Scottville Summerfest to feature ice cream social, no chicken barbecue this year.

SCOTTVILLE — The Scottville chicken barbecue has been a tradition in town for many years. Over the past few years, however, the event has seen smaller attendance. Plus, during the spring the city’s barbecue pit was destroyed by a vandal. As an alternative, a community ice cream social is going to be held this year instead.

The ice cream social will take place on Sunday, July 12 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Riverside Park. It will be part of the Summerfest Event and will be held in conjunction with the rubber duck race, which takes place down the Pere Marquette River.

“We are disappointed to have to cancel the Chicken Barbeque this year but we are looking into options to create a new pit that can be used for both the Ox Roast and Chicken Barbeque.” said City Manager Amy Williams, “With the destruction of the barbeque pit we didn’t have time to have a new pit fabricated for the event.  We would like to thank Smith & Eddy Insurance for stepping up to sponsor the ice cream social so that the community can continue to enjoy an afternoon at Riverside Park.”

The event is being planned by the Scottville Main Street organizational committee. As the Main Street program transitions back to a downtown development authority, the committee plans to hold a chicken barbecue again in 2016.

“The Ice Cream Social is going to be a great addition to a number of events that the local businesses and community organizations are putting on the weekend of Summerfest,” said Heather DeVries, main street manager. “

Other Summerfest events include:

– Friday, July 10: pie baking contest sponsored by Mason County Family Events.; car cruise, leaves Mason County Central High School at 6 p.m.; Sunset at the Shell concert featuring Smoke & Mirrors.

– Saturday, July 11: Farmers Market at Miller’s Marketplace; North Main Street Street Fair; Scottville Area Senior Center strawberry shortcake social; various family events and expo booths sponsored by Mason County Family Events; downtown car show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

– Sunday, July 12: Strawberry social at Riverside Park, 1:30 to 3 p.m.; Rubber duck race, 3 p.m. on Pere Marquette River at Riverside Park.