CherryT Ball Drop in Traverse City
Downtown Traverse City bustles with party goers for the annual CherryT Ball Drop held on New Year’s Eve drawing between 8,000-12,000 people.
Photo by Billy Huynh on Unsplash.com
The love of flight is one that can be nurtured with experience in the air but flights can be costly and hard to come by for many.
This is a prime reason that pilot members of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) provide free flights to kids at their Young Eagles Rallies in Mason, Oceana, and Grand Traverse Counties every year. Young Eagles Rallies happen annually all over the country to nurture the love of flight and, to date, over 2 million kids have received free flights through the Young Eagles Program.
The Experimental Aircraft Association 772/Mason County Pilot’s Association host their annual Young Eagles Rally each July at the Mason County Airport- 5530 W. US 10 in Ludington. At the event, kids ages 8-17 are invited to take a free airplane ride with a local pilot. Pilots involved in the event donate their time and use of their aircraft.
Families are encouraged to arrive early as the event fills up quickly. All kids must be accompanied by a parent or guardian in order to fly.
In 2024, 92 children received free plane rides at the event.
Stay tuned for information on the 2025 event!
The Oceana County Young Eagles Rally, also hosted by EAA 772, is held each September from 9am-12pm at the Oceana County Airport- 1805 W. Baseline Road in Shelby.
Stay tuned for information on the 2025 event!
EAA 234 hosts multiple opportunities throughout North-West Michigan each year.
The Young Eagles Program through EAA 234 also has a Young Eagles Club that holds monthly meetings and introduces young people ages 12-16 to aviation and STEM related activities. These activities lead to the ability to understand the principles of flight, navigation, airplane and airport terminology, airspace, and air traffic control.
The EAA group here also offers the Young Eagles Private Pilot Education Mentoring Program, through which kids receive a free coupon to Sporty’s Online Private Pilot Ground School. This course can qualify those interested for the FAA Private Pilot Written Exam. This program hosts twice monthly mentoring sessions to help with the material that is presented in the online ground school.
Stay tuned for information on the 2025 events!
Mason County Aviation offers charter flights as well as airplane rides along the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline. Call (231) 843-6873 or visit the Mason County Airport in Ludington for more info.
This would be a great way to check out the view from above Big Sable Point, Hamlin Lake, Nordhouse Dunes and many other beautiful areas in West Michigan!
Downtown Traverse City bustles with party goers for the annual CherryT Ball Drop held on New Year’s Eve drawing between 8,000-12,000 people.
The Miss Ludington Area Scholarship Program is typically held each September and is a precursor to the Miss Michigan program.
Michigan offers weekends during the year where residents and outstate visitors can fish, ORV, or snowmobile without permits.
The spring/fall runs of steelhead and salmon, the resident brown trout and “brookies” make the PM River extremely popular for fishing.
Various farm markets around Traverse City offer a bounty of the best-tasting produce around, with many open from May until early fall.
Beautiful color emerges come Fall. Take it all in with an afternoon drive, or stroll, through the many forests of West Michigan.
The Michigan Audubon Society Lake Bluff Center overlooks Lake Michigan near Manistee and features wildlife and a bird sanctuary.
West Michigan boasts numerous museums to learn about the area’s rich history and to expand knowledge through activities and exhibits.
The Annual Show of the Western Michigan Old Engine Club is held the first weekend of August at Scottville’s Riverside Park.