There’s a festival or event nearly every weekend during the busy summer months in Northern Michigan, from historic re-enactments and car, boat and craft shows, to celebrations of local heritage and nature itself. 

Summer 2008

May 2008
24-26: Memorial Day Parade and Fort Michilimackinac Pageant, Mackinaw City

June 2008
6: Spring Open House, Petoskey
19: Gallery Walk, Petoskey
20: Farmers’ Market begins Fridays through Sept. 26, Petoskey
20-21: Straits Area Antique Auto Show, St. Ignace
21: A Taste of Charlevoix, Charlevoix
20-22: Jordan Valley Freedom Festival, East Jordan

July 2008
11-12: Boyne Thunder Poker Run, Boyne City
11-13: Blissfest, Cross Village
19: Art in the Park, Petoskey
20-26: Venetian Festival, Charlevoix
31-Aug. 3: Polish Festival, Boyne Falls

August 2008
2-3: Portside Art Fair, East Jordan
8-10: Riverfest, Alanson
9: Waterfront Art Fair, Charlevoix
15-16: Lady Biker Day and Sidewalk Sales, East Jordan
15-17: Festival on the Bay, Petoskey
18-24: Emmet-Charlevoix County Fair

September 2008
1: Labor Day Bridge Walk, Mackinaw City
1: Labor Day Car Show, Boyne City

All the world loves a parade!
Towns that typically schedule Fourth of July parades. (times vary)
• Horton Bay
• Petoskey
• Boyne City
• Alanson
• Harbor Springs
• Bay Harbor

Catch these activities while in the north country this summer:

 Summer activities begin on Memorial Day weekend, May 24-26, in Mackinaw City, with the Memorial Day parade and Fort Michilimackinac Pageant. Since 1963, Mackinaw City residents have presented the pageant, which re-enacts the takeover of the British-occupied Fort Michilimackinac by the Ottawa and Ojibwa Indians.
 
Downtown Petoskey will host its third Spring Open House the evening of June 6. Street entertainers and special sales and promotions will be among the attractions from 6-9 p.m. Downtown streets will be closed to vehicles. 347-4150.
 
Art merchants in downtown Petoskey invite the public to join in an evening of browsing, refreshments and prize drawings during the annual Gallery Walk, starting at 5:30 p.m. June 19. Visit galleries listed on an event map and sample refreshments along the way. Maps will be available at the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce, 401 E. Mitchell St.
 
An assortment of farm-grown products will be available during a weekly farmers’ market to be held Fridays June 20-Sept. 26 in downtown Petoskey, on Howard Street. 347-4150.
 
The Charlevoix Chamber of Commerce will host “A Taste of Charlevoix” 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, June 21, in downtown East Park. Local restaurants and food and beverage providers will showcase their specialties, along with local entertainment and activities for children. 547-2101.
 
The Jordan Valley Freedom Festival in East Jordan will be held June 20-22; festivities include a carnival and fireworks.
 
The Straits Area Antique Auto Show, June 20-21, attracts auto admirers to the Upper Peninsula town of St. Ignace. It is one of the largest antique shows in the Midwest, with more than 3,000 custom street rods and 40,000 visitors. (800) 338-5550.
 
The Charlevoix Area Chamber of Commerce’s 10th annual Summer Solstice Art Show features art displayed along the shores of Round Lake. This two-day event will be  Saturday-Sunday, June 28-29.

Blissfest, July 11-13, is a weekend-long folk music concert near Cross Village. The weekend of music, dancing and art breeds an atmosphere of friendship and creativity. 348-7047 or www.blissfest.org.
 
The Boyne Thunder Poker Run will be held July 11-12. It is an off-shore event for boats and personal watercraft. The poker run will cover 120 miles of Lake Charlevoix and Lake Michigan waters with a course running from Boyne City to East Jordan, Charlevoix, Beaver Island and Petoskey before returning to Boyne City. Weekend events also include a carnival and evening cookout. www.boynecity.com.
 
Petoskey’s 23rd annual Art in the Park is an annual opportunity to view and purchase artwork from Northern Michigan and beyond. Scheduled for July 19 in Pennsylvania Park, the event includes 130 booths. 347-4150.

The 78th annual Charlevoix Venetian Festival draws thousands for a lighted boat parade, carnival, musical entertainment and more July 20-26. The Venetian Festival  boat parade, the festival’s main event, began nearly 80 years ago. 547-2101.
 
Each year, more than 25,000 people enjoy the Boyne Falls Polish Festival’s polka bands, carnival rides, beer and kielbasa. The four-day event, July 31-Aug. 3, encompasses the village’s downtown and celebrates the Polish heritage shared by many residents. 582-6222.
 
The popular Portside Art Fair in East  Jordan is set for Aug. 2-3 at the Elm Pointe estate on M-66. Artisans from all over display their wares.
 
The 50th Annual Waterfront Art Fair in Charlevoix will be held Aug. 9 downtown. The nationally recognized art fair includes artists from around the U.S. and locally. Profits collected in fees are invested back into the Charlevoix area to expose children to arts and culture.
 
The village of Alanson is hosting its annual Riverfest from Aug. 8-10. Activities for all ages, all weekend, will take place throughout the downtown, including a boat show on River Street, a lighted boat parade Saturday night, arts/crafts show, flea market and kids’ games. Sunday afternoon will bring a “Taste of the North” event, featuring hometown restaurants, Michigan wines and microbrews. 330-3188, www.villageofalanson.com.
 
Petoskey’s fifth annual Festival on the Bay is set for Aug. 15-17 around the waterfront, downtown and other nearby venues. Organized by the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce, it will feature the Celebration of the Sunset, an evening program featuring street entertainers performing at Bayfront Park, triathlon, live music, beer-and-wine tent, plus a Petoskey stone hunt. 347-4150.
 
The sixth annual Lady Biker Day in East Jordan and the East Jordan downtown sidewalk sales are scheduled for Aug. 15-16. 536-0558.

One of the area’s last summer events is the Emmet-Charlevoix County Fair, set for Aug. 18-24 at the fairgrounds on Charlevoix Avenue. A carnival, midway attractions, 4-H exhibits and grandstand entertainment are highlights. 347-1010.
 
The summer season wraps up  with the annual Labor Day Bridge Walk across the Mighty Mac, this year on Sept. 1. Every year thousands make the more than five-mile walk across the bridge connecting Michigan’s two peninsulas. This year marks the bridge’s 51st anniversary. (231) 436-5664.

Also, a Labor Day Car Show in Boyne City will feature more than 100 muscle cars and street rods downtown Boyne City on Sept. 1. 582-9100.