SHELBY - On Friday, May 15, Shelby added to Oceana County's rich history with the kickoff of its Annual CarvePrize & Festival (renamed from the Shelby Chainsaw Carving Festival last year). This is also its 1st Annual CarvePrize art exhibition in downtown Shelby. The all-outdoor exhibit will run through Friday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11. Uniquely created wood carvings (made out of a log or stump, using chainsaws and simple woodworking tools) will be on display for the public to tour, enjoy and cast votes for all day, every day.
“I’m really excited about all of the things happening in Shelby,” Shelby resident Jan Sexson said. “The sculptures look wonderful, and I’ve already seen people walking around and taking pictures with them.”
“We’re really excited about it. I like the idea of sculptures being on display before the festival,” Village President John Sutton shared. “Phil has done a great job of finding sponsors - without their part, it would be hard to do. Last year’s event created a buzz, and this year I’m looking forward to being a good host to our visitors.”
Visitors to downtown Shelby are encouraged to register to vote for their favorite sculptures and are welcome to place silent auction bids to purchase one of them at the end of the festival. Winners will be announced at the festival, and silent auction proceeds will be divided between the carvers, the Chainsaw Festival and the winners of the popular vote. The first-place vote-getter will take home a $2,000 prize. The second-place winner will receive a $1,000 prize.
Registering to vote is quick and easy using a smartphone when a person is physically within the Village of Shelby. Instructions are available on each carving or at shelbycarveprize.com. Once registered, voters will be able to vote from any location, any day or every day throughout the exhibition.
According to the Shelby CarvePrize website, voters are allowed one vote per carving per day. Participants won’t be able to stack votes on the same piece in a single day, but they can come back the following day and vote for it again. Each voter gets a daily allowance that they can spread across multiple carvings or save for later in the day. Daily votes reset at noon daily. For example, morning and late-night voters are voting for the same “day” until noon. Voting closes at the end of the festival.
Five carvers will be present July 10 and 11 to produce original carvings, which will be auctioned off during live auctions to be held July 10 at 7:30 p.m. and July 11 at 5:30 p.m. The 2026 slate of carvers for this year’s CarvePrize exhibition includes Bill Baker of Naperville, Illinois; Carissa Bennert of Hesperia, Michigan; Troy Boroff of Holton, Michigan; Steve Drenth of Kalamazoo, Michigan; Eric Paris of Ypsilanti, Michigan; Tyler Quillan of Scottville, Michigan; Cole Stiemsma of Coldwater, Michigan; Kyle Thomas of Taylor, Michigan; and Steve Troyer of Holton, Michigan.
"Shelby CarvePrize is a fantastic opportunity for family fun, a unique date idea, a destination to gather with friends, or an opportunity to simply admire some very talented wood carving artwork,” commented Shelby Village Administrator and one of the festival organizers, Phil Morse. “We're planning to make Shelby CarvePrize and the culminating Shelby CarvePrize Festival an annual event that people from Shelby, and beyond, look forward to every year.”
Volunteers, arts and craft vendors, and sponsors are a huge part of making this year’s festival a success, and more are welcome. “The community’s support through sponsorships and bidding on the carvings is critical in bringing the festival back year after year,” Morse added. “This year the festival offered naming rights to any organization donating $5,000 or more. We were pleased to partner with and name this year’s festival the Durga Farm Bureau Insurance Group Shelby CarvePrize & Festival for their generous support.
Please contact Morse at administrator@shelbyvillage.com or call 231-861-4401 to become a volunteer, host a vendor booth or be named as a sponsor.
For more information and to keep track of each carving’s vote tally, visit shelbycarveprize.com.
