5 Reasons to Fall in Love with Fennville
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Fennville Michigan is a small farming community off the beaten path in southwest Michigan. This quaint low-key town is often overlooked because of its proximity to the popular tourist city Saugatuck.
Only seven miles southeast of Saugatuck, Fennville is close enough to be a day trip but removed enough to feel like you are on a hiatus.
A visit to Fennville can be a great family outing, day date, or even a weekend getaway. There are many reasons to fall in love with Fennville but here are just five to get you started.
Editor’s Note: This post was published in 2015 and has since been updated for accuracy.
Crane’s Pie Pantry Restaurant & Winery
This family-owned business is decorated with memorabilia of the farm life inside and out. Crane’s is known for their pies, donuts, sit-down pantry, and most recently added their own wine and hard cider.
If that doesn’t convince you, these two words will: pie flight. Can’t decide on which amazing piece of pie to indulge in? Order a flight! Try five different pies, served a la mode.
You, too, will rave about Crane’s Pie Pantry Restaurant & Winery.
Let’s not forget about the other two Crane family businesses that make Fennville special. Visit Crane’s Orchards or Gary Crane’s U-Pick Farm to keep your picnic basket filled to the brim spring, summer, and fall. From blueberries to apples to pumpkins, each season offers the freshest Michigan-grown produce.
Salt of the Earth
This rustic American eatery and bakery sets the standard high for farm-to-table restaurants.
Located in quaint downtown Fennville, the menu evolves with the seasons and combines locally grown ingredients in creative and odd ways.
Would you like to try raspberry sorbet with your chicken wings? How about fried Brussel sprouts? These unique creations will have you intrigued and tickle your taste buds.
In addition to promoting whole foods and local farmers, Salt of the Earth also supports the arts by offering concerts and musical performances. Like the food served, the spectrums of artists are wide including Folk Pop Rock, Gypsy Jazz, and Rockabilly.
Fenn Valley Winery
You don’t have to travel all the way to Traverse City to enjoy a local winery with Fenn Valley Winery.
Enjoy winemaker’s dinners, traditional tastings, and tours, an annual 5k trail run, chili cook-off, the Grape Jam Vineyard Music Festival and so much more.
Virtue Cider Mill
This hard cider mill is new to the Fennville scene. Opening in June 2011 with the help of the former brewmaster of Goose Island, their concoctions are modeled after the traditional farmhouse ciders of Europe.
This Michigan cider mill creatively transforms heirloom apples into deliciously crisp and bubbling hard cider. Virtue Cider Mill takes pride in promoting crop diversity and supporting family farms.
Stop by for a tour and tasting!
Goose Festival
For more than 35 years, Fennville has hosted an annual Goose Festival on the second weekend in October.
This community celebration includes carnival activities, a 5k wild goose chase run, live music, beer tents, a parade, and more. The festival started in 1984 to attract tourists.
Why geese? Fennville is a part of many Canadian geese’s migratory route. For years the Fennville Farm Unit, part of the Allegan State Game Area, has been a sanctuary for waterfowl and a popular hunting spot.
More to Explore in Fennville and Beyond
Michigan is full of amazing small towns with so much character and hidden gems to uncover. Let us know if there is a small town in Michigan near you that you love to visit so we can stop by and do a feature story on it to share with the world yet another reason why the Mitten State is so awesome!