Celebrate the summer: A guide to August fairs, festivals in Michigan

• August is a hot month for fairs and festivals in Michigan
• County and state fairs are happening in Escanaba, Cheboygan, Novi, Bay City, Mason and Petoskey
• Other festivals celebrate blueberries, fungi, polka music, cars and more

At Bridge Michigan, we love everything our state has to offer. Members of our team are taking some summer vacation days this month, and we know you are, too! Here are some of our favorite state festivals, fairs and events to visit throughout the month of August.

Through Saturday: Ingham County Fair, Mason

Starting off, the 170th Ingham County Fair is running through Saturday in Mason. The fair has grandstand events at 7 p.m. every night. More information can be found here.

Throughout August: Shakespeare Festival, Mackinac Island

Take a ferry to Mackinac Island on any weekend in August for their month-long Shakespeare Festival in Marquette Park. Catch the Starling Shakespeare Company’s renditions of “Twelfth Night” and “Henry IV” at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Find a complete calendar of shows here.

Saturday through Aug. 10: Cheboygan County Fair

Not far from Mackinac is Cheboygan’s County Fair. Like Ingham, their fair will have evening grandstand events beginning with a bump-and-run derby. Tickets for the fair’s events can be found here.

Sunday: Gratiot Cruise, Clinton Township

Classic cars will drive up and down Gratiot Avenue, with a 2 p.m. awards show at the McLaren “Glass House” building. More information can be found here.

Tuesday: National Night Out

Michigan’s townships and cities will be celebrating their public safety officials during 2024’s National Night Out on Tuesday. Find a complete list of Michigan’s 66 participating municipalities here.

Tuesday through Aug. 10: Bay County Fair, Bay City

The weeklong event will focus on different parts of the Thumb county’s communities, including armed forces, agricultural workers, seniors and kids. Daily events and more information can be found here.

Thursday through Aug. 10: Boyne City Pirate Fest

Visit the coast of northern Michigan’s Lake Charlevoix on Thursday for the start of Boyne City’s Pirate Fest. The festival will begin with a Pirate Queen and Princess Pageant at Sunset Park, followed by pirate-themed raft rides down the Boyne River, a costume contest, a pirate parade and more throughout the weekend. The event’s pirate pun-filled website can be found here.

Thursday through Aug. 11: National Blueberry Festival, South Haven

South Haven has hosted the annual agricultural gathering since 1963, honoring southwestern Michigan’s place in the nation’s blueberry economy. Visit the festival’s blueberry market and stay through the weekend for rides, a parade, two blueberry pancake breakfasts and a blueberry pie-eating contest. Find a complete list of events here.

Aug. 9-10: St. Ignace Heritage Festival

The Museum of Ojibwa Culture will be celebrating the Upper Peninsula’s indigenous history during the St. Ignace Heritage Festival Aug. 9-10. See a colonial period reenactment and attend workshops on antler carving, herbal remedies and more.

Aug. 9-11: Mint Festival, St. Johns 

Dubbed “Mint City USA,” St. Johns hosts this annual festival celebrating its agricultural heritage. In the early 1900s, over 90% of the world’s mint oil came from their region. The Mint Festival features a “Mint Queen” pageant and the “Mint City Shootout” basketball tournament. Oh, and plenty of mint ice cream. Find out more about the mint festival here.

Aug. 9-18: Caseville Cheeseburger Festival

A small town on the tip of the Thumb has a large craving for patties: Caseville’s 10-day celebration of cheeseburgers and paradise runs from Aug. 9-18 and features numerous Jimmy Buffet tributes and beachside games — plus plenty of greasy food. On Tuesday the 13th, judges will award the town’s best cheeseburger-decorated golf carts among other activities. For more information, visit Caseville’s official website.

Aug. 12-18: UP State Fair, Escanaba 

Yoopers are inviting the midwest to experience their community and culture for the 96th annual UP State Fair in Escanaba. Larger than all other fairs on this list, all Upper Peninsula county officials collaborate for the weeklong event to provide free daily grandstand entertainment, a midway carnival, livestock presentations and an Upper Peninsula cooking contest from the 12th to the 18th. A complete schedule of the event can be found here.

Aug. 14-18: Michigan Fiber Festival, Allegan

It’s the best place in Michigan to wear a sweater in August: The Allegan County fairgrounds will be hosting the state’s largest sheep and wool festival from the 14th to 18th, featuring fuzzy animals, vendors, workshops and competitions. More information on the Fiber Festival can be found here.

Aug. 15-18: Howell Melon Festival

Known historically for its special cantaloupe cultivar, the Livingston County city of Howell celebrates the annual melon festival this year from Aug. 15 to 18. Complete with produce vendors selling Howell melons and melon ice cream, you can stop by any evening of the festival for melon-themed activities for both kids and adults. For a list of these events, visit the Howell Melon Festival website.

Aug. 16-17: Yassou! Greek Festival, Grand Rapids

Try specialty wines and see traditional Greek dances at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church during the Grand Rapids Greek Festival on the third Friday and Saturday of August. Stay to see themed vendors and hear live music, and visit the event website for more information.

Aug. 17: Sault Ste. Marie Riverfest

Get out your canoe: Chippewa County’s annual Riverfest takes place on and around Rotary Island in Sault Ste. Marie, about half a mile from the Canadian border. Visit Saturday for a Michigan Canoe Racing Association race, paddleboard yoga, and the main attraction: Canoe battleship. Watch as 32 teams compete to sink each other in the Island’s lagoon throughout the day. A full list of events and information can be found here.

Aug. 17: Woodward Dream Cruise

On the third Saturday in August, metro Detroit’s Woodward Avenue hosts a steady stream of classic cars for this iconic annual cruise. From Pontiac to Ferndale, the nine-community cruise celebrates the Motor City’s automotive history in style.

According to the Woodward Dream Cruise website, the event “attracts over 1 million visitors, and more than 40,000 muscle cars, street rods, custom, collector and special interest vehicles.” Visit the website for more information on the cruise.

Aug. 16-18: Greenville Danish Festival

Visit Montcalm County during the third weekend in August to celebrate Greenville’s Danish heritage with vendors, foods, ceremonies and entertainment at the 60th annual Danish Festival. This year, the city will be raising funds to renovate Tivoli Square, the festival’s new permanent grounds. For more information, visit the festival website.

Aug. 19-25: Emmet-Charlevoix County fair

In Michigan, you can’t go a day in August without a fair to attend. The 119th annual Emmet-Charlevoix County fair kicks off in Petoskey, featuring livestock shows, community exhibits, a carnival and monster truck shows throughout the week. Click here for a complete schedule and more information.

Aug. 22-25: Cedar Polka Fest

Directly west of Traverse City is the small town of Cedar. Just like with Greenville’s Danish heritage, Cedar comes alive to celebrate its Polish heritage during the annual Polka Fest. Accordions will be heard throughout the event from a lineup of nationally recognized polka artists, who will be accompanied by Polish vendors and food. More information can be found here.

Aug. 23-24: Metamora Country Days and Hot Air Balloon Festival

Come see the colorful basketed balloons take flight from the small town of Metamora (east of Flint) during their annual Hot Air Balloon Festival. Visitors can expect about 20 balloons to take off both days from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., weather permitting. More information on the festival can be found here.

Aug. 23-24: Humongous Fungus festival, Crystal Falls

This festival in the Upper Peninsula town of Crystal Falls celebrates what may be the largest living organism on earth: A 37-acre, 110-ton fungus that connects plants in an underground mushroom network. If you decide to visit, you can take part in a foraging trip, the fungus festival and witness the “fungus queen” pageant crowning. More information can be found on the festival’s Facebook page.

Aug. 29th- Sept. 2: Michigan State Fair, Novi

It’s another fair, tied to the first of its kind in Michigan. Debuting in Detroit in 1849, the Michigan State Fair ran until the Great Recession led to its dissolution in 2009. Continued by a private company today, the fair invites visitors to celebrate the state’s agriculture and small businesses over Labor Day weekend. More information about the fair, located at the Suburban Collection Showcase in Novi, can be found here.

Aug. 30-31: Muskegon Polish Fest

Last but not least on our list is the Muskegon Polish Festival, where Michigan’s west coast gets together for a weekend of Polish tradition and heritage. Visit the city on Labor Day weekend for themed food, entertainment and historical reenactments. For more information, visit the festival website.

There’s a lot more events coming to Michigan this month and we couldn’t possibly get to them all. Honorable mentions go to the Mackinac Island Fudge Festival and the 28th Annual Grand Rapids Metro Cruise. For more event information, visit the Pure Michigan website.