MUSKEGON, Mich. — The USHL Muskegon Lumberjacks will kick off the 2021-2022 season in style with a two-day Flannel Fest on Western Avenue to celebrate the team's two-game home opener.
The Lumberjacks take on the Chicago Steel on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 15 and 16 at the Mercy Health Arena.
Flannel Fest will include ax throwing, hayrides and the AC/DC cover band, “Let There Be Rock.” On Friday, the first 100 adults to open an account with Family Financial Credit Union during Flannel Fest will become the proud owners of an exclusive white Lumberjacks jersey.
Lumberjacks’ president of business operations Andrea Rose tells 13 ON YOUR SIDE the event will shut down a section of Western Avenue in front of the arena.
"Just trying to elevate that experience. It's not just hockey, it's more than hockey," said Rose. "We're the Lumberjacks and we're tying to own it. It's just going to be a big tailgate big party."
Flannel Fest includes:
- Oct. 15 - Let There Be Rock, AC/DC tribute band playing 5p-6:30p
- Western Avenue closed for axe throwing, pumpkin carving, fall family fun
- You get a FREE Lumberjacks jersey if signing up for an account with FFCU
- Oct. 16 - Gunnar and the Grizzly Boys headlining from 5p-6:30p
- Street party with cornhole tournament, hay rides, axe throwing, pumpkin carving
When the teams takes the ice Friday and Saturday they'll be wearing jerseys with a new logo.
Head coach Mike Hamilton says this year's team includes one player who's already been drafted by an NHL team and six others who are likely to be drafted following the season.
Hamilton is looking forward to an arena with fans after playing last season with capacity restrictions for the Mercy Health Arena in place.
"There's a buzz in there when you are getting three or four-thousand people," said Hamilton. "It's a lot of excitement to have a home crowd so we're real excited."
Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson tells 13 ON YOUR SIDE the Mercy Health Arena attracted around 500,000 visitors in 2020, making it the biggest draw in the city's downtown.
Single-game tickets are available for the Muskegon Lumberjacks. For more information, call the Muskegon Lumberjacks Business office at (231)-799-7000 or email afranczek@muskegonlumberjacks.com.
For more information about the team and their schedule, visit https://www.muskegonlumberjacks.com/.
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