Photo by Manistee National Forest Festival

Manistee National Forest Festival

June 30th-July 4th, 2027

The Manistee National Forest Festival began as a way to celebrate and honor the Manistee National Forest, which encompasses over 480,000 acres. This is truly a “don’t-miss” event for the entire family, and a great venue for making some wonderful summer memories.

The annual Manistee National Forest Festival promises fun for the entire family. It’s one of the largest 4th of July celebrations in the state, presented by the Manistee Chamber of Commerce since 1936.

Here's what happened in 2026:

Events take place at Douglas Park/First Street Beach- 100 S. Lakeshore Dr., Manistee, unless otherwise noted.

Events Happening Over Multiple Days

  • Daily from 11am-Dusk – Madkat Taggers GelBall in the Marketplace at Douglas Park
  • Daily – Timber Art Chainsaw Carvings at 12pm, 3pm, & 6pm
  • Daily – Twiggy the Water Skiing Squirrel on Wednesday & Thursday at 2pm, 4pm, & 6pm and Friday-Sunday at 12pm, 2pm, & 4pm
  • Daily – Anderson Midway Carnival at First Street Beach. Wednesday from 4-10pm, Thursday & Friday from 1pm-Dusk, Saturday from 12pm-Dusk, and Sunday from 12-5pm.
  • Thursday-Saturday at 1pm, 3pm, & 5pm and Sunday at 11am, 1pm, & 3pm – Astrov’s Acrobatic Extravaganza at Douglas Park Softball Field
  • Thursday-Sunday from 10am-Dusk – Whispering Pines Mobile Petting Zoo, sponsored by Dr. Shrink, Inc. & Manistee Tire Service.
  • Friday & Saturday from 10am-5pm – A Red, White & Boom Shop Scavenger Hunt at Pure Manistee Gifts- 333 River St. Free event where 10 tokens are hidden around the store each day. Each token wins a prize with one prize per family.
  • Friday & Saturday at 1:30pm, 3:30pm, & 5:30pm – Lumberjack Show at Douglas Park Softball Field
  • Friday from 6-7pm & Saturday from 1-2pm – Great Lakes Cloggers Dance performance at the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts. Free event.
  • Friday-Sunday from 11am-4pm – 1890 Portrait Experience at Pure Manistee- 333 River St. Each package includes use of costumes/props and one digital sepia-toned photo, with additional items available for purchase.
  • Saturday & Sunday from 10am-5pm – Artisan Fair at Red Szymarek Park- 106 Charter Ct., Manistee. 

Wednesday

  • 6-7pm – Beach Vibes Platter Bubble Painting Technique Class at The Purple Paintbrush- 338 River St. 
  • 8:15-9:45pm – Sunset Cruise with Manistee Harbor Tours– 428 River St., Manistee, tickets required

Thursday

  • 11am-12pm – Sandcastle Story Time with Miss Angie from the Manistee County Library at 5th Avenue Beach.
  • 11am-2pm – Kick Off to the 4th of July Party at the Wagoner Community Center- 260 St. Mary’s Parkway. The Manistee Senior Center hosts this festive event featuring live music by Virgil Baker & the Just 4 Fun Band, a catered lunch, and dancing. Cost is $15 per person and includes a full meal including chicken, brats, sides, & strawberry shortcake.
  • 2-4pm – America’s 250th Birthday Celebration outside the Manistee County Library- 95 Maple St. including free cake, crafts, and yard games.
  • 5-6pm – Sip & Paint Party with The Purple Paintbrush at First Street Beach.
  • 7:30pm – Kanin Wren’s Taylor Swift Experience at the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts- 101 Maple St. 

Friday

  • 10am-12pm – Manistee Stone Skipping Challenge at Penny Park- 230 Gillespie Rd., East Lake. Free competition for msot skips or longest distance.
  • 10am-3pm – Friends of the Library Book Sale at the Manistee Library lawn.
  • 6-9pm – American Sunset Sip & Paint Party at The Purple Paintbrush. 
  • 7-10:30pm – Beach Jam at First Street Beach featuring live music by The Downtowners. BYOB & chairs.
  • 8:30-11pm – Sunset & Fireworks Cruise with Manistee Harbor Tours- Tickets required
  • Dusk – Fireworks over Lake Michigan. Best seen at First Street Beach. 

Saturday

  • 8-9:30am – Manistee Firecracker 5k Run/Walk at Manistee Middle/High School- 525 12th St. 
  • 8-11am – Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser for Carr Fire Department at Whiskey Creek Campground- 5080 Sipper Rd., Custer. Cost is a $10 per person donation.
  • 9am-12pm – Manistee Farmer’s Market at Wagoner Community Center- 260 St. Mary’s Parkway.
  • 9am-12:30pm – Floats & Popcorn at The Vogue Theatre- 383 River St. by donation.
  • 9:45am – Independence Day Flag Raising Ceremony at Division & River Streets.
  • 10am – Independence Day Parade on River Street. 
  • 12pm – Duck Race Raffle at Maple Street Bridge & Manistee River Channel. 1,500 yellow rubber ducks race down the Manistee River Channel to the finish line near the Elks Lodge. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top finishers.
  • 12-6pm – Manistee American Legion Post 10 Red, White, & Barbeque– 10 Mason St. Free meal but donations appreciated. Featuring live music, a cornhole tournament, raffles, and activities for kids.
  • 1-6pm – Fourth of July Recovery BBQ and Online Silent Auction Fundraiser at Lyons Pavilion on First Street Beach. Free BBQ and silent auction hosted by Saged Recovery & Wellness Collaborative. 
  • 6-8pm – Outside The Outsider– 457 River St. featuring live music on the patio with The Erly.
  • 7-10pm – Live music in the backyard featuring Paddock at Manistee National Golf & Resort- 4797 Grand Highway. 
  • 9-11:30pm – 4th of July Cruise with Manistee Harbor Tours, tickets required.
  • 10pm – Fireworks at Whiskey Creek Campground.

Sunday

  • 8am-1pm – MAPS Traditional Pancake Breakfast at MMHS Commons- 525 12th St. Proceeds benefit Manistee’s Paine Aquatic Center. Cost is $10 per person for all you can eat pancakes, sausage, with coffee/juice available.
  • 3-5pm – Scottville Clown Band Performance at the Lions Pavilion in Douglas Park.

Stay tuned here for info on the 2027 Manistee National Forest Festival!

Experience Manistee

There’s so much to see and do in Manistee! Read the stories below or go to the Manistee destination page.

For more information on the Manistee Forest Festival, please contact the event organizer:

Manistee Chamber of Commerce

11 Cypress St., Manistee, MI 49660

231-723-2575

manisteeforestfestival.com

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Manistee National Forest

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