
“We definitely see people in the space who may never been here before,” Ore Dock Brewing Company Curated Events Manager Amanda Courchaine said. “It’s just really exciting to see all the new faces, all the new people- but also some repeats.”
Over the years, the festival has grown in both attendance and number of venues. This year, breweries like Ore Dock and Blackrocks are involved.
Ore Dock has participated every year since Fresh Coast’s inception. Courchaine says it’s good for business, but it’s also a chance to support the filmmakers.
“This isn’t the first film festival that’s ever happened, but it’s the first larger one here in the county,” Courchaine said. “We love being a part of stuff like that.”
Though the event is for filmmakers and their movies, the boost for businesses is by design.
“We put it towards the end of fall color season with the idea of extending the fall travel season to help our local travel economy,” Fresh Coast Film Festival Co-Founder and Director Aaron Peterson said.
Peterson says that’s reflected in growing sales each year. That’s a trend he’s expecting to continue.
“Fresh Coast shows the best face of the region, of Marquette,” Peterson said. “A lot of folks come from out of town for it and they get a good sample of our businesses downtown. They get a good sample of our community’s hospitality.”
Fresh Coast wraps up Sunday. Tickets are still available.
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