2019 50/50 Winner Announced!
Congratulations goes to David and Denise Solie of Columbus, WI and Little Girls Point, MI on being the lucky winners of $36,996. Thank you, everyone, for another amazing raffle. We look forward to Bessemer Blast 2020!
2019 Winning 50/50 Raffle Number Grand Prize of $36,996!
The 2019 Winning 50/50 Ticket number is 6899 with a grand prize of $36,996!
2018 50/50 Winning Ticket #66187
The 2018 Winning 50/50 Ticket number for the Bessemer 4th of July is 66187 with a prize of $34,681!
Prize can be claimed at the credit union in Bessemer.
2017 Bessemer 4th 50/50 Winner Announced with a Prize of $34,861!
Winning Number: 03660
Prize Amount: $34,861
We have a winner! Congratulations to former Bessemer resident, Tom Miskovich of Wausau, WI. He is the lucky one to win $34,861!! Thank you to all who have purchased tickets and helped us have another record high year! Your support continues to help fund Bessemer Blast in future years, so we can bring great events and entertainment, often times at little to no charge. None of this would be possible without the 50+ dedicated, determined, and hard-working individuals that are seen on the streets and behind the scenes. Their efforts are greatly appreciated. Thank you!
2016 Selfie Challenge Winners
We had another great Selfie Challenge this year with some amazing submissions. It was hard to narrow down the best of the best because all of you snapped some great selfies! But, we finally came to a consensus on the top in each of the 10 categories and one overall winner who submitted in all categores. See the results below and to see all of the submitted selfies visit the Selfie Gallery.
Most People in a Selfie – Mike Graham
These guys may have an advantage here with the crowds that follow around Marty’s Goldenaires! Easily the most people in a selfie and again a great performance by Marty’s!
Selfie with a 50/50 Ticket Seller – Anda Mortier
Anda snapped a great shot of her out and about getting some 50/50 tickets and enjoying the night!
Selfie with Marty’s Goldenaires – Laura Miller
Laura takes home the best Marty’s shot after catching a few members after their practice on the street during the week leading up to the 4th!
Favorite 4th of July Food – Nicole Re
Nicole is not only enjoying her favorite foods on the streets of Bessemer, but is also very festive in doing it!
Parade Selfie – Ryan and Clare Scarbeary
What a great view of the parade! Right from the deck and enjoying it with family. That’s what the 4th is all about!
Selfie Participating in a 4th of July Event – Derek Gheller
A selfie of himself taking selfies with people taking selfies for the selfie challenge. Can we get the word selfie in here any more???
Selfie Showing Your 4th of July Spirit – Blayne Pellinen
What’s more in the spirit of the Bessemer 4th of July than volunteering to help out your community! Kudos to Blayne and his friends for volunteering their time at the Family Races!
Fireworks Selfie – Annie Garvey
Annie and her friends and family decided to put on their own fireworks show with some sparklers!
Selfie With a Bessemer Landmark – Blayne Pellinen
Blayne enjoyed his time in our beautiful Ethnic Commons Park and took a snap of it to show us. Great park and one of many great selfies by Blayne.
Selfie in Front of a Bessemer Business – Annie Garvey
Annie described the selfie as “A Bessemer Classic” and we can’t agree more! Abelman’s is a classic and a must stop in the area for your clothing needs.
Overall Winner – Submitted in All Categories – Annie Garvey
Annie Garvey went all out this 4th and submitted a total of 16 selfies across the 10 categories and was the only person to submit selfies in all 10 categories! Congrats to Annie on being the Selfie Queen! View her submissions in the gallery below.
2016 Bessemer 4th Winning 50/50 Number
Winning Number:
11622
Prize Amount:
$33,490
The 4th of July has come to a close and we’d like to thank everyone involved and all of those who came out to the festivities.
If you have the winning 50/50 ticket bring it to the Gogebic County Federal Credit Union to claim the prize or Call Mark at 906-364-0420 or the Gogebic County Federal Credit Union at 906-663-4011.
We Have a Winner!
Mary Smith of Hurley, WI had the winning 50/50 ticket and claimed the prize. Thank you for supporting the Bessemer 4th of July and we look forward to doing it again in 2017!
5 Foods You Must Eat in Bessemer this 4th of July
1. Fish Fry

Friday night fish fry is a Midwest tradition and it doesn’t get any better than the offerings in Bessemer! Pit Stop Bar & Grill, Black River Valley Pub, Tacconelli’s, and the Bessemer VFW will all be serving up delicious platters for your enjoyment on Friday, July 1. It’s as good as time as ever to get in some good old fashioned fish fry.
2. Hot Dogs

While you are around town before the parade on the 4th of July and are looking for a bite to eat, stop by the Bessemer City Hall, where the Bessemer Volunteer Fire Department will be having their annual open house at 2:00PM. You and the kids will get to check out the city’s fire trucks all while enjoying a hot dog and soda. It’s a great event for the kids as it immediately follows the Children’s Parade. How can you beat a free hot dog?
3. Spaghetti Dinner

The Bessemer American Legion serves up an amazing Spaghetti Dinner and is run by some super volunteers. The dinner actually takes place every Thursday throughout the year, but during the week of the 4th, be sure to stop between 4:00 and 7:00pm on Thursday, June 30 to get your Pasta Fix.
4. Walking Tacos

If you are looking for a late night munchie while out on the Poker Run, at the Street Dance, or 1/2 New Year’s Party look no further than the tent outside the Pit Stop Bar & Grill. You will find one of the more unique foods in town for the 4th. What is a “Walking Taco,” you ask? First you start with a bag of Doritos, crush them up, add some taco meat to the bag, then top with sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and more! Grab a fork and walk around town for a dinner or snack on the go!
5. Dairy Queen Blizzard

You can’t go without dessert this 4th and what better than the ice cream treat that’s served upside down! Dairy Queen is a popular spot over the 4th of July, especially when the weather gets hot. Head on in and grab yourself a cool treat. We recommend a Blizzard, but you can’t go wrong with any of their choices.
We Want Your 4th of July Photos
Calling all photographers!
We are looking for photos from all years of the Bessemer 4th of July Celebration and we thought what a better way to do it than to put the challenge out to all of our great friends who have attended the 4th all of these years.
We need photos which we can share online with the Bessemer 4th fans through Facebook, Instagram, and our website and to use in promotional materials. We’d love to see all events past and present. If you have photos from last years event, great! If you have photos from 30 years ago, even better!
We want you to help us tell the story of the Bessemer 4th of July through the years. So dig out those shoe boxes of polaroids and send in those smartphone selfies. We would like any photos you have, but if you have the high quality version direct from your camera or phone it will turn out better than resized ones from Facebook.
To submit photos, email Dustin at dusty@dustyf.com to provide photos. We can set up a way for you to transfer digital files or scan in your old prints and we will even give you a shout out on our website if you’d like.
New Website
Welcome to the new Bessemer 4th of July Website. We figured it was time for a new look and to put some more focus on our online presence.
All of the information you come to our website to look for will still be here. We just gave it some polish and tried making things easier to access. Take a look at the schedule, check out the latest 4th of July News, and even become an online Cracker Backer and donate to the 4th of July!
If you have any questions or problems with the new site, let us know on our Contact Page. We also welcome any suggestions for future additions to the site. Also stay tuned, as we release the updated version of our mobile app, we will rolling out some new site features that can help integrate into our app and social media.
We hope you love the new site and see everyone for the 4th!