This weekend, there will be a variety of fun thoughout northern Michigan with boats, trains, flywheels, and sidewalk sales.
Friday and Saturday will cap off the week long Charlevoix Venetian Festival. Here are the lists of events as you head into your weekend…
FRIDAY – 7/25
- Anderson Carnival Downtown: 12-11 pm
- Bridge Street Block Party Bridge Street At Noon
- Family Fun Zone Bridge St – North Of The Light, 12 – 4pm Various Family Friendly Activities For All Ages Car Show Bridge St – South Of Light Noon – 4 pm
- “Peaches ‘N Cream” Corn Toss Bridge Park – 1:30 Pm Cost: $40/Team Registration: On-Site at Noon
- Meet The Airshow Pilots! Charlevoix Airport: 1:30-3pm
- Venetian Merchandise East Park: Noon – 10 pm
- Tiki Tent East Park: 6pm-Midnight
- Jon Archambault Band at Ferry Beach: 7-10 pm
- Redline Airshow With Flag Jump Lake Charlevoix: 7:00 pm
- Smash Mouth Rock at East Park Pavilion
- “Night Sky” World Class Fireworks Dusk On Lake Charlevoix Ferry Beach, Depot Beach, East Park
SATURDAY – 7/26
- Drenth Memorial Footrace Bridge St: 9 Am (Prior To Street Parade) Family Mile, 5k & 10k – All Ages Registration: Venetianraces.Com
- Venetian Merchandise East Park: 10-8 pm
- Ryan Shay Mile Bridge St: 10:30 Am Championship Competition By Invitation Only
- Street Parade Bridge St: 11 am
- Anderson Carnival Downtown: 12-11 pm
- Charlevoix All Class Reunion Inside Tiki Tent: 12:30-3 pm
- Venetian Rhythms “Rockin’ The Townhouse” Bridge St, 3:30-6:30 pm
A complete list of events can be found at: VenetianFestival.com
If you enjoy tractors, engines and craft shows, then the Northern Michigan Antique-Flywheelers Tractor, Engine & Craft Show may be for you. This event takes place Thursday thru Sunday at the Antique Flywheelers Show Ground, 00145 US 131 North, Boyne Falls. It features a Red vs. Green Tractor Challenge along with Oil Field Engines. Flea market, arts & crafts, food, music, two museums, & a parade of power at 2pm every day. Demonstrations include a veneer mill & basket factor, saw mill, grist mill, threshing, a shingle mill & branding. Two music stages for evening entertainment along with tractor games, steam engine spark show, and oil field engines light show. Barrel train rides, sawdust penny pile, scavenger hunt, plus much more. $7 donation for adults; $5 donation Senior Day on Thurs.; under 12, free with adult. A complete schedule of event and more info at: WalloonLakeFlyWheelers.com
Shay Days is also happening this Friday and Saturday, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, at the History Museum, Ephraim Shay Works Museum, Shay Park. This two-day, family-friendly event, now in its 27th year, celebrates inventor and Harbor Springs resident Ephraim Shay who was famous for his patented, geared locomotive. There will be a variety of activities and educational programs this year, including: Live model steam trains with the Michigan Small Scale Live Steamers. Children’s crafts, games and STEM activities in Shay Park. Logging demonstrations with Kyle Bagnall of Mackinac State Historic Parks. Interactive electric train layouts with the Northern Michigan Railroad Club. AND the grand opening of the new Ephraim Say Work Museum.
Sailboats from across the U.S. head to Harbor Springs each summer for one of the nation’s best-known sailing traditions, The 2025 Ugotta Regatta, this Friday through Sunday.
This event brings some of the best sailboat racers in the country to sail in Little Traverse Bay. LTYC’s Ugotta Regatta is open to all boats 22′ LOA and longer, with a maximum MWPHRF handicap of 140. Registration is first come, first served. The racing begins with one-design fleet racing on Friday followed by one-design and tour-of-the-bay courses on Saturday and Sunday. The weekend’s festivities kick off bright and early Friday morning with a fun tradition: a line of happy people outside Irish Boat Shop waiting to purchase the coveted Ugotta Regatta t-shirt. Each year, the shirt design changes! Friday night finds a Welcome to Harbor Springs celebration at the Irish Boat Shop. LTYC hosts parties at the Yacht Club both Saturday and Sunday afternoon for Regatta participants. There will also be an awards ceremony on Sunday afternoon. Race watchers can either head out onto the water in power boats or watch from the Petoskey State Park or Petoskey’s Sunset Park.
And finally, you can simply enjoy a weekend of shopping locally right on the street during Downtown Petoskey Sidewalk Sales. Enjoy amazing deals, unique finds, and summer favorites from shops all over town. It’s one of the biggest shopping events of the season and the perfect time to stock up, save, and support local. Maybe even find some back-to-school clothing. Meyer Ace Hardware will be celebrating their 90th anniversary,. Friendship Centers of Petoskey will have face painting for the kids. Kiwanis Club of Little Traverse Bay will have hot dogs, chips, and pop. You can also catch Santa at Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts for FREE photos on Saturday from 2–5 PM. Like was always say, “Shop a store with a door!” You can do just that in downtown Petoskey this weekend.
