2025 Michigan Summer Festivals

Mackinac Island Lilac Festival (June)

Since its inception in 1949, the Mackinac Island Lilac Festival has celebrated the island's iconic lilacs and quaint charm. Highlights include the 10K Run/Walk, the Vintage Bicycle Rally, live music, delicious food and fudge tastings, seminars on lilac planting and much more. The 10-day event culminates in the spectacular Grand Parade which features marching bands, horse-drawn floats, the Lilac Queen and Court and more. 

Motor City Pride (June) 

Every year, Motor City Pride fills Detroit's Hart Plaza with a joyous, inclusive celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. Founded in 1972, Motor City Pride is free, run entirely by volunteers and Michigan's largest Pride event, drawing over 65,000 people downtown. The two-day festival features stages of live music and DJ sets, headline drag and dance performances, a parade, and a variety of food vendors.

Find more ways to celebrate Pride in Michigan here.

Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival (June) 

Each summer since 1959, the Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival proudly celebrates Frankenmuth's German roots. Thousands gather under massive tents for beer steins and bratwursts while watching a Kindertag Parade and Cornhole Tournament along with traditional Schuhplattler dance performances. Venues offer a wide variety of German foods and desserts, along with imported and domestic beers. 

Ann Arbor Summer Festival (June)

The Ann Arbor Summer Festival transforms Ann Arbor into a monthlong celebration of theater, dance, live music, comedy and community. For more than 40 years, this local tradition is one of Michigan's largest summer festivals with hundreds of events. Visitors can enjoy nightly live bands, outdoor movies under the stars, art shows, a special KidZone activity tent for children, free wellness classes and more.  

Pictured Rocks Days (June)

Munising's Pictured Rocks Days celebrates Michigan's awe-inspiring Northern geography with a free two-day festival. Held in Binsfeld Bayshore Park, locals and visitors can enjoy live music, food trucks, a beer tent, artisan vendors and kids' activities, including games and bounce houses. Residents of the Upper Peninsula also receive free complimentary Pictured Rocks Cruises tickets.

Grand Haven Art Festival (June)

The annual Grand Haven Art Festival has turned Grand Haven's beautiful Washington Avenue into an open-air art gallery for more than 60 years, as nearly 80 artists from across the country showcase their work during this free, three-day event. Browse paintings, sculptures, handcrafted jewelry and more, all while enjoying live music in one of Michigan's most scenic lakeside communities. 

Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival (July)

Marquette's annual Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival has celebrated traditional music styles for going on 50 years — including bluegrass, old-time, Cajun, Celtic, acoustic blues and folk — held at Tourist Park. Visitors can camp at the park, which features miles of hiking and biking trails, while enjoying three days of acoustic concerts, songwriting workshops and more, including a teen-only dance, the Children's Parade and an art show. 

Art on the Rocks Fine Art Show (July)

Since 1959, this Marquette event has brought together artists and aficionados in the Upper Peninsula during the last full weekend in July. Over 100 artists are selected to showcase their works at Art on the Rocks, which is free and open to the public. 

Michigan Brown Trout Festival  (July) 

Head to Alpena to be a part of the longest-running fishing tournament in the Great Lakes. The Michigan Brown Trout Festival is 10 days of fish-loving festivities, with fun weigh-ins, daily prizes and a Kiddie Classic, along with live music and special activities for the whole family. 

National Blueberry Festival (August)

For more than half a century, South Haven annual National Blueberry Festival celebrates Michigan's agricultural bounty — Michigan produces over 100 million pounds of blueberries each year — and the region's thriving fruit-growing traditions. Located in Stanley Johnston Park, the festival features blueberry-themed food, lively entertainment, carnival rides, a craft market, pie-eating contests, tours of berry fields and more. 

Upper Peninsula State Fair (August)

Dating back to 1928, the Upper Peninsula State Fair is a weeklong festival held in Escanaba that invites visitors to share and celebrate the heritage and agriculture of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Enjoy thrilling midway rides, livestock shows, authentic regional cuisine, demolition derbies, and exhibits showcasing the region's unique farming and logging history. 

Porcupine Mountains Music Festival (August)

Set in the rugged Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, this two-day festival made history as the first music festival held in a Michigan State Park. The Porcupine Mountains Music Festival lineup features an eclectic mix of genres — Americana, blues, country, bluegrass, rock, folk and others — from touring bands from across the country and abroad. In addition, the all-acoustic Busking Barn stage will host a songwriter's workshop, and the colorful Kid's Tent holds plenty of crafts and activities for young audience members. 

Michigan Irish Music Festival (September)

Muskegon's Michigan Irish Music Festival is a four-day celebration of Irish and Celtic music and culture. Hosted at Heritage Landing, the festival showcases traditional Irish, folk and contemporary Celtic music on multiple stages. More than just concerts, the festival also includes Gaelic folk dance shows; hearty Celtic food, beer and spirits; an Irish market; and a lively Wee Ones Area for children. 

Traverse City Film Festival, year-round

The Traverse City Film Festival, founded and programmed by filmmaker Michael Moore, has evolved into a year-round celebration of powerful indie masterpieces curated by Moore. Every Tuesday, the State Theatre in Traverse City — a community-based, volunteer-run arthouse movie theater — features a different movie from the yearlong festival lineup.