August Michigan Event Calendar
Also see our Michigan Event Calendar, the Pure Michigan Blog’s excellent August 2011 Event Roundup and definitely sign up for our email list because we have FREE tickets (marked in light blue) to a number of the events below in our Festival Summer Giveaway!
The dog days of summer are upon us and Michigan is heating up with cool things to do. Summer is zipping by so take some time and support the many great festivals and events that our cities and communities have to offer. As usual we by no means have listed all the events happening around Michigan. Add ones we missed (with links) in the comments below!
August Quotes:
“Whilst August yet wears her golden crown,
Ripening fields lush- bright with promise;
Summer waxes long, then wanes, quietly passing
Her fading green glory on to riotous Autumn.” – Michelle L. Thieme
“August creates as she slumbers, replete and satisfied.” – Joseph Wood Krutch
“Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.” – Sam Keen
“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” – Warren Buffett
“If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?” – Steven Wright
August Wikipedia Fast Facts (link)
- August was originally named Sextilis in Latin.
- In the United States, August is National Goat Cheese Month.
- The middle week of August is the peak of the Perseid meteor shower.
- August’s birthstone is the peridot and sardonyx. The meaning is married happiness.
- August’s birth flower is the gladiolus and poppy.
Things to Do & Places to Go!
Paella In The Park Traverse City
The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula (OMP) and Porterhouse Productions present the second annual Paella In The Park, a summer music & culinary event in the heart of downtown Traverse City featuring the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies. This evening festival celebration pairs the seven OMP wineries with seven regional chefs who will prepare 36″ pans of Spanish paellas using OMP wines and fresh local and global ingredients over an open fire on-site. (Festival Summer Giveaway!)
Sleeping Bear Dunegrass Music Festival Empire
Dunegrass features the best local, regional and national touring acts like Donna The Buffalo, My Dear Disco, Seth & May, Grasshoppah, Rootstand and many others along with weekend camping, free admission for 12&under (13-17 – $30), the Rootenanny Beer Garden, fine food, arts & crafts, kids area, free shuttle to beaches, music/arts workshops and more.
Michigan Roots Jamboree Ypsilanti
The Jamboree is a two-day outdoor music and art festival featuring 25 bands from rock to bluegrass to jazz and funk, including Ella Riot (formerly My Dear Disco), NOMO, Steppin’ In It, The Werks, Frontier Ruckus, Hoots & Hellmouth, Theo Katzman & Love Massive, Dragon Wagon, Graham Parsons and the Go Rounds, The Floorwalkers and more. This exciting, family-friendly camping event will bring together incredible acts on two stages in beautiful Riverside Park in Ypsilanti. (Absolute Michigan Festival Summer Giveaway!)
August 11-14
National Blueberry Festival South Haven
Celebrating the blueberry industry in and around South Haven. Featuring fish boil, blueberries, pancake breakfasts, chicken dinner, arts & crafts, live entertainment, pie eating contest, parade, 5k walk/run and more.
FarmFest Johannesburg
Farmfest is a four-day traditional music festival. Mooosical Magic happens at Farmfest…it’s a musician’s playground. Gates open on Thursda, and main stage music begins on Friday. Drum Kiva, Fire Circle Jams, Dance Pavilion Events, Parkin’ Lot Pickin’, Candle Light Labryinth Walk, 2nd Stage Open Mic, Blow-Your-Face-Off Harmonica Contest, Kids-Kids-Kids Stuff!, Workshops, Great Food, Sacred Land … it’s all here! (Festival Summer Giveaway!)
August 12-14
Great Lakes Folk Festival East Lansing
The festival includes nearly 100 musicians or dancers in groups, who perform at least twice and sometimes as many as four times over the weekend. Also featured are traditional and other food vendors, craft vendors and many other individual artists/demonstrators. There are four performance stages (including one with a 2,400 sq. ft. dance floor), children’s hands-on activities, crafts demonstrations, and Green Arts marketplace. In addition, there are special programs every year, which feature some aspect of traditional culture.
August 12-14
St. Johns Mint Festival St. Johns
Approximately 150 arts & crafts booths, 5 sports tournaments, Free day & evening entertainment, Talent Show, Kids World (crafts & games all weekend), Exotic Animals, Senior Citizens Day, Quilt Show, Tractor Show, Classic Car Show, New Vehicle Show, Horse Show, Inflatables/Carnival Rides, more.
August 13
Northport Wine and Food Festival & Dog Parade Northport
A celebration of wine and local food with great music. $15 per person includes complimentary wine glass and three tasting tickets.
August 15-21
Upper Peninsula State Fair Escanaba
The 2010 Upper Peninsula State Fair opens Monday, August 16 @ 5:00 pm. Plan now to attend to the UP’s biggest event. Check their site for fair times, admission prices, and cost of specific events. Escanaba received the honor of being named the location for the Upper Peninsula State Fair in April, 1927. Michigan Gov. Fed Green signed Act 89, which stated, “An annual state fair at the City of Escanaba, which shall have for its main purpose the exploiting, and encouragement of improved methods in agriculture and industrial pursuits I hereby authorize.”
August 18 – 20
Woodward Dream Cruise Ferndale
The Woodward Dream Cruise stretches along a nine metro Detroit suburban area, within a sixteen mile radius, of the historical Woodward Avenue, attracting over one million visitors and 30,000+ muscle cars, street rods, custom and collector vehicles with Downtown Ferndale attracting 80,000+ attendees and car enthusiast alone. Enjoy a weekend of cruiz’n memories, exciting activities and live classic rock-n-roll for all to enjoy! Info on ferndaledreamcruise.com as well!
August 18 – 21
Danish Festival Greenville
The first Danish Festival was held on August 18, 1965. Today an 23 member Board of Directors, a staff of one, over 35 committees and hundreds of other volunteers are responsible for developing and presenting the festival, which draws crowds of over 80,000. It is this total community effort that makes it possible for Greenville to host the Danish Festival annually.
August 19-21
Melon Festival Howell
Melon Fest is an annual event in downtown Howell featuring the annual Melon Run, the Melon Ball, movies, a carnival & children’s activites, Thompson Lake Boat Cruises and the Festival Tent at the Opera House featuring melon ice cream, Michigan breweries, live music and BBQ.
Hoxeyville Music Festival Wellston
Hoxeyville boasts 2 stages of national touring artist as well the best and brightest talent from around our beautiful state including Umphrey’s McGee, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Greensky Bluegrass, Great American Taxi, Ekoostik hookah, The Ragbirds, The Macpodz and many more! With an intimate capacity of 5,000 and an amazing lineup, 2011 is not to be missed and right next door, is a modern campground with full amenities. (Festival Summer Giveaway!)
August 20
Traverse City Wine & Art Festival Traverse City
The Traverse City Wine & Art Festival returns to the Village at Grand Traverse Commons on Saturday, August 20, 2011 from 3-10 PM. The festival is a landmark celebration of the wine, food and culture of Michigan’s wine coast, featuring wines from 24 wineries of the Leelanau Peninsula, Old Mission Peninsula and Traverse City along with a selection of regional restaurants serving food & desserts, music and performance headlined by Shout Sister Shout, Claudia Schmidt and Steppin’ in It along with art for show and sale from a variety of artists.
August 20 – October 20
Michigan Renaissance Festival Holly
Festival is held on weekends and Labor Day, rain or shine. “visitors may also partake in games of skill or enjoy non-stop entertainment where belly dancers, sword swallowers, musicians, comedians and sword fighters provide merriment for all ages. The Festival is best known for it’s awe-inspiring full-contact armored jousting tournaments where gallant knights defend their honor until the last man is standing!”
Porcupine Mountains Music Festival Ontonagon
The only festival to take place within a state wilderness park, Porkies Fest is headlined by one of the most highly awarded ensembles ever assembled, Mountain Heart, and features great Michigan acts like The Ragbirds and the Red Sea Pedestrians along with regional and national talent, all in a beautiful, up-close and intimate setting that’s family friendly and amidst the beauty of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. (Absolute Michigan has two passes for you in our Festival Summer Giveaway – stay tuned!)
Traverse City Microbrew & Music Festival Traverse City
The TC Microbrew festival features microbrews and wine, cider & mead from over 50 craft brewers along with outstanding live music featuring Martin Sexton, Rebirth Brass Band, great grub, a silent disco and beer education. Two tickets could be yours in our Festival Summer Giveaway – details coming soon!)
Kroger Wine & Food Festival Rochester Hills
Formerly known as Meadowbrook, the festival features award-winning wineries throughout the state of Michigan and across the globe showcasing more than 100 varieties of wine including Chardonnay, Merlots, Rieslings, Sparkling, Dry Red and dessert wines. The festival’s on-site retail store will have select wines available for purchase, and in addition to wine sampling, there will be continuous live music, food vendors and seminars covering wine, food and other topics of interest. (We have 2 passes coming in our Festival Summer Giveaway!)
