Visit downtown Ludington and enjoy music and family activities in an outdoor setting, to celebrate one of the last hurrahs of the season!
Photo by Denisse Leon on Unsplash.com
(Scroll down to see more events in September.)
Visit downtown Ludington and enjoy music and family activities in an outdoor setting, to celebrate one of the last hurrahs of the season!
Explore the City of Grand Rapids as it fills with hundreds of pieces of art. From photography to sculptures and paintings.
Fun Halloween parties and trick or treating take place in West Michigan including Ludington, Scottville, Manistee, and Oceana County.
Farm Markets & U-Pick farms offer locally grown and organic produce, flowers, plants, seeds, and more in West Michigan.
The Annual Hops & Props on the River in Manistee focuses on the city’s rich boating history and Michigan craft beer, cider, and wine.
The Village of Brethren is located in Dickson Township about 15 miles east of Manistee. Brethren Days is held over Labor Day weekend.
West Michigan fishing tournaments give anglers a chance to add a little money to their pocket in addition to the fish in their bucket.
Summertime means outdoor arts and crafts fairs, and communities in Manistee County often include these fairs as part of their festivals.
The City of Scottville has created a new event in 2021 called the Scottville Fall Celebration which will include many activities downtown.
Learn about the annual Young Eagles Rallies in Mason and Oceana Counties and find information about flights at the Mason County Airport.
West Michigan is a popular location for various races and runs... including the Lakestride Half Marathon and the Lighthouse Triathlon.
Autumn is a great time in West Michigan, with fall festivals, corn mazes, Halloween parties and ghost ships.
Bear Lake has a variety of activities for Bear Lake Days each July. Events include parade, fireworks, car show, kids activities, and more.
Pentwater is known for its art galleries, antiques shops and boutiques, so expect some great finds at their summer arts and crafts fairs.
The Miss Ludington Area Scholarship Program is typically held each September and is a precursor to the Miss Michigan program.
The Silver Lake Sand Dunes Apple & BBQ Festival spans two days and includes a wide variety of activities that are fun for all ages.
Current family-friendly events in West Michigan, great, fun, things to do for kids of all ages! Fun for the whole family!
The popular tourist town of Ludington, Michigan will celebrate its 150th birthday (sesquicentennial) in 2023. Many events will be included.
“Honoring Our Elders” Traditional Pow-Wow
Native American social celebration with drumming, singing, dancing, storytelling, food, raffles, and arts and crafts vendors. Suggested admission is $5/person, $20 carload max. For more information, visit facebook.com.
Scottville Clown Band Performance at Manton Fall Festival Parade
Manton
Ludington North Breakwater Light Closes for the Season
Stearns Park Beach- 420 N. Lakeshore Dr., Ludington.
LACA Summer Concert Series
Live music featuring the Beth Bombara Band at Waterfront Park- 300 W. William St., Ludington.
Live Music in Legacy Plaza
Live music featuring Benjamin Paetz. Legacy Plaza- 110 N. James St., Ludington.
Silver Lake Apple & BBQ Festival
Activities for the whole family. Downtown Silver Lake.
Little Sable Point Lighthouse Closes for the Season
Stearns Park Beach- 420 N. Lakeshore Dr., Ludington.
Live Music in Legacy Plaza
Live music featuring Joe Irelan. Legacy Plaza- 110 N. James St., Ludington.
Ludington Petunia Parade Removal Day
Ludington Petunia Parade will be removing petunias on the Avenue and the marina.
Performance by Dixon’s Violin
Ludington Area Center for the Arts- 107 S. Harrison St., Ludington.
Horse Shows
MIHA District 9 Meet. Caswell Horse Park at the Mason County Fairgrounds- 5302 W. US-10, Ludington.
Live Music in Legacy Plaza
Live music featuring Two Dudes in Flip Flops. Legacy Plaza- 110 N. James St., Ludington.
New Era Fall Festival
Annual event featuring arts and crafts, live music, children’s activities, an antique car show, and more. Visit neweramichigan.com for more information.
Horse Shows
MIHA District 9 Meet. Caswell Horse Park at the Mason County Fairgrounds- 5302 W. US-10, Ludington.
Blessing of the Animals at Circle Rocking “S” Children’s Farm
Blessing of the Animals, silent auction, and old fashioned games. Circle Rocking “S” Children’s Farm- 5487 N. Tuttle Rd., Free Soil. Click here for more information.
Pentwater Harvest Day
Pentwater’s Farmer’s Market will be open for one last time during 2022. Pentwater Village Green- 327 S. Hancock St., Pentwater. Visit pentwater.org for more information.
Performance by Pianist Hyemin Kim
Ludington Area Center for the Arts- 107 S. Harrison St., Ludington.
Pentwater Fall Arts & Crafts Fair
Hours are Saturday from 10am-5pm and Sunday from 10am-3pm. To register, visit pentwater.org. Pentwater Village Green- 327 S. Hancock St., Pentwater.
Hart Heritage Days Festival
Church service at 10:30am at the Sackrider Church, luncheon at 11:45am (pork, chicken, sweet corn, slaw, potato, veggies, roll and dessert all for $15), and raffle. Hart Historic District- 501 Lincoln St., Hart. For more information, visit facebook.com.
Stony Lake Therapeutic Riding Center Silent Auction & Line Dance
Event includes pony rides, line dancing, lawn games, and a silent auction all to benefit the center’s programming. Tickets are $10/each or $30/family and can be purchased by emailing aubrey@stonylakestables.com.
Minnehaha Brewhaha Music Festival
Live music festival with food trucks, 5k & 15k races, and brew tent. Friday from 6pm-12am and Saturday from 6-11pm. Races are Saturday at 8am. Enjoy two bands in the Brew Tent Friday night and six bands plus beer tasting Saturday. Visit music-moves-me.org for tickets or more information. Arcadia Marine- 17073 Northwood Hwy, Arcadia.
Brethren Days
The village of Brethren hosts in annual festival with activities for the whole family.
Elk Rapids Arts & Crafts Show
To register, visit elkrapidschamber.org. River Street, Elk Rapids
Labor Day Book Sale
In the parking lot behind the Manistee Library- 95 Maple St., Manistee.
LaborFest
Car show, parade, live music, and food/beverage tent. First Street Beach, Manistee. Visit app.promotix.com for more information or tickets.
Friends of the Ludington State Park Summer Concert Series
Live music at the Ludington State Park Amphitheater- 8800 M-116, Ludington.
PSA/Bannink’s End of Summer Fishing Tournament
Sponsored by the Pentwater Sportfishing Association.
Honoring Our Elders Traditional Pow Wow
Oceana County Fairgrounds- 1025 S. State St., Hart.
Pancake Breakfast
Pentwater VFW Hall- 8440 US-31 North, Pentwater.
Cruisin’ at the Castle Charity Car Show
Car show with DJ Music, food, drawings, silent auction, and book sale on the castle grounds- 9400 Pere Marquette Dr., Canadian Lakes. For more information, contact Marshall at (231) 598-0838.
Holland Zeeland Labor Day Truck Parade
Bring the family, earplugs, and an appetite for big trucks, ice cream, and giveaways. Parade travels from Zeeland to Holland. Ice cream social following the parade. For more information, visit truckparade.org.
Jammin’ Mondays on Betsie Bay
Live music at the Waterfront Amphitheater- Centre St., Elberta
Trout Unlimited Banquet
Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children ages 5-12, and free for children under 5. There will be live music, a food truck, open bar, adult/child casting contests, and a silent auction. Baldwin Canoe Rental- 9117 M-37, Baldwin.
Oceana County Young Eagles Rally
Kids ages 8-17 are invited to take a free airplane ride with a local pilot. Flights are first come, first serve and a guardian must be present. Sponsored by EAA #772. Oceana County Airport- 1805 W. Baseline Rd., Shelby.
Hippie Fest
Hippie Fest is a grassroots festival where free-spirited people from across the country gather to celebrate peace, love, and hippie-ness! Featuring live music, bohemian shopping, vintage hippie car show, and more. For more information visit hippiefest.org.
Michigan Irish Music Festival
The festival features 6 stages of music, culture, dance, and more. Heritage Landing- 1051 Shoreline Dr., Muskegon. For more information and tickets, visit michiganirish.org.
ArtPrize
A city-wide art competition within a 3-square mile district in downtown Grand Rapids.
West Michigan Old Engine Club Tractor Pull
Free to attend. WMOEC Grounds- 700 S. Scottville Rd., Scottville.
Bus Day to Big Point Sable Lighthouse
Free concert from 1-3pm. Bus transportation from 12pm-5pm. Big Sable Point Lighthouse in Ludington State Park- 8800 M-116, Ludington.
Scottville Fall Celebration
Event includes family friendly activities, the Mason County Princess Pageant (1pm), and a performance by the Scottville Clown Band. Downtown Scottville, 100 Blocks of South Main & Blaine Streets.
AFFEW Beach Clean-up
Beach clean-up at Stearns Park, Ludington.
Gun Show
Fremont Rec Center- 201 E. Maple St., Fremont. For more information, call Jeff at (231) 854-1634.
Free Soil Gun & Knife Show
Event includes a 50/50 raffle (need not be present to win, and food and beverages for purchase. Cost is $4 for veterans/seniors and $5 for all else. 8-foot vendor tables are $20 each and can be reserved by calling Gregg at (231) 464-5454. Free Soil Community Center- 8480 Democrat St., Free Soil.
Diapers & Donuts
Families are invited to receive free diapers and donuts from West Shore Family Support- 603 E. Tinkham Ave., Ludington. Free car seat checks will also be offered.
Lakeshore Mama & Me Expo
Speak with providers, sample products, and meet other moms. Open house format with kids activities available. Hart Wesleyan Church- 3757 W. Polk Rd., Hart.
Parking Lot Craft & Vendor Sale
The 10 Spot- 5750 US 10, Ludington. For more information, call (231) 425-3488.
Date Night Drop Off
Children ages 3 and up can be dropped off to enjoy music, playtime, dancing, stories, crafting, movies, and more with Miss Melinda. Children should bring a sack dinner and water. Cost is $35 for one child, $50 for two children, $65 for three children, and $75 for four children. 50% down paid via Venmo, Paypal, Apple Pay, check, or cash is due no later than Wednesday, September 20th. Call (231) 631-7751 to make a reservation. United Methodist Church- 387 1st St., Manistee.
Miss Ludington Area Scholarship Program
Women between the ages of 18-28 from Mason, Manistee, Oceana, and Lake counties compete and are judged based on-talent, evening wear, on-stage interview, and their social impact initiative pitch. The winner is qualified to enter the Miss Michigan Pageant, a precursor to the Miss America Pageant. Ludington Area Center for the Arts- 107 S. Harrison St., Ludington. Enter by emailing missludington@gmail.com.
Octoberfest Kick Off Pub Crawl
Beginning at Ludington Bay Brewing Co. where participants will get their map and commemorative koozie for this self-guided crawl. It then continues on South James Street to Ludington Avenue with stops at participating Outdoor Social District establishments. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at eventbrite.com or at Ludington Bay Brewing Company beginning at 5:30pm on the day of the crawl.
Fall Mom 2 Mom Sale
Sale of gently used children’s clothing, accessories, toys, and furniture. For more information or to rent a table, visit facebook.com. Cornerstone Baptist Church- 121 Nelson Rd., Ludington.
Salmon Run 5k/10k Run/Walk
Race begins and ends at Baldwin Village Hall- 620 Washington St., Baldwin.
Octoberfest in Ludington
Craft beer and live music festival. Downtown Ludington.
Stony Lake Therapeutic Riding Center Silent Auction & Line Dance
Event includes pony rides, line dancing, lawn games, and a silent auction all to benefit the center’s programming. Ticket price is TBA and they can be purchased at the door.
The Traverse City area has several arts and crafts fairs scheduled throughout the year, offering many unique handcrafted items.
Each April, area residents and businesses take pledges and try to raise as much money as possible for the Ludington Lake Jump.
The communities along Lake Michigan are blessed with talented actors and musicians that entertain us throughout the year.
Every year, the Mason-Lake Conservation District offers sales for tree seedlings and for native plants. Take advantage of this great service!
West Michigan is the location for many Car Shows during the summer. Various awards and plaques are presented at these car shows.
Ludington has many businesses to help you enjoy crafting and appreciate the finished product. Let them help you create your own masterpiece!
Current family-friendly events in West Michigan, great, fun, things to do for kids of all ages! Fun for the whole family!
Todd and Brad Reed offer Photography Workshops throughout the year. These classes are great for beginners as well as seasoned professionals.
Advertisement – Please scroll below for more information.
Hop aboard the Lake Michigan S.S. Badger Carferry! Take the famous cruise across Lake Michigan and experience the Badger and all it has to do!
The Traverse City Opera House has a 700-seat theater which offers a place for quality arts and cultural entertainment.
A site to behold along Lake Michigan, these structures with a rich history give both a sense of safety and a beautiful site.
Michigan has a public ORV trail system for four different riding opportunities–motorcycles, ATVs, ORVs, and scramble areas.
The Pentwater River provides opportunities to experience a paddle sport for the first time or take on a challenge for those more experienced.
A site to behold along Lake Michigan, these structures with a rich history give both a sense of safety and a beautiful site.
Take one of the most scenic drives in the nation as you travel across M-22 in West Michigan. A long winding road of adventure awaits!
West Michigan boasts numerous museums to learn about the area’s rich history and to expand knowledge through activities and exhibits.
The Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts is a cultural center in West Michigan and plays an integral part in Manistee’s history.
The Michigan Audubon Society Lake Bluff Center overlooks Lake Michigan near Manistee and features wildlife and a bird sanctuary.