How it All Started...
Formed as a small lumbering community along the Plank Road just outside the limits of Saginaw, Michigan in the 1860s, “Hemlock” in Richland Township has maintained pride in its lumbering heritage ever since.
In the late 1970s, playing up this past, the local hardware store exhibited chainsaw carvers outside the store to draw in customers and demonstrate the chainsaws for sale. From here, Sawdust Days was born. Stretching into a multi-day festival through the years, Sawdust Days now showcases craft and food vendors, entertainment, events, and family activities for all ages.
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As always the festival remains FREE to attend.
Read the Story
A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. So was the beginning of Sawdust Days.
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Earliest Evidence of Sawdust Days
Photos of a plumb axe demonstration in front of Thomas Hardware in Hemlock, circa 1931. This drew large crowds and started the hardware demonstrations that would eventually lead to the start of the festival.
The 1970s
By the late 1970s and early 1980s demonstrations were still drawing a crowd to the local hardware store. Could this really become an entire festival?