How Sweet It Is: Discover These 15 Michigan Fruit Festivals
Would you like to save this full guide?
We'll email this article to you, so you can come back to it later!
Michigan residents and visitors know the Great Lakes State has a vibrant festival scene all year, but nowhere is that more evident than the state’s diverse and fun-filled fruit festivals.
From succulent strawberries to juicy peaches, Michigan’s fruit festivals offer delightful celebrations of nature’s bounty. As the sun bathes orchards in warmth, communities across the state come alive with the sweet aromas and flavors of locally grown fruits.
Get ready to savor the essence of Michigan’s harvest season and immerse yourself in the joyous festivities that pay homage to sweet, delectable fruit.
Getting to Know Michigan’s Fruit Belt
Michigan’s fruit belt runs along the entire Lake Michigan side of the Lower Peninsula, where the adaptability of the land makes it a perfect place for growing blueberries, cranberries, cherries, and many other fruits.
One of the most successful growing spots along the coast is Fruit Ridge which covers more than 150 square miles from Walker to Grant to Sparta and includes parts of Ottawa, Muskegon, Kent, and Newaygo counties.
The Ridge accounts for over 60% of the state’s apple production. Blueberries, strawberries, and pears are among the other fruits harvested in the area.
Blueberry Festival | Marquette
One of the Upper Peninsula’s signature summer events, the Blueberry Festival makes downtown Marquette come alive each July. Visitors can enjoy sidewalk sales and all things blueberry – including blueberry pizza and blueberry beer.
Visitors of all ages can take advantage of “blue” specials in many downtown shops, special blueberry-flavored or blueberry-themed foods from local eateries, and plenty of fresh blueberries sold by local vendors.
Blueberry Festival | South Haven
Each August, thousands of visitors flock to this scenic Lake Michigan town for a whole host of delicious foods and fun events.
Some of the festival’s signature events include a 5K run/walk, a craft fair, live music, kids’ fun zone rides, a pie-eating contest, and a parade.
Blueberry Festival | Montrose
For over 50 years, the Blueberry Festival has been a Montrose mainstay each August. The city’s celebration of the blueberry includes a pie-eating contest, a blueberry pancake breakfast, a pie sale, and a blueberry store with all sorts of festival goodies.
The festival’s event lineup also includes a kick-off car show, a co-ed softball tournament, a royal tea party, a cornhole tournament, a flea market, and a Super Parade with the Blueberry Queen and her court.
Wild Blueberry Festival | Paradise
Nestled in the shadow of Tahquamenon Falls, Paradise has hosted the Wild Blueberry Festival since 1984, celebrating the blueberry bushes that have flourished for decades.
That “blue gold” is celebrated with a blueberry festival brunch and a bake sale with muffins, pies, and other goodies. The festival also includes live entertainment, a festival fish bowl, a souvenir tent, and more.
National Cherry Festival | Traverse City
One of the biggest and best events of a Michigan summer is Traverse City’s National Cherry Festival. The festival brings nearly half a million people to enjoy cherry-flavored foods, live entertainment, and more.
What began as a “blessing of blossoms” in the early 1900s has transformed into a week-long celebration with a grand marshal, a mascot, and a National Cherry Queen.
The fun never stops at the festival, and the event lineup includes a cherry pit spitting contest, live shows from nationally touring musicians and comedians, air shows, a festival of races, and more.
Peach Festival | Romeo
For over 90 years, the Peach Festival has been a Romeo Labor Day weekend tradition. Local businesses dish up plenty of tasty peach offerings including fresh peaches, peach pie, peach milkshakes, ice cream, and more.
For a week, attendees can enjoy indoor garage sales, craft shows, a used book sale, art exhibitions, 5K and 10K races, live music, beer and wine offerings, and more.
Strawberry Festival | Hartford
Each June, this strawberry-themed party offers fun for attendees of all ages. The festival includes a kiddie parade down Main Street and the crowning of Strawberry royalty right after, a strawberry pancake breakfast, and a strawberry parade.
Visitors can also enjoy live performances, a petting zoo and pony rides, craft and food vendors, a car and bike show, and a strawberry pie eating contest.
Four Flags Apple Festival | Niles
Do you like apples? The organizers of this Southwest Michigan fall festival hope so because it’s been a local mainstay since 1972. Hungry attendees won’t have to look far for apple goodies because the festival offers cookies, cider, and pies — if you can dream it, the festival probably has it.
Past festivals have included apple peeling contests, free nightly performances, a two-hour grande parade, rides, games, food, and more.
Michigan Apple Fest | Sparta
As part of Michigan’s Fruit Ridge, Sparta hosts an annual September apple celebration bursting with good food and fun events. Apples are put front and center in fun events like an apple pie baking contest, the crowning of a Michigan Apple Queen, an apple slingshot, and kids’ apple box tractor rides.
The fun doesn’t stop there, however. The lineup also includes a lumberjack show, a fireworks show, inflatables, harvest hayrides, raffles, music, and other apple-related events.
Wine & Harvest Festival | Paw Paw
While harvest festivals are common in the fall, this Southwest Michigan celebration is a fun way to support the grape — more specifically, local wineries. Attendees of appropriate age can enjoy offerings, sales, and entertainment from local wineries, a Grape Stomp, and a Grape Escape classic car, truck, and motorcycle show.
The festival’s schedule includes plenty more non-wine-related activities including fireworks over Maple Lake, a marketplace, Stompyland — an area for kids — and a pickleball tournament.
St. Florian Strawberry Festival | Hamtramck
Hamtramck is already a hotspot for paczki on Fat Tuesday, but this annual May shindig invites residents and visitors to celebrate strawberries and Polish culture together. That includes delicious Polish foods, beer, and a strawberry bakery.
The event lineup includes a firefighters’ mass, performances by Polish folk dancers, live musical performances, inflatable games, live painting demonstrations, and church tours.
Glad-Peach Festival | Coloma
Just south of South Haven, this annual August festival on the Lake Michigan shoreline pairs the sweetness of peach with the fun atmosphere of a festival. Peach-related events for the festival include the crowning of a Peach Court, a bake fest, a peach eating contest, and a peach pit spit.
After you’ve indulged in peachy goodness, enjoy other activities like a car show, a fireworks show, live performances, a family art fair, a 5K, and interactive inflatables.
Apple Fest | Charlevoix
The arrival of fall means it’s apple season in Michigan and Charlevoix has been celebrating crisp and delicious Michigan apples for over 40 years each October. An onsite farmer’s market allows visitors to stock up on fresh varieties of apples, cider, and other produce.
The festival also includes food booths with a tasty mix of goodies, and an arts and crafts show, providing the perfect opportunities to support local orchards, farmers, and artisans.
Addison Township Fire Dept. Strawberry Festival | Leonard
Just north of metro Detroit, this historic small town holds a strawberry festival each year on the third Saturday in July. The festival honors the juicy red fruit with a strawberry bake-off, a strawberries and ice cream social, a parade, and a pie-eating contest.
With just one day to celebrate, the festival doesn’t skimp on the fun, hosting kids’ activities, raffles, live entertainment, a book sale, a beard and mustache contest, and more.
Melon Festival | Howell
For more than 60 years, revelers have flocked to downtown Howell in August to celebrate the Howell Melon, a unique locally-grown muskmelon variety of cantaloupe that’s giant and sweet tasting.
The festival includes the famous (and fast-selling) melon ice cream and melon-flavored craft beer from local breweries. Visitors can also participate in the Howell Melon Run, watch a parade through downtown Howell, and complete a Melon Quest scavenger hunt.
Experience the Magic of a Michigan Fruit Festival
Whether you can’t get enough of fresh fruit or you love a fun festival atmosphere, Michigan’s many fruit festivals have something for everyone. These festivals are not just about indulging in delicious treats; they are a testament to the hard work of farmers and the spirit of togetherness that defines Michigan.
So make plans to attend a Michigan fruit festival. There’s a reason why thousands of visitors flock to them each year – delicious goodies made with fresh fruit, grand parades, delicious food, kids activities and so much more all add up to the perfect Michigan festival.
