Northern Michigan Festivals & Events
With northern Michigan being a tourist tradition, it’s not surprising that we make hay while the sun shines – and by hay, I mean FESTIVALS!
In my research, I found over 75 festivals and events in northern Michigan – just in the month of August! Add in the 20+ county/city fairs, and my vision is starting to blur from the abundance of options vying for my free time. So many choices…so little time…a lamentable fact of life. Fortunately, a few types of events caught my eye.
Wine & Food Tastings
There’s no better way to spend the day than sipping on some yummy wines and sampling delicious local cuisine. The Traverse City area is known for their wine peninsulas (and phenomenal restaurants!), so it makes sense that this city would play host to such tasty events. The first tasting event, Paella in the Park, is scheduled for August 6th at Clinch Park. The event will be open from 5-10 p.m., and will feature the seven wineries of Old Mission Peninsula paired with seven regional chefs who will prepare Spanish paellas on-site. The evening will be capped by a live performance by Blues Traveler at sunset near the shores of Lake Michigan. The second tasting event occurs on August 21st – The Traverse City Wine & Art Festival. The festival will take place at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons on Saturday from 3-10 PM. The festival is a lcelebration of the wine, food and culture of Michigan’s wine coast, featuring wines from the wineries of the Leelanau Peninsula, Old Mission Peninsula and Traverse City along with a selection of Traverse City and Leelanau restaurants serving food and desserts. Numerous musical acts and performances are scheduled, to be enjoyed while perusing artwork from 3 arts organizations and over 60 regional artists.
Music Festivals
Northern Michigan's local music scene is a wonderful surprise. Who would have thought we have so many talented artists up here? Throw in some food and drinks, and it's no wonder that music festivals are popular. One of the bigger music festivals, the Sleeping Bear Dunegrass & Blues Festival, has been around for 18 years. You'll find this party at The Village of Empire, running from August 6 - 8. This outdoor music festival features bluegrass, folk and rock music as well as craft displays, food booths and a kids’ tent. When you get hot from dancing, they even provide shuttle rides to the nearby beach! A newer addition to the music festival scene in northern Michigan is the Traverse City Microbrewery & Music Festival on August 27 - 28. The event will be held on the front lawn of the Village at Grand Traverse Commons and feature over 45 brewers and too many bands to list (check out the link above for the info).
City Festivals
Every city has one major festival per year - one weekend where the town comes together to celebrate and blow off some steam. There's Harbor Days in downtown Elk Rapids from August 4 - 7, where you'll find midway rides, games and food in a carnival atmosphere, a grand parade on Saturday at noon on River Street and fireworks that night at 10:30 pm over the bay. There's also the Festival on the Bay in Petoskey on August 20 - 22. You'll find live music all weekend in the Entertainment Tent, a children's area, arts and crafts show, boat rides and more.
Stay tuned - I'm sure there's lots more to do in September!
