Michigan’s Spring Festivals
Spring in Pure Michigan brings a lively mix of festivals – from parades and gourmet events to cultural gatherings and outdoor adventures – that capture the fresh spirit of the season.
CopperDog, Calumet, Laurium (March)
Calumet closes out winter with the CopperDog sled dog races, a final salute to Michigan's snowy season. Teams of huskies and mushers dash through the snow-covered Keweenaw Peninsula, cheered on by bundled spectators. The event features an opening ceremonies party, the CopperPull weight-pull contest, and kids races in addition to the main event.
Southern Michigan Winter Beer Festival, Jackson (March)
Held in Jackson, the Southern Michigan Winter Beer Festival invites attendees to sample over 150 craft brews, ciders, wines, and meads in a lively indoor-outdoor tasting event that toasts the tail end of winter with great beer and food trucks.
St. Patrick's Day, Detroit (March)
Detroit's historic Corktown district turns green each March for one of the country's largest St. Patrick's Day parades, attracting more than 80,000 people to Michigan Avenue each year. Expect a family-friendly showcase of Irish pride, complete with uilleann pipes, step dancers in emerald costumes, shamrock-festooned floats, and more.
LaughFest, Grand Rapids (March)
Gilda's LaughFest, the nation's first-ever communitywide festival of laughter, was founded in 2011 to honor comedian Gilda Radner. This multiday event fills venues across Grand Rapids with stand-up comedy shows featuring up-and-coming comedians, improv troupes, showcases and more – all for a good cause. Proceeds benefit Gilda's Club's free cancer and grief support programs.
Bell's Oberon Day, Kalamazoo (March)
Each year on a Monday in late March, fans gather in downtown Kalamazoo to snag the season's first pint of Oberon, a citrusy wheat beer, on Bell's Oberon Day. The tapping of Oberon Ale marks Michigan's unofficial start of spring. It is celebrated at Bell's Eccentric Café with bands in the beer garden, limited-edition Oberon variants on tap and more.
Ann Arbor Film Festival (March)
Celebrating more than six decades of memorable events, the Ann Arbor Film Festival is North America's oldest avant-garde and experimental film festival. For six days each March, Ann Arbor's historic Michigan Theatre and other venues screen a fascinating mix of genres and styles across short and feature-length films.
Metro Detroit Bourbon Fest, Southfield (April)
Bourbon lovers unite in April at the Metro Detroit Bourbon Fest, a tasting festival that spotlights the best in American whiskey, including spirits from local distillers. This evening event offers attendees 100-plus varieties of high-end bourbons and whiskeys, along with a selection of classic bourbon cocktails.
Zehnder's Ragtime & Jazz Festival, Frankenmuth (April)
Each April, Zehnder's in Frankenmuth fills with the cheerful melodies of ragtime and jazz piano during the Zehnder's Ragtime & Jazz Festival. World-renowned ragtime pianists perform throughout the event, paired with a lunch or dinner experience.
Upper Peninsula Dark Sky Festival, Copper Harbor (April)
Celebrate International Dark Sky Week under some of the most dazzling skies in the Midwest at the Upper Peninsula Dark Sky Festival in scenic Copper Harbor. Hosted by the Keweenaw Dark Sky Park – a designated International Dark Sky Park – experiences include dark-sky photography workshops, astronomy presentations by notable figures in the field, and guided stargazing talks.
Freeland Walleye Festival (April)
Each April in the Great Lakes Bay region, Freeland reels in spring with the Freeland Walleye Festival. This communitywide celebration includes a fishing tournament, a parade, a beer tent, a car show, fireworks, a carnival, and more.
National Trout Festival, Kalkaska (April)
Held during trout season's opening weekend, the National Trout Festival in Kalkaska is a six-day event featuring fishing contests, parades, fireworks, and family-friendly fun in northern Michigan. During the festival, children accompanied by an adult can participate in the Kids Fishing Contest to make memories fishing in a trout-stocked pond.
Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival (April)
Nicknamed the "Sweetest Little Town Anywhere Around," Shepherd lives up to its moniker with the Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival. Enjoy pancake breakfasts, parades, classic tractor pulls, the Maple Syrup Festival Craft Show, and so much more in this celebration of Michigan's maple season.
Earth Fair, Goodells (April)
The Earth Fair in Goodells is a two-day festival that's equal parts education and entertainment. Enjoy eco-exhibits, local food, wildlife shows, and hands-on sustainability activities for all ages at Michigan's largest Earth Day event.
Michigan Wine Month (May)
May is Michigan Wine Month, a time to toast to the state's thriving wine scene. Celebrate the season with tasting events across the state, including Traverse City Uncorked, a self-guided wine tour offering exclusive deals at regional wineries. Explore Michigan’s wineries along wine tasting trails and throughout the state’s five AVAs.
Mackinac Island Opening Day (May)
After a long winter slumber, Mackinac Island officially marks the start of the visitor season on Opening Day, the first Friday of May. As ferries bustle through the Straits and shops prepare for the warm weather season, the island bursts to life with carriage rides, cannon blasts at Fort Mackinac, and the irresistible aroma of fresh fudge.
Tulip Time Festival, Holland (May)
Few sights highlight spring in Michigan more than the sight of the kaleidoscope of tulips that blanket Holland during its famous Tulip Time Festival. Millions of tulips bloom in brilliant color Holland’s Dutch heritage comes to life with Dutch dancers, parades and festive traditions that fill the streets.
Michigan Cider Fest, Grand Rapids (May)
In May, cider makers from across Michigan gather in in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids to celebrate the unique flavors of the Great Cider State at the annual Michigan Cider Fest. Taste over 50 Michigan hard ciders in Rosa Parks Circle as you enjoy live music and games.
National Morel Mushroom Festival, Boyne City (May)
When the elusive morel mushrooms start popping up in northern Michigan woods, Boyne City celebrates with its National Morel Mushroom Festival. Mushroom foragers and foodies unite for hunts, a craft show and other morel-themed festivities. The festival's tasting event, Taste of Morels, lets you sample creative dishes by local chefs.
East Lansing Art Festival (May)
For art lovers, spring brings the opening of Michigan's art fairs, and one of the first major shows is the East Lansing Art Festival. Artists fill downtown East Lansing and parts of Michigan State University’s campus with fine art, live music and creativity for the whole family.
Annual Mesick Mushroom Festival (May)
Each Mother's Day weekend, Mesick hosts its Annual Mesick Mushroom Festival, a celebration of the morel harvest that's been held in May for over 60 years. Enjoy the flea market, arts and crafts show, food, concerts, and more.
St. Ignace Annual Native American Festival (May)
On Memorial Day weekend, St. Ignace invites visitors to experience Anishinaabe culture at the St. Ignace Annual Native American Festival. Held at the Museum of Ojibwa Culture, the festival showcases Anishinaabe traditions through drumming, dance, storytelling, art and community spirit.
Memorial Day Commemorations (May)
As spring turns to summer, communities across Michigan observe Memorial Day. Some traditions include Dearborn's Memorial Day Parade, now a century old, or Ferndale's Memorial Day Parade, the oldest continuous Memorial Day celebration in Michigan.
On Mackinac Island, costumed interpreters lead a procession from Fort Mackinac to Post Cemetery, honoring the soldiers buried there.
The USS Silversides Submarine Museum in Muskegon hosts Lights of Honor, a memorial event with a luminary walk.
Looking for more festivities? Michigan offers world-class festivals throughout summer, fall and winter that celebrate the seasons, flavors and culture of the Great Lakes State.