26 of the Best Fall Festivals in Michigan (a list from A-Z)
Ok friends, now that Labor Day Weekend has passed, the cooler breezes of autumn are going to blow across the state from Lake Michigan. As a Michigan native, I've always thought the Great Lakes State offers quintessential Fall fun, thanks to all the apple cider mills, the perfect pumpkin patch, football and fall color tours, from southwest Michigan on up to the Upper Peninsula. But the best part? The annual Michigan Fall festivals.
And don't forget those key festival features often appeal to the whole family: food trucks and food vendors, car shows, pony rides, wagon rides, live entertainment, maybe a craft show or two, and the occasional carnival rides. To help you plan, we're breaking down 26 of the best fall festivals in the state, listed from A-Z!
The Best Fall Festivals in Michigan...
Ann Arbor: Fall Fest at The Petting Farm - October 12, 2024. This annual event features hay rides, Chamberlain pony rides for kids, bounce houses, costume contests, and the Spinner's Flock Fiber Market featuring Michigan wool, handspun yarn, raw fleeces, quilting batts, and more. More info.
Battle Creek: Friday Night Market, Oktober Fest - October 11, 2024. Tis the season to Weizen... and that means Oktober Fest at the Battle Creek Farmers Market. This family-friendly event includess farm vendors, craft vendors, food trucks and live music. Bonus: Free admission! More info.
Chelsea: Finders Keepers Fall Market - September 22, 2024. My hometown knows how to put on fun at the Fairgrounds. Go for a great time including 200+ vendors, locally made products, vintage + new decor dealers, boutique trucks and food trucks. More info.
Detroit: Detroit Harvest Fest & Food Truck Rally - October 5-6, 2024. We spent 10+ years in metro Detroit but always found time to enjoy downtown Detroit. This 'Fest by the Detroit River Conservancy includes food trucks and live music, but also 2 trick-or-treating alleys, a pumpkin patch and pumpkin decorating for kids, and spooky science activities. More info.
Escanaba: UPtoberfest - October 12, 2024. Zip to the Upper Peninsula for some adult fun at the U.P.’s longest-running beer and wine festival. UPtoberfest includes live music, food, games, brewing demos, and more. Just keep in mind you must be 21 and up to attend. More info.
Flint: The Ruth Mott Foundation Fall Harvest Festival - October 5, 2024. This annual event offers the whole family a day to learn about history, eat locally-sourced food, acquire "new skills" as their website boasts (photos show kids using an apple press), and experience the enduring legacy of C.S. and Ruth Mott. More info.
Grand Rapids: ArtPrize - September 13-28, 2024. ArtPrize, recognized as the world's largest art event, features over 1,600 artists exhibiting their work in downtown Grand Rapids. The festival includes three grand parades, live music, a dazzling fireworks display, and lets visitors determine the $125,000 grand prize winner for their artwork. More info.
Holland: Fall Fest - October 4-5, 2024. Festival organizers promise a weekend of family fun including professional pumpkin carving demonstrations, street performers, artisan market featuring local artists and their wares for sale, and more. And true to their Holland roots, visitors can volunteer to plant tulip bulbs for the May bloom. More info.
More of the Best Fall Festivals in Michigan...
Iron Mountain: Oktoberfest - September 28, 2024. Another perfect time to celebrate this fun tradition! The annual Iron Mountain Oktoberfest offers delish German food, stein holding competitions, and a lively children's area with bounce houses and outdoor games. More info.
Jackson: The K105.3 Fall Fest & Chili Classic - September 28, 2024. The description of this fest feels so Midwest with $5 chili tastings, a playful children's area, a fun run, and refreshing autumn weather. Loved spotting their lead sponsor - Industrial Steel Treating - who employed my dad while I was growing up. I see you Levy fam! More info.
Kalamazoo: Portage Fall Festival - September 22, 2024. Enjoy historical and cooking demos at Celery Flats, tasty food truck treats, live music by the Bourbon Brothers, horse-drawn rides, fall crafts, and a petting zoo. Entry is free! More info.
Lansing: BealFest - September 12, 2024. The Beal Botanical Garden's annual fall celebration honors 150 years of the MSU Arboretum. This year's theme highlights trees, with headliner, the much beloved apple! While details were slim at the time of publication, organizers promise this event will include "something for everyone with activities, performances, demonstrations, treats, and trees to adopt." More info.
Mackinac Island: Halloween Weekend - October 25-27, 2024. While not a traditional festival, this weekend's festivities mark the end of the season for most island businesses. Visitors can enjoy the Great Turtle Trail Run, trick-or-treating for kids downtown, and adult costume contests at island establishments. More info.
Niles: Four Flags Area Apple Festival - September 26-29, 2024. The dreams Michigan festivals are made of. A grand parade for starters, but the fun escalates to rides, games, fair food, and nightly entertainment. Stock up on all things apple from cider to pastries - each attendee also receives a free apple! More info.
Orion Township: Canterbury Village Fall Festival - September 21-22, 2024. Another Fall festival true to the hype - visitors are treated to pumpkin bowling, a hay bale pyramid, petting zoo, lawn games and more. Definitely stop at the Yates Cider Mill for apple cider and fresh donuts. More info.
More of the Best Fall Festivals in Michigan...
Petoskey: Fall Fest Weekends at Pond Hill Farm - September 21-October 27, 2024. A little outside Petoskey but one our whole family loves - this weekends-only fest includes all-things-pumpkins, a corn maze, pumpkin bowling, hayrides, pumpkin smashing, squash rocket, apple cannons, cider & donuts, and so much more. Do not, I repeat, do not, miss the glorious Gnome House Hunt hike. More info.
Quincy: Pints in the Park - September 28, 2024. A beer and music festival designed to promote and support Michigan breweries, wineries, and distilleries? RSVP us a yes. Layer in good food booths along Main Street and maybe a beer tent, and you know it will be good times. More info.
Rochester: Paint Creek Center for the Arts Art & Apples Festival - September 6-8, 2024. What do you get when you combine a 30-acre city park, a Meijer kids' activities area, art demos, and a three-day weekend? This festival. When you're done, stroll the streets of the so-sweet Rochester. More info.
Saginaw: Frankenmuth Oktoberfest - September 19-22, 2024. Known as Michigan's little Bavaria, Frankenmuth knows how to put on an event. This annual German food festival includes good food, drinks, and souvenirs, but its highlight is the large wooden dance floor. More info.
Traverse City: Fall Fido Fest - October 12, 2024. What a unique event idea - grab the fam and your furry friend for an afternoon of paw-esome fun. This 2nd annual event boasts pet costume contests, a dog agility course, photo booth fun, and more at the stunning Village at Grand Traverse Commons. Stop in at Left Foot Charley for a glass of vino after the festival wraps! More info.
More Fall fun this way:
The last of the Best Fall Festivals in Michigan...
Utica: Nightmare on Auburn Street Fall Festival - October 5, 2024. The prize for the most unique of Michigan festivals goes to this gem. Channeling Halloween, the streets come alive with a find Bigfoot contest, zombie walk after dark, and apple cider and donuts, all topped off with a Michigan craft beer tent. More info.
Van Buren Charter Township: DeBuck's Family Farm Fall Festival - September 14-October 27, 2024. My path crossed with owners Eric and Scott DeBuck in college, and it's amazing to see how their family business has evolved since. This annual Fall Festival offers everything you wish it did - a corn maze, combine slide, jumping pad, straw mountain, as well as a 20-acre pumpkin wonderland. Tell them Jeanine says hi. More info.
Warren: St. Anne Sausage Festival - September 20-22, 2024. Three days of Polish dancers, carnival games and carnival rides, live entertainment and a Vegas tent = an annual event the whole family will love. More info.
eXeter Township: Kackleberry Farms Fall Festival - September 14-November 2, 2024. Offering over 30 farm fun activities, visitors will love the Unlimited Super Mega Slide Rides, acres of zinnias and sunflowers, and try your hand at their new stationary paintball activity (report back bc we're dying to know what this means!). More info.
Ypsilanti: Fall Fest - October 5, 2024. As part of Ypsi in October - an epic weekend of Halloween and Fall-themed events in the city - the Ladies' Literary Club offers the family-friendly Fall Fest. Go for local artisans, Fall flowers for purchase, face painting and lots for kid-friendly fun. More info.
Zeeland: Pumpkinfest - October 3-5, 2024. From a 5K to pumpkin bowling to corn hole tournaments and other exciting yard games, to pumpkin painting, to pie eating contests, this annual event is entering its 40th year. More info.
