June 29 – July 6, 2024 in beautiful Traverse City, Michigan!
The Grand Traverse region, known for its world-record tart cherry harvest, bursts with visitors eager to savor the flavor of cherries tucked into everything imaginable. Each day Festival goers find cherry delights along with parades, family and kids events and entertainment. In all, there are more than 150 events along the shores of Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay.
The Festival has been named in USA Todays top ten festivals for several years running.
Free Family Fun!
The National Cherry Festival has over 150 events and activities and 85% are free for all! Kids of all ages can enjoy events like cherry pie eating, parades, pet show and more!
We want to thank our growers, partners, vendors, sponsors, volunteers, and community leaders for their commitment to the National Cherry Festival. There is a lot of good happening throughout the Traverse City area and we are proud to be a part of this unique community that holds the title Cherry Capital of the World. We can’t wait to see you June 29 to July 6, 2024!
We’re celebrating our independence in good old fashioned red, white and blue style.
Monday, July 1
Family Crafts – Held at the Park at Water’s Edge. Reservations are not required for all craft activities.
Sand Art: 10am – 11:30am
Glitter Tattoos: 12pm – 1:30pm
Build-a-Buddy Workshop: 2:30pm – 4pm
Tuesday, July 2
Family Crafts – Held at the Park at Water’s Edge. Reservations are not required for all craft activities.
Painting Studio: 10am – 11:30am
Glitter Tattoos: 12pm – 1:30pm
Build-a-Buddy Workshop: 2:30pm – 4pm
Wednesday, July 3
Family Golf Scramble – 9am: Gather your family and friends for a nine-hole golf scramble on Betsie Valley. Sign up by June 29!
Family Crafts – Held at the Park at Water’s Edge. Reservations are not required for all craft activities.
Sand Art: 10am – 11:30am
Glitter Tattoos: 12pm – 1:30pm
Build-a-Buddy Workshop: 2:30pm – 4pm
Chairlift Rides – Held from 4pm – 8pm on the Buck Quad Chairlift
Bike & Golf Cart Parade
Held at 5:15pm. Our theme is Red, White, Blue, and Americana Fun! Free to participate. Guests must use their own personal bikes or golf carts for the parade.
Registration available from June 24 – July 2, 2024 at the Mountain Adventure Zone or call us at 231-378-2071 . Each participant will receive a number to display on their bike or golf cart. Entries are subject to review. Registrants must be lined up at 5pm at the Mountain Adventure Zone for judging. Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 golf carts and top 3 bikes!
Golf Cart Prizes
First Place: Four unlimited Action Pack Passes
Second Place: Four unlimited Alpine Slide passes
Third Place: Four single Alpine Slide tickets
Bike Prizes
First Place: One unlimited Action Pack Pass
Second Place: One unlimited Alpine Slide pass
Third Place: One single Alpine Slide ticket
Barr Park Party with Music, Carnival Games & Activities
Held from 5:30pm – 9pm. Enjoy music and dancing plus carnival games, lawn games, treats and more!
DJ – We’ll be playing your favorite tunes from 5:30 – 9:30pm in Barr Park, centrally located between the Lodge, Inn and Peak Fitness Center. Come party with us!
Carnival Games – A variety of carnival games will be available to play. Tickets will be required to play the games. Tickets are $1 each and can be purchased in Barr Park at the event, or purchased in advance from the Park at Water’s Edge or Mountain Adventure Zone on July 3.
Independence Day Sand Art Bottles – 5 tickets. Create your own patriotic work of art!
Fourth of July Glitter Tattoos – 10 tickets. Get star spangled with our themed glitter tattoos!
We’ll also have glow and light up items available for purchase. Pricing will vary.
Outdoor Movie in Barr Park: 9:30pm – 11pm, featuring The Sandlot. Free to attend!
Thursday, July 4
Family Crafts – Held at the Park at Water’s Edge. Reservations are not required for all craft activities.
Fourth of July 5k Fun Run: Held at 9am. Continue your Independence Day celebration by participating in our Fourth of July 5K Fun Run! A commemorative medal will be provided to all participants upon 5k completion. Details »
Family Golf Scramble – 9am: Gather your family and friends for a nine-hole golf scramble on Betsie Valley. Sign up by June 29!
Family Crafts – Held at the Park at Water’s Edge. Reservations are not required for all craft activities.
Painting Studio: 10am – 11:30am
Glitter Tattoos: 12pm – 1:30pm
Build-a-Buddy Workshop: 2:30pm – 4pm
Guided Bike Ride –Held at 4pm.Take a 90 minute guided ride along our on-site mountain bike trail system. Minimum age to participate is 12 years old. The ride pace is moderate. Reservations required, call the Mountain Adventure Zone, 231-378-2071.
Cost with Rental: $50 Cost without Rental: $30
Saturday, July 6
Family Crafts – Held at the Park at Water’s Edge. Reservations are not required for all craft activities.
Sand Art: 10am – 11:30am
Glitter Tattoos: 12pm – 1:30pm
Build-a-Buddy Workshop: 2:30pm – 4pm
Chairlift Rides – Held from 6pm – 8pm on the Buck Quad Chairlift
Family Photo Scavenger Hunt – Receive a list of clues ranging from 5 to 20 points each. Each team must have 4 – 8 people, and team members must be in the photos for them to count. Additional points are up for grabs for teams dressed in coordinating outfits or costumes. Each team must use their own smart phone or camera for this activity. Medals will be awarded to the top 3 teams with the top overall team winning ice cream vouchers from Crystal Scoops!
We’ll begin taking reservations on June 24, 2024. Reservations are required for this activity. Call the Mountain Adventure Zone at 231-378-2071.
Time: 7pm – 8pm Where: Scavenger Hunt begins and ends at the Mountain Adventure Zone Cost: $10 per team
Sunday, July 7
Family Crafts – Held at the Park at Water’s Edge. Reservations are not required for all craft activities.
Five-night stays are required for premium room types.
Discounted extra day rates are available on June 30, July 1, July 5 and July 6.
Description
Celebrate the 4th of July with family and friends, while exploring the best that a Mackinac Island summer has to offer. July is the perfect time to soak up the sun at the Esther Williams Swimming Pool, play lawn games in the Tea Garden, or take a bike ride and explore Travel + Leisure’s #1 Island in the Continental U.S.
Package Includes:
Grand Hotel Accommodations
Breakfast and dinner daily
Family-friendly evening movies at the Esther Williams Swimming Pool
Evening Receptions on July 2nd and 3rd
Glow stick and cotton candy parties on July 2nd and 3rd at the Esther Williams Swimming Pool
Children’s Carnival in the Tea Garden on July 3rd and 4th
Ice Cream Social on July 4th
American Picnic in the Tea Garden on July 3rd
Grand Fourth of July Fireworks Display Viewing
Complimentary admission to the Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum
The Old Fashioned Mackinac Fourth of July package is also available by calling Grand Hotel Reservations at 1-800-334-7263.
Additional July Fourth Package Details
Start off your weekend with evening movies with Esther. Experience two days of an exciting children’s carnival full of games and prizes, small rides, face painting, blow-up bounce houses, and much more! On Wednesday, enjoy a BBQ luncheon in the Tea Garden and on Thursday cool off with our annual 4th of July Ice Cream Social. Celebrate the Fourth of July, with an evening American Picnic and Grand Fourth of July Fireworks Display, best seen from The World’s Longest Front Porch!
With so many activities around Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island, there really is something for everyone of all ages to enjoy. We hope to see you for this Grand Fourth of July tradition! See Pictures of Past July Fourth Events
*Subject to Michigan 6% sales tax, 3% Mackinac Island assessment, and a $15.00 per person, per stay, baggage-handling charge. Regular children’s rates apply. Extra charges apply for additional adults over double occupancy rates. Dates are subject to availability. A 30-day cancellation policy applies. A 3 night deposit is required for this package.
The annual 4th of July tournament on Mackinac Island is sure to be another crowd pleaser.
Everyone is eligible to compete in the tournament. The more the merrier.
The tournament is open to all ages and always occurs at Windermere Pointe Beach (Located next to Hotel Iroquois) every year at 10:00 am on the 4th of July. Professional skippers compete at high noon, often skipping 20+ skips.
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Schedule:
The Honorable Judge Glen Allen Open Tournament
10:00 Open tournament Begins
Kerplunking for the toddlers and little ones,
12 and under Division (Winner receives bragging rights for a year and a trophy)
13 and up Amateur division (Winner receives a trophy and fudge)
11:45 Awards Ceremony for Open Tournament
Wilmer T. Rabe International Stone Skipping Tournament (July 4th)
High Noon – Professional Invitational Competition (Winner receives goblets of cash)
All are welcome to participate in some family fun. No one is too young or too old to compete.
The weather was perfect on Mackinac Island for the 5oth annual tournament open to all. Check out the final results on the 2018 Scorecard to see this years winners.
The Pro division was quite exciting with a tie for first place. Traditionally when there is a tie the win goes to the to skippers second best stone. This year Bugsy and Lefty tied for 19 as their best skip and tied again with 17 for their second best skip. After deliberating with the judges Acting High Commissioner Paul H. Toepp, III announced that the winner would be determined by a sudden death 1 stone skip off. The crowd audibly signed when Bugsy threw a 5 and wonder if Left would go for the easy win. Lefty wound up and through for a 20+ but ended up with a 10 to take this years pro title.
Photos and Video from the 2010 Stone Skipping Tournament
Former Guinness Book Record holder Russ “Rock Bottom” Byars won the 2010 Mackinac Island Stone Skipping Tournament with a throw of 30 skips. Second place went to Todd “Mussels” Callewaert with 26 skips & rounding out 3rd was Glenn “Hard Luck” Loy with a 22 skips. (Note: Video is the third round throw and is not the tournament winning 30 skip throw.)
Photos from the Mackinac Island Stone Skipping Tournament – July 4, 2010
June 29 – July 6, 2024 in beautiful Traverse City, Michigan!
