INTRODUCING your 2025 nATIONAL TROUT FESTIVAL® ROYALTY

The Directors of the National Trout Festival received a record number of nominations this year for Trout King and Trout Queen. Our community really stepped up in wanting to honor their fellow Kalkaska County residents. Every nominee was very deserving of the titles so it made the decision difficult. In the end, we are all confident we selected two people who are wonderful role models and inspirations.

Watch in February when we will begin accepting nominations for the 2026 National Trout Festival King & Queen.

Mike Winter, a life-long Kalkaska resident (other than when he was attending college), is our 2025 National Trout Festival king. Mike is married to Connie and they have five children between them. They share 10 grandchildren. Having served 50 years in service to the village and township of Kalkaska, Mike is well-versed in public service. 

He is an avid supporter of the Kalkaska Blazers, going to home and away games even when he has no relation playing and traveling as far away as Sault Ste. Marie to support the teams.

Mike was an integral part in the building of Chalker Park and has continued to help maintain the park on his own by power washing the wood structures.

Congratulations, Mike, and thank you!

I am the oldest of five and the only girl. We moved to Kalkaska in the summer of 1972 and I graduated from Kalkaska High School in 1976. Next year will be 50 years since I graduated. Hard to believe. I have three children, Josh, Christal and Jen. (Josh was the last one to win the $10,000 trout and that is a fun story.) They all graduated from KHS and have had my two oldest grandchildren graduate from Kalkaska as well. My third grandchild will be graduating this year. It will be a few years for the two youngest.

I worked for Kalkaska Public Schools for 26 years and have been retired for 9 years. I serve on the KPS school board. Before being appointed and then elected, I volunteered for the school and helped when called upon.  

In the fall of 2020, I went to work at Kalkaska Commission on Aging. I was the site manager and was the hostess with the mostest. While working at the COA, I got to know my neighbors and their children. I retired in February 2024 and continue to volunteer at the COA. It truly is a place where friends become family. 

I absolutely love Kalkaska and am honored and humbled to be the National Trout Queen for 2025.

Congratulations, Mary; you are appreciated!

From the time this year’s Grand Marshal, Chris Helberg, was a little fellow, he’s had a helper’s heart. From helping set the table for dinner at Grandma’s house or working with his grandparents in their laundromat, he was always eager to lend a hand, and that desire has grown the older he grew. 

Chris has been a part of many local organizations and that usually begins by attending an event or a fundraiser, seeing there is a need for help, and jumping right in to do whatever is needed. He began volunteering for the Springfield Township Park, the United Methodist Church, the Kalkaska County Fair, and the Commission on Aging that way. 

He’s been a big asset to the Kiwanis, National Trout Festival, commodities distribution, and countless other groups and events in Kalkaska over the years. He’s not only an asset to those groups but to our community as a whole.

Congratulations, Christopher; we're so thankful for you!

This year’s logo designer, Jenna Babcock, is a senior at Kalkaska High School and is headed to Northern Michigan University this fall. She plans to major in elementary education. 

Jenna’s parents are Michelle and Scott Barber and she has a brother, Noah, and sister, Isabelle. She loves art and music and participates in musical theater dance at the Fitch Dance Company. 

Jenna attends the Kalkaska Church of Christ where the youth group is very important to her. She takes part in the youth worship team, also. She invites young people to join in on Wednesdays at 7 pm.

Thank you for submitting your work, Jenna. We appreciate your talent and are so glad you shared it with us!