What are some of the best summer festivals in Michigan for 2026?

There are plenty of fun summer festivals in Michigan to enjoy when you Go Great Lakes Bay, including: Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival, Frankenmuth Flower Festival, and Frankenmuth Summer Music Fest in Frankenmuth; YWCA Riverside Art Festival, Labadie Rib Fest, and Bay City Fireworks Festival in Bay City; Dow Championship, Midland Area River Days Festival, and Great Lakes Beer Festival in Midland; and Saginaw's Greek Festival, Saginaw African Cultural Festival, and Saginaw Art Fair in Saginaw.

Skip to:

The Commons Live Music Series | @downtownmidlandmi

Throughout Summer:

Dow Championship | @elementaldining_midland

What are some of the best summer festivals in Michigan this June for 2026?

  • Downtown Bay City Apps & Ales (Jun 4) Sample from some of Downtown Bay City’s best eateries & pubs, with tasty appetizers & specialty brews at every stop.
  • Dow Championship (Jun 8 - 14) Enjoy an experience unlike any other on the LPGA Tour as 144 of the world’s best female golfers compete in a team-format tournament.
  • Art & Garden Festival (Jun 10) Join fellow art & garden aficionados for an art fair with garden vendors and a silent auction.
  • Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival (Jun 11 - 14) Discover one of Michigan’s oldest festivals and its largest celebration of Bavarian heritage, with German food, beer, and dancing!
  • Art Seen Festival (Jun 13) Pick up a brush & paint, or simply enjoy watching, as a community-created mural comes to life.
  • YWCA Riverside Art Festival (Jun 13 - 14) Stroll along the Saginaw River and take in artistry & entertainment all throughout the Downtown Bay City streets.
  • Saginaw's Greek Festival (Jun 19 - 21) Enjoy cold beer & authentic Greek fare while dancing to traditional Greek music. Opa!
  • St. Stan’s Polish Festival (Jun 25 - 28) Dance into Bay City for carnival rides & an entertainment tent, then twirl to Polkas and dine on Polish food!
Bay City Fireworks Festival

What are some of the best summer festivals in Michigan this July for 2026?

  • Bay City Fireworks Festival (Jul 1 - 4) See one of the Midwest’s largest fireworks displays, launched over the Saginaw River, and enjoy the carnival midway & live entertainment.
  • Volksläufe — The People’s Race (Jul 4) Join the 2K Fun Run, 5K Run/Walk, 10K Run, or Half Marathon, and enjoy the fireworks display.
  • City of Midland Fourth of July Celebration (Jul 4) Enjoy a summer celebration filled with live music, food trucks, and a spectacular fireworks show.
  • Auburn Cornfest (Jul 9 - 12) With live entertainment, carnival rides, dirt drag races, a parade, and Merchants Row to shop — see what’s cropping up this year!
  • Cass River Colonial Encampment (Jul 18 - 19) Experience an encampment of historical reenactors, including tactical battle reenactments & military camp tours.
  • Downtown Bay City Sidewalk Days (Jul 23 - 25) Take your time strolling through Downtown shops and snag exclusive summer bargains & special items.
  • Downtown Midland Summer Sidewalk Sales (Jul 23 - 25) Pop in & out of local shops to discover incredible savings — then relax in the summer sun with a bite & a brew at The Commons.
  • Labadie Rib Fest (Jul 23 - 26) With headline bands and a festival that draws barbecue chefs from across the country, enjoy family activities, live entertainment — and ribs!
  • Frankenmuth Antique Fire Muster (Jul 25) Witness antique fire truck displays & pumping events, plus a Saturday-morning parade.
Midland Area River Days Festival | @megsymarie13
  • Munger Potato Festival (Jul 30 - Aug 2) Dig up fun for the whole family with a Figure 8 & Demo Derby, amusement rides, festival foods & fries, and a beer tent with live music.
  • Midland Area River Days Festival (Jul 30 – Aug 2) With live music, a beer & wine tent, Food Truck Alleyway, Kids’ Zone, and breathtaking hot air balloons — set your sights high for this festival!
  • Frankenmuth Flower Festival (Jul 31 – Aug 2) Soak up golden sunflower fields at Grandpa Tiny’s Heritage Farm. Enjoy U-Pick, Dinner in the Sunflowers, craft vendors, food trucks, and plenty of photo ops!
Saginaw County Fair | @winsomeglimpse

What are some of the best summer festivals in Michigan this August for 2026?

  • Saginaw County Fair (Aug 4 - 8) Delighting for over 100 years, experience animals, rides, fair food, grandstand attractions, and fireworks every single night!
  • Bay County Fair (Aug 4 - 8) Have a blast with the carnival rides & midway, petting farm & pony rides, plus livestock exhibitions & exciting grandstand events.
Saginaw African Cultural Festival | @thegoddess_redbird
  • Saginaw Art Fair (Aug 7 - 8) Browse the creations of fine artists & crafters on Ojibway Island, and enjoy a makers’ space, live performance art, and free art classes.
  • Great Lakes Beer Festival (Aug 8) Sample from some of Michigan’s best brewers as you listen to live music and toss bags at the cornhole tournament.
  • Frankenmuth Summer Music Fest (Aug 12 - 15) Experience one of the few remaining traditional Polka festivals! Enjoy cold beer & bratwurst after half-stepping on the huge wooden dance floor.
  • Linwood Pickle Festival (Aug 13 - 16) Join the Pickle Eating Contest & Best Pickle Dish Competition, catch the parade & classic car show, and enjoy live entertainment & kids’ activities.
  • Saginaw African Cultural Festival (Aug 14 - 16) Attend the oldest ongoing Black Arts Festival in the country and experience music, food, and guest speakers.
  • Midland County Fair (Aug 16 - 22) Enjoy it all — midway rides, tasty carnival food, grandstand events, and free live music every evening!
  • Mid-Michigan Old Gas Tractor Show (Aug 21 - 23) Find yourself at the largest antique tractor show in Michigan! Enjoy a flea market, operating displays, and tractor pulls.
  • City of Mural Community Festival (Aug 27 - Sep 2) See colorful murals brought to life across Bay City, and celebrate with live music, mural tours, and other special events.
Like This? You Might Also Like:
Deals On Things To Do
Free Outdoor Summer Concert Series in the Great Lakes Bay

All kinds of fun & free as can be, these outdoor summer concert series are your no-cost ticket to experience live music & unique entertainment nearly every night of the week!

Read More +
Things To Do
Top Summer Things to Do in the Great Lakes Bay

From frolicking in the waves to boarding sunset river cruises — with dancing in the streets, swaying to live music, farmers markets, and food trucks all as options — explore all you can when you Go Great Lakes Bay in Michigan this summer!

Read More +
Author
Jen W. O'Deay + Go Great Lakes Bay

By: Jen W. O'Deay | Updates: Go Great Lakes Bay | Jen is a Saginaw native and owner of Feel These Words, an independent copywriting studio & home to the free "5 Day Website MiniBoost". Jen specializes in writing that connects, delivered through website copy, branded content articles, and WingWoman writing services. You'll find Jen camping with her family, laughing, and at feelthesewords.com