The Empire community will celebrate the 25th annual Winterfest this weekend.
For the first time, though, it will happen without the presence of Mike Vanderberg, who died last August.

Winterfest will begin Friday night and run all day Saturday before concluding at noon Sunday.

Sue Carpenter, who with others worked with Vanderberg to organize community events, said she misses him as a friend, and as a person who brought energy and “stick-to-it-ness” to Winterfest.

“We miss Michael in so many ways, but we’re really missing his organizational skills,” she said. Carpenter is working with other community members to get the 2008 version of Winterfest up and running.

“Usually we’d call Michael and ask him to get the event organized – Winterfest, Anchor Days – and he would get it done. I don’t think we really understood how much Michael did for us with events like this.”

Here is the list of events for the Empire Winterfest 2008:

• Ice skating and bon fire, S. Bar Lake rink, Friday at 7 p.m.
• Pool tournament at the Village Inn, Friday at 7:30 p.m. with registration from 6 to 7 p.m.
• Annual Polar Bear Dip on S. Bar Lake, Saturday at 2 p.m.
• Empire Lions Club Pancake Breakfast, Sunday at Township Hall from 8 a.m. to noon.

“There will be miscellaneous children’s games throughout the village on Saturday,” Carpenter said. “Those details have not been worked out as yet, and we’re looking for someone to organize those as well.”

Other events may be organized before the start of the celebration as well, she said.