Carousel figure carving demonstrations set July 4-5ST.JOSEPH, MICH. – A carving demonstration will be held July 4 on the sidewalk by the Shadowland Pavilion during the three hours leading up to the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra Fourth of July Concert, which is slated for 9 p.m.  Donny and Kate Blakley from Carousel Works of Mansfield, Ohio, will offer audiences a chance to see a carousel figure being carved before their very eyes. Donny, a master carver pictured here, will be working on the Silver Beach Carousel Hippocampus figure, which will offer unique water-inspired accents. Donny will show how each Silver Beach Carousel figure is carved and answer questions about the process of carving. Kate will also be available to answer general carousel questions. The Silver Beach Carousel Society will also be displaying the Patriotic Horse, the St. Joseph Police Department Horse and the St. Joseph Fire Department Horse. These "please touch” figures are completely hand-carved and hand-painted. The Silver Beach Carousel Society will be accepting donations at the end of the evening for the Fire and Police horses. These are community-sponsored figures and are dependent on donations to fund them. The funding drive for these figures is near its $12,000 goal. The Silver Beach Carousel Society is hopeful that the funding mark can be reached during the July 4 weekend with the public's help. The Silver Beach Carousel Society will be offering another carving demonstration from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 5 at the Antiques on the Bluff. On display Sunday will be the original Silver Beach Carousel North Tonawanda Band Organ manufactured in 1911, which will be placed in the new Silver Beach Carousel building. The Silver Beach Carousel Society will have band organ CDs and Silver Beach Cookbooks available for purchase as well, and will be accepting donations towards the Police and Fire horses.
Silver Beach Wins Development Deal of the YearST. JOSEPH, MICH. — St. Joseph’s Silver Beach was named Development of the Year by “Business Review Western Michigan” at their Deals of the Year celebration in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Oct. 24. Presentation of the award was made by Ken Miller, president of Millennium Restaurant Group, and James Epolito, president and chief executive officer, Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Development was one of 10 categories of finalists in the annual Deals of the Year celebration.
Sponsor your very own carousel rounding board or lighted shieldPlease call (269) 429-6222 for information on sponsorship opportunities or send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
The mission of the Silver Beach Carousel Society is to establish a new, handcarved, traditional wood carousel for St. Joseph, Michigan. The Society hopes to bring back the historic and romantic traditions of the vintage beachfront property for the artistic, educational and entertainment benefit of the people of St.Joseph and Benton Harbor, Berrien County, and its many visitors from across the country. Carvers from The Carousel Works in Mansfield, Ohio, are creating new, one-of-a-kind figures and re-creating figures from the original Silver Beach designs, created by master carver Charles Carmel. These craftsmen carve the figures in basswood and glue them into traditional patterns and poses. No nails or screws are used to adhere to original carousel conventions. The figures are then decorated using jewels and multiple coats of colorful paint for high gloss and durability. The Silver Beach Carousel Society invites you to be a part of bringing this fabulous carousel to life by sponsoring a shield or rounding board. While all 48 figures and the rocking chairs have been sponsored, 16 rounding boards and 9 shields are still available. |
Community Partners 
The Silver Beach Carousel Society is a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization licensed in Michigan.