09/28/2026
Thank you all for coming out!
The 2026 Midwest Goldenfest is in the books. 105 Goldens and their humans descended on the gorgeous Turtle Lake Campground in Beulah, MI for Saturday's main event. Please allow me to thank some of the people who made this event possible:
Blue - As the K9 Host, you did an amazing job! Filling Fisher's paw prints is no easy task, but every year you continue to prove that you are up to the challenge.
Turtle Lake Campground - thank you for hosting us on the grounds of your amazing location. Every year, you continue to make improvements to the campsites and the shared spaces. We are so thankful to call one of Michigan's premier campgrounds our event home!
Kate Schacknies-Rabidoux - without your help, pulling off this event would be impossible. From your amazing cooking and cocktail creations, to your work with our sponsors and putting together prize packages, to your efforts throughout the weekend, you give it everything you've got. Every single year.
Cedar Polka Fest - allowing the Fisher Fund to live under your Foundation really helps us out. Lisa, you are invaluable to us. From coordinating and delivering merchandise to giving us opportunities to fund raise and so much in between, you help us so much and we appreciate you more than we can express.
Suttons Bay Animal Hospital - your staff shows up every year. The free nail clipping and paw prints in exchange for a donation to the Fisher Fund makes a significant impact on the fund's bottom line. But more than that, your staff helps educate our attendees about their dogs and the importance of The Fisher Fund.
Lauren Bumgardner - you are our go-to when it comes to this event and the Fisher Fund. This year, you even designed the event logo, that everyone loved btw! You are always there for me...helping judge contests and picking up any slack we leave behind I appreciate you so much. You're a constant reminder of why we all work hard to keep the Fisher Fund going.
Pets Naturally - thank you for joining us as a sponsor for this event. Your donations helped make our prize baskets spectacular, Your natural dog treats, painstakingly decorated with golden faces, were adorable. I look forward to working with you for years to come.
Dino and Wendy Fry, Rose Gianino-Fournier, Carol and Roger Geving. You are my downstate golden marketing team and we really appreciate all that you do to help us pull off this and other Northwest Michigan Golden Retriever Club events. Most of all, thank you for your friendship.
Golden Retriever Rescue of Michigan - GRRoM - thank you for attending this year's event. Not only are you some of the nicest people I have met, you also instantly recognized the value of this gathering. Best of all, you believe in our cause, the Fisher Fund and I look forward to partnering with you to bring more golden owners to this festival of fluff.
PawsPack Therapy DogsTherapy Dogs - Thank you for attending this year's Goldenfest and speaking with our guests about therapy opportunities. Your work is so important and sometimes goldens can be just the therapy someone needs!
Glen Arbor Wines - thank you for the generous donation and the gift of several bottles of "Fisher's Lake Dog" Sparkling Gruner Veltliner. With less than 90 bottles left of this vintage, it was a wonderful addition to our prize baskets.
Matt and Katy Wiesen of the Crystal River Recreational District,, thank you for donating the M22 gear that accented our prize baskets. Several dogs left the event with a touch more up-north-style thanks to you. Not to mention their owners with their new M22 coffee cups.
Mi Pets Treat Truck - we love having your fully-stocked treat truck for our golden guests! So many unique treats to choose from and some toys too! Thank you for your continued support of our special day!
Knightwing Media for shooting the fest both from your drone and your cameras. Knowing your quality of work, I can't wait to see what you captured! You guys stepping up to do this was a huge blessing.
BurgerEatin'Bastard Food Truck - your food was delicious! The burger and truffle fries I can personal attest to. I had so many compliments from attendees regarding the quality of your menu items. Thank you so much for being a part of the day.
Lastly, but most importantly, 2026 Midwest Goldenfest Attendees: Thank you so much for coming to this year's event. Whether you camped for the weekend and joined us for the potluck, or you just came for Saturday's festivities, I really appreciate you being there!
If it was your first time or your ninth, we hope that you found it to be a great way to spend some time with your golden. Please share how much fun you had with all your golden friends and join us again next year, at the same place, on the same last Saturday of September!
