This Sweet Small-Town Festival Makes the Perfect Family Weekend

Save this itinerary for a fun spring getaway with the family in Michigan!

Known as “The Sweetest Little Town Anywhere Around,” Shepherd, Michigan, comes alive on the last weekend in April for its annual Maple Syrup Festival. This beloved event features the famous all-you-can-eat pancake and sausage meal, carnival rides, helicopter rides, a petting zoo, parades, tractor pulls, a car show, and plenty more to fill the weekend.

To make the trip even sweeter, book your stay in nearby Mt. Pleasant. Only a hop away from Shepherd, Mt. Pleasant has a variety of lodging options, including hotels with pools, bed & breakfasts, and vacation rentals.

This year’s Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival takes place Thursday, April 23, through Sunday, April 26, 2026.

Thank you to Meet Mt. Pleasant for partnering with us to highlight this amazing spring getaway opportunity for families!

Enjoy a full weekend of family fun at the Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival.

Festival highlights include:

• All you can eat pancake and sausage meal – kids under 4 eat for free!
• Sugar bush tours & syrup sales
• Carnival rides
• Petting zoo
• Pony rides
• Helicopter rides
• Parades
• Train Depot Museum
• Little Red Schoolhouse & Museum
• 5K Walk/Run & Kids Fun Run
• Arts & Crafts show
• Tractor pull & horse pull
• Musical performances
• And more!

Check out the complete Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival schedule.

Stay and play in Mt. Pleasant.

For the Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival weekend, nearby Mt. Pleasant makes the perfect home base. Mt. Pleasant has plenty of hotel options with pools, including the Holiday Inn, Baymont Inn, Days Inn, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, and Soaring Eagle Waterpark.

Families can spend the weekend at the Soaring Eagle Waterpark, where you’ll find plenty of fun in the water, including water slides, a FlowRider surfing area, a lazy river, rock wall climbing, and a hot tub area.

Waterpark day passes are available for purchase even if you’re not staying on-site.

Choose from a wide variety of family-friendly restaurants.

Mt. Pleasant is full of restaurants that the whole family will enjoy.

Must-try restaurants in Mt. Pleasant:

• Soda Lounge: bubbly dirty sodas + ice cream treats
• Pixie Restaurant: retro 1950s decor and classic diner menu
• Sumo Sushi Steak House: a memorable hibachi grill experience
• Mountain Town Station: steakhouse fare in a renovated train depot
• Johnny Rockets (in Soaring Eagle): iconic shakes, burgers, and fries
• Nbakade Family Restaurant (in Soaring Eagle Waterpark): kid-friendly basics for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• Doozie’s Ice Cream: a local favorite known for generous portions – cash only

More restaurant recommendations in Shepherd:

• Shepherd Bar & Restaurant: try the Maple burger!
• Silver Spoon Coffee House: cozy coffee house and light bites 

Experience the Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum.

Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum is always a fun stop with kids. As a small but mighty museum, this place is efficiently packed with engaging, educational activities. Some favorite exhibits include the water table, the rocket building and play area, and the Mid-Michigan mechanic station.

Explore Mt. Pleasant’s local park system.

Mt. Pleasant is home to several beautiful parks that are perfect for exploring with kids. Island Park features a huge playground and splash pad, Deerfield Nature Park has several bridges that make the trails extra fun for little adventurers, and Bundy Hill offers a rewarding hike to the highest point in Isabella County.

Plan your perfect family getaway in Mt. Pleasant.

The Mt. Pleasant area makes a great family trip any time of year, but the Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival is a particularly sweet time to visit.

Be sure to check out Meet Mt. Pleasant for more Central Michigan travel inspiration all year round!