Summer is a beautiful time to visit Michigan’s Upper Peninsula! While you’re planning your trip around which popular destinations you want to visit, check out our unique, popular events and traditions, too. Enhance your visit with a rodeo, fragrant flowers, car shows, music festivals and much more. Peruse our U.P. summer events below, and visit our events calendar for more options.
Lilac Festival
June 9-18 | The Mackinac Island Lilac Festival is the largest and most historic festival on Mackinac Island. It’s 10 days celebrating the lilacs and their uniqueness and history to Mackinac Island. Join us for the Lilac Queen coronation, official poster reveal, 10K Run/Walk, lilac walking tours, lilac planting seminars, bounce houses, Michigan Cornhole tournament, live music, the Grand Parade and more!
Carney Roundup Rodeo
June 3-4 | This annual event raises money for the Carney facility for the benefit of youth in the Upper Peninsula. Enjoy a queen competition and popular rodeo events. Find prices on their website.
Pictured Rocks Days
June 10-11 | Pictured Rocks Days is a two-day festival hosted by the Alger County Chamber in conjunction with Pictured Rocks Cruises where U.P. residents can take a free Pictured Rocks boat tour with a valid MI Upper Peninsula ID (limit 1,000 per day). There will be live music, food trucks, a petting zoo, bounce houses, arts and crafts and fun throughout the weekend. This free event draws over 7,500 attendees! Make sure you don't miss this year's festivities!
Bridgefest
June 15-18 | Bridgefest is a weekend celebration of the Portage Lake Lift Bridge and the communities that it connects. Bridgefest is in its 36th year of this annual celebration, with this year being its 63rd year dedication of the Bridge!
St. Ignace Car Show
June 22-25 | Join us for the 46th Annual St. Ignace Car Show Weekend! This all makes, all models show has taken over downtown St. Ignace the last weekend of June for 47 years! We’re especially excited to see the return of some perennial favorites that have been missing for the last two years as well as some brand new activities.
Soo Locks Engineers Day
June 30 | Engineers Day is making a triumphant return this summer! In partnership with the City of Sault Ste. Marie, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Army Corps of Engineers, we are ecstatic to help put on this special event. This year, you’ll once again be able to cross over the MacArthur Lock and get as close as possible to freighters. Join us for a day full of celebration and amazement. Beginning at 9 a.m., a section of West Portage Avenue in between Ferris Street and Gov. Osbourne Boulevard will be closed off to traffic until 6 p.m. We’re looking forward to having over 30 vendors on the street offering water safety information, info on area attractions and a platform for area merchants. The Soo Locks Park and observation deck will both be open from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Baraga County Lumberjack Days
July 3-4 | Join the Lumberjack Days Liberty 5k run/walk, street dance, royalty events, pancake breakfast, parade, bean bag toss and more! Dates to be announced.
63rd Annual Art on the Rocks
July 29-30 | This juried fine art show is celebrating its 63rd year. This is one of the most anticipated summer events in Marquette and the Upper Peninsula. This event features high quality artists paired with a beautiful location that allows art lovers to have an amazing visual weekend.
U.P. State Fair
Aug. 14-20 | Come to the U.P. for this week of blue ribbon fun, thrilling rides, enthralling grandstand performances and mouth-watering fried foods! The U.P. State Fair is a blast, and making it a part of your traditions only promises more fun for your summer.
Porcupine Mountains Music Festival
Aug. 25-26 | This two day-long festival features eclectic, high energy music with two stages and a busking barn.
Mackinac Island Fudge Festival
Aug. 25-27 | For an entire weekend, the Mackinac Island Fudge Festival celebrates the Island’s most famous treat and features a number of fudge-related, fun, family events! Activities include fudge-making demonstrations, fudge inspired food and cocktails, an outdoor movie, family games and more!
Annual Labor Day Mackinac Bridge Walk
Sept. 4 | The Mackinac Bridge Walk is an annual event held every Labor Day since 1958 in Michigan in which people can walk the length of the Mackinac Bridge. In an average year, 40,000 to 65,000 people participate in the five-mile walk.
27th Annual Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show
Sept. 15-17 | Join us for the 27th Annual St. Ignace Truck Show Weekend. The Grand Marshall for this year's truck show is Leo Hoag, aka Stubby. Leo is a veteran and former truck driver. Enjoy not only the truck show, but live music and a parade of lights!
Plan your stay!
Don’t wait! Plan your trip and book your stay today to make sure you can attend all the unique U.P. events you want to this summer.
We would love to see your favorite summer scenes and adventures! Use our hashtag #uptravel for an opportunity to be featured on our social media, website or in our marketing materials. You can also upload your photos to our Summer Photo Crowdriff Collector below.