Frankenmuth Auto Fest (September 9 - 11) Jumpstart fall festival season at this year’s Frankenmuth Auto Fest where you’ll find more than 2,500 classic cars, street rods and muscle cars! Marvel over an impressive array of polished-to-perfection icons representing Michigan’s automotive heritage, and don’t miss the Big Block Party on Main Street. This family-friendly weekend event is also handicap accessible!

Annual Country Craft Show
(September 10 - 11) Fall simply isn’t complete without a trip to Leaman’s Green Applebarn for cider slushies and the Annual Country Craft Show! Apples are ripe for the picking and so are hundreds of handmade items at this two-day event with artisan jewelry, wood art, metal crafts, candles, purses, clothing — and, of course, fresh apple cider and donuts!

The Great Lakes Market at Uptown Bay City
(September 10 - 11) Celebrating the thrill of the hunt and discovery of new treasures, find your fall faves at the annual, two-day autumn edition of The Great Lakes Market. Discover unique treasures, trinkets, and handmade art from more than 40 artists and makers, listen to live music, and enjoy foods and flavors of fall.

Rebel Co. Fall Market (September 16 - 17) Find vintage treasures and 4,000 square feet of possibility at the Rebel Co. Fall Market. With carefully curated vendors and exciting displays, you’ll find a range of unique and high-quality vintage, boutique, handmade, and gathered items. Wander through clothing and accessories, unique gifts, Michigan-made items, home decor, global textiles, apothecary items, plants, and more.

Keepsake Collection Arts & Craft Show
(September 16 - 18) Find fall decor and professional quality treasures from artists and makers with handmade gifts, crafts, and one-of-a-kind artwork at the Keepsake Collection Arts & Craft Show. Browse through nearly 80 artists and vendors with unique displays of jewelry, photography, handmade wood art, and gifts.

September 15 - 18
Frankenmuth Oktoberfest

Don dirndl or lederhosen for the annual, four-day German festival, Frankenmuth Oktoberfest! Prepare to feel transported into “Little Bavaria” where you’ll enjoy polka music, dance on a large wooden dance floor, dine on authentic German food, and sample beer from the world-famous Hofbräuhaus brewery of Munich. This festival is huge — look for shuttles — and “Zicke zacke, zicke zacke, hoi hoi hoi!”

Japanese Cultural Center

Japan Festival (September 18) Experience Japanese performing arts and a wide variety of cultural demonstrations and entertainment at Saginaw’s Japan Festival this fall. Amidst acres of seasonal gardens in fall color, learn Japanese arts of Bonsai, Ikebana, and Origami. Enjoy mesmerizing performances of Taiko drums by Great Lakes Taiko Center and a Japanese Harp (koto) ensemble by Miyabi, and partake in a Japanese tea ceremony for an experience unto itself.

Bay City River of Time Festival (September 22 - 25) Travel back in time to see history alive this fall! Feel the rumblings and sounds of the past with hundreds of re-enactors, dressed in period clothing and living the parts of Native Americans, Colonists, French voyageurs, and Civil War-Era soldiers. Marvel at demonstrations of 18th century crafts and music, watch meal preparations and taste history, and listen to historic voices from the past, including Ben Franklin and Paul Revere.

Bay City State Park | @bellethebluebird

Fall Harvest Festival (September 23 - 25) Weekends in the fall are for bonfires and fun at Bay City State Park! Kicking off in September, campers roll in on Fridays and are encouraged to decorate their sites for harvest season or Halloween — then kids and families dress in costume for trick-or-treating on Saturdays! Be sure to bring plenty of candy to pass out!

Michigan Antique Festivals (September 24 - 25) Visit more than 1,000 dealers all in one sprawling place that is the Michigan Antique Festival in Midland. A fall staple for more than four decades, discover one-of-a-kinds, antiques, shabby chic, primitives, and more. Bring your classic car out and show it off, or simply take a gander at one of Michigan's longest-running car shows. Stay for the day, or the weekend — event camping is available!

Frankenmuth Fire Arts Festival (September 24 - 25) The fall weather might be brisk, but the heat is on at Frankenmuth Fire Arts Festival! Learn to use fire and heat to create keepsakes in professionally presented workshops, or experience the artistry of amateur makers in competition. Eats from food trucks and live entertainment make this hot festival a cool can't-miss!

Michigan's Big Country Fest
(September 30 - October 1) Slip on cowboy boots and saunter your way into the annual Michigan’s Big Country Fest in Frankenmuth. Swing your partner to live music by Shiatown, Family Tradition Band, Billy Gunther & The Midwest Riders, and Rebel Line. Enjoy food trucks on-site, sample beer flights (and a fantastic Bloody Mary Bar), and learn how to line dance at this boot-scootin’ festival for all ages!

Chippewa Nature Center | @megsymarie13
October 1
Fall Harvest Festival

Experience the Homestead Farm at Chippewa Nature Center come alive with demonstrations during Fall Harvest Festival! Partake in living history and programs that focus on autumn traditions of the 19th century. Learn the trades of crop harvesting, blacksmithing, cider making, and woodworking, and listen to traditional music. Kids & kids at heart will enjoy activities, crafts, food, and wholesome fun!

Northwood University International Auto Show

Northwood University International Auto Show (October 7 - 9) Get a glimpse into the automotive future at the Northwood University International Auto Show, the largest outdoor new car show in North America! Experience a modern campus and bleeding-edge display of auto and truck models, with more than 500 vehicles from 65 manufacturers.

Scarecrow Fest (October 15 - 16 & 22 - 23) Celebrate fall during Scarecrow Fest, a family-friendly event at Frankenmuth River Place Shops with special scarecrow displays throughout Frankenmuth! Enjoy themed weekend activities, launch the ever-popular pumpkin catapult, hop into a barrel train ride, shop arts & crafts, and “fall” into fun!

River Place Shops | @bfish2180

Smetanka Fall Craft Show (October 15) Hunt for handmade and homespun treasures at the Smetanka Fall Craft Show. Shop warm fall colors of burnt orange, harvest gold, and olive green, and mingle with the possibilities from more than 100 artisans on full display. Find yourself tempted by jewelry, pottery, paintings, and seasonal joy.

Riverside Saginaw Film Festival
(October 20 - 23 & November 10 - 13) Get cozy with a bucket of buttery popcorn and find your seat in the historic Court Street Theater this fall for the Riverside Saginaw Film Festival. Fans of independent filmmakers can take in up to six documentaries and feature films over each weekend, and be part of history in the making as three of last year’s films were nominated for academy awards!

Birch Run Premium Outlets
November 11 - 13
Deal Hunters’ Weekend

While the deer hunters are away, get in on the thrill of the hunt — for bargains — during Deal Hunters’ Weekend at Birch Run Premium Outlets! Set your sights on this three-day bargain-bagging extravaganza, which coincides with opening weekend of firearm deer hunting season, and be on the lookout for special events and savings opportunities far beyond everyday finds.

State Theatre | @tomilynmaggart

State Theatre of Bay City: Giggle, chuckle, and laugh out loud with a lineup of four comedians at the State Theatre of Bay City for Comedy Night! Bust a gut while enjoying the precision storytelling of the hilarious Kate Brindle, Steve Lind, Dwayne Gill, and Norm Stultz.

Temple Theatre: Get your fill of comedy, music, and mariachi at the Temple Theatre this fall. Enjoy live performances from Grammy-winning, all-female Latin ensemble Flor de Toloache, the comedic Steve-O and his misdirected (adults-only) Bucket List Tour, and award-winning Christian artist Zach Williams along with his guest, Ben Fuller.

Jolt Credit Union Event Park
: The sun may set earlier in the fall, but that doesn’t mean the music stops at Jolt Credit Union Event Park! Pull on a fleece and rock your cowboy boots as Country superstar Brett Eldredge belts out ballads under the stars with special guest, Caylee Hammack.

The Dow Event Center
: Grab your Mickey ears and get ready for the ultimate party when Disney On Ice skates into The Dow Event Center with more than 50 unforgettable Disney characters in Let’s Celebrate! Or fall into grown-up fun with the lyrical genius, Walker Hayes, and be ready for laughs with stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld!

Midland Center for the Arts
: For smiles that won’t stop, watch in delight as your kiddos meet their favorite characters in Disney Junior LIVE on Tour: Costume Palooza! A jam-packed, concert-style show with singing, dancing, and acrobatics, join the party and sing along for an evening of pure fun!

With colors of crimson & gold all around — and craft fairs, concerts & festivals underway — take part in the season at more upcoming events! View local art in autumn glory at Art Around the City, sample wines from around the world at Freeland Arts in the Park, and take a colorful trip to David Rogers' Big Bugs Exhibit at Dow Gardens for oversized fun this fall! More Events +
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