Photo by Todd & Brad Reed Photography
When the Christmas season is upon us, the Victorian city of Manistee kicks off the festivities in a big way, with its annual Victorian Sleighbell Parade & Old Christmas Weekend. This popular event brings as many as 10,000 visitors to Manistee to experience the wonder of a Christmas gone by. The highlight of the parade is the Belgian draft horses that pulls a 30′ Christmas tree down River Street in downtown Manistee. The entire Old Christmas Weekend is filled with wonderful activities.
Manistee is a great place to pick up those gifts for everyone on your list, and downtown restaurants welcome you into their cozy establishments for a delicious meal. As the snow flies, enjoy the carolers, decked out in period dresses, coats, and top hats. It’s certainly the right setting to put you in a festive holiday mood.
For the holiday season, make sure you include Manistee’s Victorian Sleighbell Parade & Old Christmas Weekend in your plans.
If you are traveling from outside the area, check out places to stay in Manistee, and Manistee restaurants for your dining options.
And don’t forget to make time to visit the many downtown shops!
There’s so much to see and do in Manistee! Read the stories below or go to the Manistee destination page.
Manistee has the unique combination of beauty, history and nature, which attracts visitors from all over and inspires many to call it home.
Take one of the most scenic drives in the nation as you travel across M-22 in West Michigan. A long winding road of adventure awaits!
Take one of the most scenic drives in the nation as you travel across M-22 in West Michigan. A long winding road of adventure awaits!
There are great events and festivals throughout the year in Manistee, Michigan's Victorian Port City. Find fun for the whole family!
The Michigan Audubon Society Lake Bluff Center overlooks Lake Michigan near Manistee and features wildlife and a bird sanctuary.
Beautiful color emerges come Fall. Take it all in with an afternoon drive, or stroll, through the many forests of West Michigan.
The Manistee Riverwalk follows the Manistee River from Jones Street, under the US-31 bridge, behind downtown, and ends at First Street beach.
The North Pierhead Lighthouse, located in the Victorian Port City of Manistee, stands watch over Lake Michigan.
The Victorian port city of Manistee, MI features a River Walk, historic Ramsdell Theatre and the S.S. City of Milwaukee.
The Manistee River spans for miles and provides the perfect watershed for kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and exploring.
Manistee National Forest together with the Huron National Forest occupies almost a million acres of land in Michigan's lower peninsula.
The Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts is a cultural center in West Michigan and plays an integral part in Manistee’s history.
Onekama, in Manistee County, is the first community along the M-22 Scenic Heritage Route and is commonly known as the "Two Lake Town."
Winter in Manistee County includes great outdoor activities like skiing, snow shoeing, hiking, ice skating, and more.
Manistee County fishing reports for the Manistee River and Manistee Lake are provided by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Along the Lake Michigan shoreline between Ludington and Manistee, you'll find natural splendor- the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness area.
The historical Vogue Theatre in Manistee, renovated as a modern-day movie theater, shows current movies, classic films, and family movies.
Take a tour on the Historic S.S. City of Milwaukee car ferry and the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Acacia docked in Manistee, Michigan.
The township of Arcadia in Manistee County, home of Arcadia Daze every July, is less than 15 minutes north of Onekama.
Known as the "Two Lake Town", Onekema is just 20 minutes from Manistee and provides a cozy escape from the everyday.
Manistee offers a variety of fishing opportunities! Cast your own line into one of the many lakes or streams — or hop aboard a charter boat!
Manistee Downtown Development Authority
(231) 398-3262
Planning a visit to the Manistee area? Have questions about your trip? Here’s where you can find help:
Contact the Manistee County Tourism Authority here:
Find all the places where the kids can visit and have pictures taken with Santa in Ludington, Scottville, Manistee, Oceana County, and more.
Pentwater’s Christmas in the Village, held throughout the month of December, has carriage rides, shopping, craft fair, and more.
Ludington has many businesses to help you enjoy crafting and appreciate the finished product. Let them help you create your own masterpiece!
Come see thousands upon thousands of Christmas lights set up in nearly 50 holiday displays at Hopkins Park in Bear Lake.
Downtown Ludington hosts an annual lighted ball drop on New Year’s Eve along with live music, beer tent, and fireworks.
Farm Markets & U-Pick farms offer locally grown and organic produce, flowers, plants, seeds, and more in West Michigan.
Arts & Crafts Shows and Bazaars during the fall/winter in West Michigan have handcrafted and specialty items for your Christmas gift giving.
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.
The Ludington Area Festival of Lights is a dazzling drive-thru light display that runs from Thanksgiving until the last weekend of December.
Set in the heart of downtown Ludington is the Todd & Brad Reed Photo Gallery, and it’s a must-see for anyone who appreciates true beauty.
Before you make a splash in Lake Michigan, check out the water temperatures for beaches from Manistee, Ludington, Pentwater, and Silver Lake.
The Manistee Riverwalk follows the Manistee River from Jones Street, under the US-31 bridge, behind downtown, and ends at First Street beach.
Hop aboard the Lake Michigan S.S. Badger Carferry! Take the famous cruise across Lake Michigan and experience the Badger and all it has to do!
Pere Marquette River, with it’s moderately fast current and clear water, is an extremely popular river for canoeists and kayakers.
The Annual Show of the Western Michigan Old Engine Club is held the first weekend of August at Scottville’s Riverside Park.