Michigan Great Lakes Summer Beach & Waterfront Festivals 2025

Michigan's Great Lakes coastline comes alive in the summer with a vibrant array of beach and waterfront festivals. These events offer a fantastic blend of art, music, food, and local culture, perfect for your lakefront Michigan vacation or summer festival crawl.

Please note dates may vary slightly by year and should be double checked before travel planning. Enjoy the Great Lakes!

Lake Michigan Beach Festivals (Michigan)

• South Haven HarborFest (South Haven): June 13-14, 2025. Typically held Father's Day weekend, celebrating South Haven's maritime heritage with dragon boat races, artisan markets, entertainment, and food.
• Lakeshore Art Festival (Muskegon): June 28-29, 2025. A significant downtown Muskegon event, featuring juried fine art, handcrafted goods, music, food, and interactive art stations. Highly relevant for your local properties and brand.
• Grand Haven Art Festival (Grand Haven): June 27-29, 2025. Transforms Washington Avenue into an outdoor gallery.
• Manistee National Forest Festival (Manistee): July 2-6, 2025. While inland, it boasts events like a Marketplace, Arts & Crafts, Carnival, and fireworks over Lake Michigan.
• Ludington Freedom Festival (Ludington): July 3-4, 2025. Annual festival with parades and fireworks over Lake Michigan.
• South Haven Art Fair (South Haven): July 5-6, 2025. A juried art fair featuring painting, sculpture, photography, jewelry, and more, just one block from Lake Michigan.
• West Shore Art Fair (Ludington): July 5-6, 2025. Features artists across various media.
• Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival (Grand Haven): July 25 - August 3, 2025. A nationally recognized festival honoring the U.S. Coast Guard, featuring live music, parades, and fireworks. Often includes beachfront activities.
• Great Lakes Surf Festival (Muskegon): August 9, 2025. Held at Pere Marquette Beach in Muskegon, this non-profit event celebrates Great Lakes surf culture with water sports, wellness, art, and music. Another excellent local fit.
• Burning Foot Beer Festival (Muskegon): August 23, 2025. A celebration of beer, beach, art, and music held along Lake Michigan's lakeshore. Unique for its beach camping and barefoot entry. Also highly relevant to your local area.
• 49th Annual All Crafts Fair (South Haven): August 30-31, 2025. Held over Labor Day Weekend, featuring over 150 craft vendors.

Lake Huron Beach Festivals (Michigan)

• The Blue Water Festival, Port Huron's Boat Weekend (Port Huron): July 9-12, 2025. Kicks off the Port Huron to Mackinac race, featuring concerts, a street fair, and family activities.
• Blue Water SandFest, Sand Sculpting Festival (Port Huron): August 1-3, 2025. Celebrates sand sculpting with live music, family fun, and a lighthouse festival.
• Lake Huron Arts and Crafts Show (Oscoda): August 10-11, 2025. A local arts and crafts show near the lake.
• Michigan Brown Trout Festival (Alpena): July 18-27, 2025. The longest-running fishing tournament in the Great Lakes, with events along the waterfront.

Lake Superior Beach Festivals (Michigan & Nearby)

• Superior Whitefish Festival (Sault Ste. Marie, MI): July 26-27, 2025. Celebrates the cultural and economic significance of whitefish, often with events near the water.
• Summer Solstice and Wooden Boat Festival (Grand Marais, MN - nearby on Lake Superior): June 20-21, 2025. Celebrates summer by Lake Superior with wooden boat activities, live music, family crafts, and a poetry celebration. While not in Michigan, its theme and proximity make it relevant for inspiration.

Lake Erie Beach Festivals (Michigan & Ohio)

• Pyrate Fest XVII (Put-in-Bay, OH - Lake Erie Island): June 27-29, 2025. A pirate-themed extravaganza with cannon firings, mermaids, and an encampment, held on an island in Lake Erie.
• Beach Glass Festival (Ashtabula, OH): June 28-29, 2025. Features over 100 vendors selling beach glass art, jewelry, and more.
• Fairport Harbor Mardi Gras (Fairport Harbor, OH): July 5, 2025. A local celebration with food, vendors, and live music near the lake.
• Lakeside Mystic Market & Headlands Beach & Lake Erie Sand Sculpture Event (Mentor, OH): July 12, 2025. An outdoor market at the beach, featuring a sand sculpture event.
• JAM By The Sand - Rock Through The Eras (Fairport Harbor, OH): August 9, 2025. A rock music festival on the shores of Lake Erie.