ST. JOHNS, Mich. (WILX) - This weekend marks the 40th anniversary of the St. Johns Mint Festival, a beloved event that honors the rich history of mint farming in the region and the family who helped bring the celebration to life.

Paul Martis, one of the festival’s founders, remembers how his late wife, Joann, was the driving force behind the event. “She can’t believe she got 40 years invested in whatever’s happened, I mean it’s been constant work for her,” Martis said.

Joann, who worked for the Chamber of Commerce for more than a decade, organized the very first festival in 1985. Paul humbly recalls his role: “She was the main instigator of the mint festival, I had nothing to do with it, I was just her transportation to move her to wherever she needed to go, she did it all.”

The festiva

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