Photo by Todd & Brad Reed Photography

July 2023 Events Calendar

Browse by Week

Featured July Events

(Scroll down to see more events in July.)

July 1-7, 2023

Thursday, June 29th-Tuesday, July 4th, 2023

Manistee National Forest Festival
Annual event with fun for the whole family.

July 1st-8th, 2023

National Cherry Festival
Annual festival with fun for the whole family including concerts, parades, fireworks, and an appearance by The Blue Angels. For more information, visit cherryfestival.org. Festival Grounds- 521 S Union Street, Traverse City. 

Saturday, July 1st-Sunday, July 2nd, 2023
10am-5pm

West Shore Art Fair 
Sponsored by Ludington Area Center for the Arts. Rotary Park- Corner of Lewis St. and Ludington Ave., Ludington.

Sunday, July 2nd, 2023
8am-12pm

Pancake Breakfast
Pentwater VFW- 8440 N. US-31, Pentwater.

Sunday, July 2nd, 2023

Hart Sparks Celebration
Free kids activities from 6-9pm, food trucks & vendors from 6-10pm, live music featuring Faster Horses from 7-10:30pm, and fireworks at Dusk. 

Monday, July 3rd, 2023
Dusk

Pentwater Fireworks
At Charles Mears State Park.

Tuesday, July 4th, 2023

Ludington Area Jaycees Freedom Festival
Event includes 1-Mile Fun Run at 1:30pm, Parade at 2pm, and Fireworks at Dusk. Downtown Ludington.

Sunday, July 2nd, 2023
8am

Stony Lake Sparkler 5k
Starts at Stony Lake Inn- 4722 Scenic Dr., Shelby. 

Tuesday, July 4th-Friday, July 7th; 2023

Junior Tennis Clinic
Pentwater Tennis & Pickleball Club- 8502 N. US-31, Pentwater. For more information or to register, visit pentwatertennisclub.com.

Tuesday, July 4th, 2023
9:30am

Independence Day Bike Parade
Registration/Line-up at 9:30am, Parade at 10am. Charles Mears State Park– 400 W. Lowell St., Pentwater. For more information, visit pentwater.org.

Tuesday, July 4th, 2023
10pm

Thunder on the Dunes Fireworks
Over the Silver Lake Sand Dunes.

Wednesday, July 5th-Sunday, July 9th; 2023

Bear Lake Days
Annual festival in Bear Lake with fun for the whole family.

July 8-14, 2023

Saturday, July 8th-Sunday, July 9th; 2023

Ludrock
Music festival with raffles, silent auction, food, drinks, and more. Proceeds benefit local non-profit organizations. Waterfront Park- 391 S. William St., Ludington.

Saturday, July 8th, 2023
8am-12am

Glow Bash
Event includes Dinner Glow Crafts, Glow Paint, Glow Games, live music, and Glow Golf with Glow Desserts & Snack Bar Included. Golden Sands Gold & Bucket Bar- 2501 N. Wilson Rd., Silver Lake/Mears.

Saturday, July 8th, 2023
9am-3pm

Merchants and Makers Market
Shop over 100 booths while enjoying live music and enjoying a variety of food trucks. Chinook Pier- 301 N. Harbor Dr., Grand Haven. For more information, visit merchantsandmakers.com.

Saturday, July 8th, 2023
9am-5pm

Pentwater Juried Arts & Crafts Fair
The Pentwater Junior Women’s Club hosts this one-day, juried, high-traffic arts and crafts fair, which has had an excellent reputation for high quality since 1964. For an application or more information, visit pentwaterjrwomensclub.com/artscrafts.

Monday, July 10th-Sunday, July 16th, 2022

Ludington Offshore Classic Fishing Tournament
Waterfront Park- 391 S. William St., Ludington

July 15-21, 2023

Saturday, July 18th, 2023
10am-4pm

Elk Rapids Arts & Crafts Show
To register, visit elkrapidschamber.org. River Street, Elk Rapids. 

Wednesday, July 19th-Saturday, July 22nd; 2023

Baldwin Troutarama
Annual festival with fun for the whole family. Downtown Baldwin.

Friday, July 21st-Sunday, July 23rd; 2023

Arcadia Daze
Annual festival in Arcadia with fun for the whole family.

July 22-31, 2023

Thursday, July 27th, 2023
8-10pm

Sunset Bonfire
Free bonfire with live music at Stearns Park Beach, Ludington.

Saturday, July 29th, 2023

Ladies Classic Fishing Tournament
Sponsored by the Pentwater Sportfishing Association. Visit pentwaterpsa.org for more information or to register.

Saturday, July 29th, 2023
6pm

West Shore Bank’s Rhythm & Dunes Concert
Featuring Rock the 90’s USA: The Official 90’s Rock Tribute. Free outdoor concert with a portion of the proceeds from vendor sales donated to the music programs at three Mason County schools. Waterfront Park- 391 S. William St., downtown Ludington. 

The following events are from 2022. Stay tuned for information on dates for these events in 2023!

 

Win & Bette Matteson Annual Big Fish Contest
Sponsored by the Pentwater Sportfishing Association. For more information or to register, visit pentwaterpsa.org/annual-big-fish-contest.

Submissions Accepted for the Celebrating the Ludington State Park Art Exhibit
Artists will display their multi-media artworks celebrating the State Park on August 5th-27th at the Ludington Area Center for the Arts– 107 S. Harrison St., Ludington. Submissions cost $5/piece with a limit of three submissions. For more information or to submit art, visit ludingtonartscenter.org/modes-of-abstraction.

Frankfort-Elberta 4th of July Carnival
Annual old fashioned carnival with rides and games and Carnival food. Hours are Thursday from 5-10pm, Friday from 3-10pm, and Saturday/Sunday from 12-10pm. Frankfort Open Space- 800 Main St., Frankfort. 

Luther Days
Annual festival with fun for the whole family including live music, fireworks, 5k run/walk, kids games, rodeo, and more. Downtown Luther. For more information, visit facebook.com/lutherloggingdays.

Live Music at Legacy Plaza
Legacy Plaza- 110 N. James St., Ludington.

Ludington Golf Cart Show
Free golf cart awards show with crystal trophies for winners in eight categories Best Hometown Pride, Best Work in Progress, Farthest Traveled Cart, Best Overall Modified, Best Theme, Cleanest, Best Feature, and Best Use of Homemade Supplies. The event also includes parade, live music, family fun, and prizes. Visit ludingtongolfcartshow.com to register. West Foster St., Ludington.

Manistee World of Arts & Crafts
Red Szymarek Park- 106 Charter Ct., Manistee.

Heykoop Veteran Memorial Car Show & Benefit
All vehicles are welcome to enter with multiple awards and trophies to be given out. Winners are chosen by public vote and by the Board of Directors. Categories include: motorcycles, trucks, jeeps, and tribute vehicles. Event also includes silent/live auctions, raffle bags, and door prizes. All proceeds go to Lighthouse For Veterans and the fight against Veteran suicide. For more information or to register, visit lighthouseforveterans.org/car-show.

Forest Trail Summer Sunset Music Series
Live music at 352 W. Forest Trail, Free Soil. For more information, visit foresttrailmusic.com.

Ice Cream Eating Competition at Downtown Delights
Each participant will have seven minutes to eat as much ice cream as they can. There will be three age categories: 11 and under, 12-17, and 18 and up. The winner in each category will receive a trophy and gift card to Downtown Delights. The event is free but limited to 15 participants in each age category. Registration is from June 26th-July 2nd by stopping at Downtown Delights- 457 River St., Manistee.

Art in the Park Arts & Crafts Fair
Main Street, Downtown Frankfort.

PLA Concerts in the Park
Live music in Village Park- Portage Ave., Onekama.

S.S. Badger Carferry Shoreline Cruise
S.S. Badger Carferry- 701 Maritime Dr., Ludington. (800) 841-4243.

Children’s Pioneer Camp
Kids will learn about the pioneers during this hands-on experience at the Historic White Pine Village- 1687 S. Lakeshore Dr., Ludington. Cost is $25 per child and reservations can be made by e-mailing Michelle at michelle@mchshistory.org.

Silver Lake Community Concert Series
Live music at Golden Township Park- 445 N. Lighthouse Dr., Mears.

Manistee Shoreline Showcase
Live music at Douglas Park- First Street Beach, Manistee.

LACA Summer Concert Series
Free concert at Waterfront Park- 300 W. William St., Ludington.

Onekama Block Party
Portage Ave., Onekama.

Music on the Commons
Live music at the Hart Commons- 49 S. State St., Hart.

Pentwater Civic Band Concert
Weekly Summer Civic Band Concerts on the Village Green- 327 S. Hancock St., Pentwater.

Party in the Park
Live music in Hackley Park- 350 W. Webster Ave., Muskegon.

Young Eagles Rally
The event offers free airplane rides for children ages 8 to 17. Pilots and ground support personnel participating in the event donate their time, their planes and fuel. The weather back-up day is Sunday, July 10, same times. For questions, contact Robert Taylor at (231) 690-0397. Register at youngeaglesday.org.

Village History Hunt
Enjoy a fun family scavenger hunt as you interact with Village docents to help you find the missing pieces to the puzzle. Cost is $18 for Adults, $16 for Seniors, $14 for Children ages 4-13, and free for Children under age 4. Historic White Pine Village– 1687 S. Lakeshore Dr., Ludington.

Meijer Grand Prix Horse Show
Flintfields Horse Park- 6535 Bates Rd., Williamsburg.

Music in the Park
FREE music event at Lindsey’s Park- 310 E. Wilson Dr., Idlewild. Field games for all ages, picnic tables provided or bring your own table/chairs. Some weekends will include pop-up shops and food vendors. BYOB. 

Adult Pickleball Clinic
Pentwater Tennis & Pickleball Club- 8502 N. US-31, Pentwater. For more information or to register, visit pentwatertennisclub.com.

Muskegon Bike Time
Annual celebration of motorcycles which includes concerts, entertainment, and food. Thursday from 12-11pm, Friday/Saturday from 9am-11pm, and Sunday from 9am-4pm. For more information, visit muskegonbiketime.com.

Bus Day to Big Point Sable Lighthouse
Free concert from 1-3pm. Bus transportation from 12pm-5pm. Big Sable Point Lighthouse in Ludington State Park- 8800 M-116, Ludington.

Kaleva Heritage Days
Annual festival with an arts & crafts show, fireworks, parade, car show, and more. Kaleva Roadside Park.

Lakeside Club Tour of Homes
At various locations in Manistee. For tickets, go to lakesideclubmanistee.org or visit one of the following Manistee businesses: T.J.’s Pub, Kellie’s Hallmark, Alex Doucette’s, Manistee Visitors Bureau, or Macbeth and Co.

Lakeshore Pyrate Heads Buccaneer Bash
Food trucks, silent & live raffle items, live music by Jimmy Dodson from 4-6pm and Two Dudes in Flip Flops from 6-9pm, and prizes for best Pirate Attire. $5 at the door, kids 12 and under are free. Proceeds benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. Ludington Boat Club- 502 Lake St., Ludington.

Smoke on the Water Rock & Blues Festival
A celebration of music and fun, all proceeds go to community projects with the current project being a beautiful, state-of-the-art amphitheater to be built on the shores of Lake Michigan. There will be a 6-foot fenced-in area with privacy screening for marijuana consumption. Tickets are $20 + a $1 processing fee. A limited number of tickets are available. Tickets will be $30 at the door. For more information, visit facebook.com

National Baby Food Festival
Annual festival with fun for the whole family. Main St., Fremont. For more information, visit fremontcommerce.com.

Youth Pickleball Clinic
Pentwater Tennis & Pickleball Club- 8502 N. US-31, Pentwater. For more information, visit pentwatertennisclub.com.

AFFEW Beach Sweep
Beach clean-up at Stearns Park Beach, Ludington.

Ludington Coin Club Coin & Stamp Show
Free admission. Door prizes and raffle prizes. Hamlin Town Hall- 3775 N. Jebavy Dr., Ludington.

Muddy Fox Trot
Family-friendly 5k mud run with a boot camp style obstacle course. West Shore Community College- 3000 N. Stiles Rd., Scottville.

Grand Prix Horse Show
Flintfields Horse Park- 6535 Bates Rd., Williamsburg.

Traverse City Film Festival
The festival brings films and filmmakers from around the world to Northern Michigan and presents classic movies free of charge. For more information, visit traversecityfilmfestival.org

Flower Show
Divisions include Horticulture, Design, Education, Youth, and Botanical Arts (with sections on Artistic Crafts and Photography). Farr Center- 5283 Main St., Onekama. For more information, visit portagelakegardenclub.org.

Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival
Annual Festival with fun for the whole family. Downtown Grand Haven. For tickets or more information, visit tickets.coastguardfest.org.

Pentwater Gallery Stroll
Visit Pentwater galleries to browse art and enter to win prizes. Downtown Pentwater.

Crooked Tree Art Fair
Crooked Tree Art Center- 322 Sixth St., Traverse City

International Hunter Derby Horse Show
Flintfields Horse Park- 6535 Bates Rd., Williamsburg.

Check back often for updates to this calendar of events!

Current Events in West Michigan

Activities & Attractions in West Michigan

Biking in West Michigan

Much of West Michigan is bicycle-friendly, and you’ll find many nice paths on which to ride. It’s great exercise with great scenery to enjoy.

Manistee National Forest

Manistee National Forest together with the Huron National Forest occupies almost a million acres of land in Michigan’s lower peninsula.

West Michigan Arts Scene

West Michigan is home to numerous artists with so many different talents. Groovy music, vivid paintings, gorgeous photography, and more!

West Michigan Lighthouses

A site to behold along Lake Michigan, these structures with a rich history give both a sense of safety and a beautiful site.

Winter in Manistee County

Winter in Manistee County includes great outdoor activities like skiing, snow shoeing, hiking, ice skating, and more.

Grand Traverse Lighthouse

The Grand Traverse Lighthouse is situated at the end of the Leelanau Peninsula within, about eight miles north of the town of Northport.

Traverse City Opera House

The Traverse City Opera House has a 700-seat theater which offers a place for quality arts and cultural entertainment.