Hey TC friends,
We’re in the thick of things right now. Cherryfest is in full bloom and town is filled with excitement, so many out-of-town friends and the cherries are about to pop off.
Here’s what’s going on this week; so you can plan a head.
This week in TC (July 7th – July 13th)
Norther Express / Creator: Picasa
🍒 Cherry Fest: The Final Stretch (July 7–11)
Every day this week:
Kids Club at Clinch Park | 10am–5pm | Free, ages 2–12
Cherry Farm Market at Open Space | 10am–10pm | Local cherry everything
Beer Tent at Open Space | 12pm–10:30pm | Need a $5 pin to enter
Pit Spit Contest | 6–7pm | Open Space | Free, register on-site
Swing Dance by the Bay | 6:30–9pm | Clinch Park | Free
Centennial History Exhibit | 10am–6pm | Horizon Books
Tuesday, July 7
🪶 Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians Pow Wow | 10am–3pm | Bayside Stage | FREE
One of the most culturally significant events of the entire festival. Dance demonstrations, traditional music, and a celebration of the region's indigenous history. Don't miss this one.
🎵 KC and the Sunshine Band | Evening | Bayside Stage
Five decades of hits on the waterfront. Get down tonight, literally.
🍒 Kids Pie Eating Contest | 1–3pm | F&M Park
Daily through Friday. Pre-school through age 12. Show up 15 minutes early to register. Free.
🍒 MSU Orchard Tour | 10am–1pm
Tour the 137-acre research farm. Cherry samples, educational exhibits, 4-H petting zoo. Shuttle from Bata Hall St. Transfer Station at 9:30am and 10:30am. Runs daily through Friday.
Gotta love the vintage photos.
Wednesday, July 8
🎵 The Fray with Augustana | Evening | Bayside Stage
Two Colorado alt-rock bands sharing a stage on the waterfront. This is the midweek concert you don't skip.
🚤 Milk Carton Boat Regatta | 11am | Clinch Park Marina
Homemade boats made entirely of milk cartons. They race. Some sink. All of them are wonderful. Free to watch.
⛳ Hole-in-One Tournament | 12–5pm
Daily through Friday. Closest to the pin wins a daily prize.
Thursday, July 9
This is the big day.
🏰 Kids Sand Sculpture Contest | 9am | Sunset Park Beach
Ages 3–5 start at 9am, ages 6–8 at 9:15am, ages 9–12 at 10:15am, group builds at 10:30am. Free.
🍒 Grand Traverse Pie Make & Bake | 10am–4pm | Clinch Park
Kids 12 and under. $5 suggested donation benefits the Traverse Bay Children's Advocacy Center.
🎤 Cherries Got Talent Finals | 2pm | Cherry Blast Stage
The finals. Watch local talent compete.
🐥 Rubber Duck Race | 3:30pm | Union Street Bridge
Buy a duck. Watch it float. Hope for the best. Register at cherryfestival.org.
🛏️ Free Bed Race | 4:45pm | Front & Cass
Teams race beds down the street. This is a real thing. It's exactly as chaotic as it sounds.
🏃 Cherry Kids 1-Mile Fun Run | 6pm | 13th & Oak
$10 entry, every finisher gets a medal. All ages.
🎵 Daughtry | Evening | Bayside Stage
One of the most requested acts in Cherry Festival history.
🎉 Community Royale Parade | 6:30pm | Front St → Union St → 7th St
The locals' parade. 100 minutes of school floats, marching bands, community groups, and the kind of hometown pride that makes you glad you live here. Get there an hour early for a good spot, or go a few blocks from center for less chaos.
🐕 Ultimate Air Dogs begins | Open Space Park
Nearly 100 dog athletes competing in dock-jumping. Free to watch. Runs through Saturday.
Friday, July 10
🎵 Justin Moore with Easton Corbin | Evening | Bayside Stage
Country closing out the penultimate night.
🎵 Andrea Bilderback at Grand Traverse Resort | 7–9pm | The Grille
If you want live music without the festival crowds, this is your Friday.
🍒 Last day of MSU Orchard Tours and Hole-in-One Tournament.
Saturday, July 11 — THE FINALE
🏃 Meijer Festival of Races | 7am | TC Central High
5K, 10K, 15K, and half marathon. The biggest race morning of the year.
🍒 Cherry Royale Parade | 11:15am | Front St → Union St → 13th St
The grand finale parade. Two hours of floats, marching bands, the National Cherry Queen, and the kind of spectacle that has defined this festival for a century. People put chairs out at the crack of dawn. Arrive an hour early or target spots a few blocks from city center.
🏆 Go for the Gold Finale | 5pm | Cherry Blast Stage
Ten semi-finalists drawn at 3:45, 4:15, and 4:45pm. Grand prize winner announced at 5pm. You don't need to be present to win
🎆 Festival Finale Fireworks | 10:30pm | Open Space Park
One hundred years. This is how it ends. Watch from the waterfront, from the TART Trail, from a boat on the bay, from your rooftop if you've got one. This is the night.
🎵 Evan Spaulding at Beach Club | 7–9pm | Grand Traverse Resort
The Saturday night Beach Club series continues for those who want live music away from the festival.
After the Festival (July 12–13)
Sunday, July 12: Recovery Day
The town exhales. The crowds thin. The locals reclaim the waterfront. Here's your post-fest Sunday:
Bonobo Flow at 10am. Yoga on Old Mission.
Suttons Bay Ciders live music 5:30–8pm. Wood-fired pizza all weekend. Drive to Leelanau and remember what quiet sounds like.
Pit Spitters Family Sunday at Turtle Creek Stadium. First 250 kids eat free.
The beach. Go to Clinch Park. Sit in the sand. Stare at the water. Don't dare check your phone.
Monday, July 13
TC Track Club Fun Run at 6:30pm. Shake off the festival and run it out.
Left Foot Charley open mic night. Walk to The Village, grab a glass of Riesling, and listen to someone play guitar in a former asylum. The perfect Monday reset.
IN OTHER NEWS!!
🍎 TAPROOT FARMSTEAD
Doors are opening officially Friday, July 10th! Make your reservations now at taprootcellars.com.
🍒 JACOBS FARM
Just opened their U-pick Cherries!
🍒 HALLSTEDT HOMESTEAD CHERRIES
Opening today at 10AM for their U-pick Cherries!
🧘♀️ LELAND RIVER STUDIO
Hosting their 2nd annual fundraiser for the Leelanau conservancy. This Saturday | July 11 at 10AM. Amy Hubbell will be guiding you through a yoga Flow at French Valley Vineyard.
Suggested Donations: $40 (every dollar is matched by river Studio toward their $7,500 goal. Reserve your spot at lelandriverstudio.com
🚲 Bike valet. Free bike parking just off the TART Trail in the southwest section of Open Space Park. Noon–8pm daily. Skip the parking nightmare.
🪑 Parade tip. People put chairs out at dawn on parade day. You can still get a good spot if you arrive an hour early and aim for a few blocks off center. The Community Royale Parade (Thursday 6:30pm) is the shorter, more local one. The Cherry Royale (Saturday 11:15am) is the grand finale.
🍷 Escape plan. If the festival gets overwhelming, drive 15 minutes up Old Mission or head to Leelanau. The wineries are pouring, the patios are empty, and nobody's fighting for parking.
🌅 Saturday night. After the fireworks. Walk down to the waterfront. Stand there for a minute. That's 100 years of Cherry Festival behind you and the whole summer still ahead.
If you have a unique stay or have stayed at a local venue that is to good to keep to yourself; reach out to me and we’ll share it on here.
[email protected]
See you on the Bay
THANKS!
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