By JESSICA POTILA

Journal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — Downtown Marquette won’t be roaring with quite the same level of excitement one Saturday this spring.

The Festival of the Angry Bear, which draws thousands of visitors to the city each April, will remain in hibernation for another year.

Ore Dock Brewing Co. sponsors the annual street party that has grown exponentially in size and popularity since its 2014 debut. It is that very growth that convinced organizers to postpone Angry Bear until 2026, according to a Jan. 31 post on the business’ Facebook page.

“Despite a decade’s worth of expansions and adjustments as the festival grew, the realities of throwing a party of this size necessitates some considerable modifications to continue to provide festival-goers with a safe and enjoyable environment for years to come,” the post reads.

Expansion of the Ore Dock storefront to encompass an adjacent building, with a new lounge to open named The Trestle, also hampered plans for the festival this year, according to the social media post.

“The limited window of time to put it all together while also preparing for the opening of the Trestle expansion is more than we can ‘bear.’ While taking this year off comes with a heavy heart, we have so many exciting things happening this year that we hope can fill the void.”

Jessica Potila can be reached at 906-228-2500. Her email address is jpotila@miningjournal.net