Experience winter at its best in Northern Michigan! The Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne Falls, Boyne City, and Alanson area hosts a variety of beloved annual winter events that showcase the region’s outdoor recreation, vibrant communities, and festive spirits. From snow-filled adventures and family-friendly celebrations to unique local traditions, winter here is packed with unforgettable experiences for visitors and locals alike.

Fat & Flurrious Fat Bike Race, Boyne City

Put on by the fine folks of North Country Cycle Sport of Boyne City, Fat & Flurrious is a wonderful winter event to get your body moving and raise money for local trails. Starting in 2016, Fat & Flurrious has grown to be one of Michigan’s premier fat bike races, attracting some of the fastest racers in the Midwest. “Fun comes first and race proceeds are donated back into the local trail systems.”

Winter Wonderland Festival, Petoskey

Winter in Downtown Petoskey comes alive with ice sculptures throughout town, live ice carving demos, free carriage rides, and more at the Winter Wonderland Weekend. Each February the Downtown Petoskey Office puts on this family fun event!

Ice Festival, Harbor Springs

Each February the Harbor Springs Downtown Office puts on this ice sculpture event – Harbor Springs Ice Fest – that includes ice sculptures throughout the downtown area, an interactive ice park in Zorn Park, LIVE carvings, Dueling Chainsaws Show, a scavenger hunt, games, and horse drawn wagons giving tours.

Annual Holiday Open Houses

Each year, Harbor Springs, Petoskey, Boyne City, and Alanson all celebrate holiday festivities, the coming of the snow, and a great opportunity to start holiday shopping or at least get some great ideas from downtown businesses with a Holiday Open House. New for 2025 was Bay Harbor’s A Very Bay Harbor Christmas!

Spring brings new energy to Northern Michigan, and communities across Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne Falls, Boyne City, and Alanson celebrate the season with a lineup of exciting annual events. From competitive bike races and scenic fun runs to a lively March beer event, spring is all about getting outside, reconnecting, and enjoying the return of warmer days. Whether you’re racing, cheering, or just soaking in the atmosphere, these spring events offer something for everyone.

Hops N’ Highlands, Harbor Springs – March

This annual beer tasting event, Hops ‘N Highlands, at The Highlands Resort is a great early way to start off the spring season. Sometimes the weather can’t seem to make up its mind during this time of year so you may see some snow flurries.

Zoo-de-Mack Bike Bash, Harbor Springs

This annual bike race, Zoo-de-Mack, takes place in May each year starting at The Highlands in Harbor Springs’ Zoo Bar taking participants all the way to Mackinaw City and then Mackinac Island.

Top O’ Michigan Festival of Races, Petoskey

This annual walk/run gets you moving as the snow has melted away. The course is along the Little Traverse Wheelway and starts in Bayfront Park in Petoskey. This course is relatively flat making it a route that is great for walkers, runners, and those of mixed abilities. The course is mostly paved with a few grass/dirt sections. This is an out-and-back race.

Dirty Dog Dash, Boyne Falls

Each June, Boyne Mountain Resort hosts an obstacle course race in June. Its claim to fame as a race is the fact that it is “dirty,” as the name says. This means you will get dirty as you climb, wade, crawl, and slide to overcome all of the course’s obstacles. This race is for anyone 8 years old and up! The top three finishers in each division will be recognized. They also give out prizes for best costume, team spirit, dirtiest dog, and more!

Photo credit: Boyne Mountain Resort

Sand Dig Volleyball Tournament, Petoskey

For 30 years the Petoskey Annual Sand Dig Volleyball Tournament has been hosted at the Petoskey State Park. There are three divisions with three seeding levels in each (Men’s Doubles / Women’s Doubles / Co-ed Doubles). This two day tournament happens every June!

By far the most event-filled season in the Petoskey Area, summer offers events spanning from 4^th of July, live weekly music events in each of the communities, Blissfest Annual Music Festival, events on the water, biking events, art, and shopping events.

Area Farmers Markets – Summerlong

Browse produce, baked goods, fresh-cut flowers, and more while a local musician plays in the background – sounds like a great way to start your day in the Petoskey Area. Petoskey, Harbor Springs, and Boyne City all boast stellar farmers’ markets on select days of the week. Petoskeys on Fridays, Harbor Springs on Wednesdays & Saturdays, and Boyne City is also on Wednesdays & Saturdays.

Bay View Music Festival

The Bay View Music Festival is North America’s oldest chamber music festival, located in Northern Michigan near Petoskey, in the Bay View Association, a turn-of-the-century Victorian era community. With internationally renowned resident faculty artists and visiting artists in pop, jazz, classical, folk, and funk, The Bay View Music Festival is Little Traverse Bay area’s home for summer entertainment experiences for the whole family.

Street Musique, Harbor Springs

On select Thursdays throughout the summer, Harbor Springs Chamber of Commerce hosts street musicians throughout downtown with the help of Blissfest Music Organization.

Stroll the Streets, Boyne City

Stroll the Streets is a summer music event that occurs most every Friday in the summer. This event put on the Boyne City Main Street is an event that draws locals and visitors alike to enjoy music on street corners and in front of businesses throughout downtown. Fun and games for the kids too!

Blissfest Annual Music Festival, Harbor Springs

The Annual Blissfest Music Festival is a celebration of music, culture, art, and community featuring a world of diverse and innovative folk, world, and roots music, and dance at the Festival Farm in picturesque rural northern Michigan.

Petoskey’s Annual Sidewalk Sales

This annual summer event, Petoskey Sidewalk Sales, is hosted by the Petoskey Downtown office and takes place at the end of July each year. You’ll experience the streets of Mitchell and E. Lake shot down in the downtown district to car traffic and stores will display sale merchandise on the sidewalks and in the street!

Boyne Thunder, Boyne City

Enjoy an impressive display of high-performance boats the second weekend in July. The 150-mile poker run route winds its way through beautiful Lake Charlevoix, into Round Lake, out to Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay, then all the way up to Little Traverse Bay, Harbor Springs, and back to Horton Bay near Boyne City for the finish. On Friday of Boyne Thunder, Stroll the Streets, a four-block long street party with a collage of music, entertainment, dining, shopping, a car show and some awesome boat displays, is the place to be!

Ugotta Regatta, Harbor Springs

Sailboats from across the U.S. head to Harbor Springs each summer for one of the nation’s best-known sailing traditions: the Little Traverse Yacht Club (LTYC) “Ugotta” Regatta. Hosted by the Little Traverse Yacht Club, the Ugotta brings some of the best sailboat racers in the country to sail in one of the world’s best sailing venues in Little Traverse Bay.

The trees are decorated with fall colors and the pace of summer starts to subside. It’s just the right pace of adventures to catch your breath after a busy summer. You’ll be in the mood to go on a scenic drive to just look at the trees, hike to a scenic overlook, or just wonder around a local farm to pick out a pumpkin. Just like the season, the events in the Petoskey Area in the fall are of a different nature.

Fall Fest Weekends at Pond Hill – September & October

This classic fall event is something we highly recommend experiencing! Starting near the end of September, Pond Hill Farm in Harbor Springs offers fall festival weekends on Saturday and Sunday through late October. Here you can enjoy unique Pond Hill Farm activities like pumpkin bowling, apple cannons, corn maze, pumpkin smashing, hayrides, barnyard animals (say hi to their donkeys!), pumpkin patch with GIANT pumpkins, café goodies like brick-oven homemade pizza, wine tasting, and so much more.

Balloons Over Bay Harbor – September

This annual event has become such an awe-inspiring staple in September for the Village of Bay Harbor! This three-day event features several balloons ‘launches’ where you can watch hot air balloons float through the sky up, up, and away. Enjoy a craft market, food trucks, tethered balloon rides, paint and sip activities, and of course the Night Glow of the hot air balloons.

Harbor Springs Festival of the Book – September

Harbor Springs Festival of the Book occurs each September and is the ultimate event for book lovers. Enjoy programming scheduled throughout Harbor Springs to listen to authors speak, enjoy workshops, and of course – discover your new favorite books and authors. This festival sells out quickly so keep an eye on when tickets are available!

Boyne City Harvest Festival – September

Put on by the Boyne City Farmers Market, their annual Harvest Festival occurs on the last Saturday of September each year. Here you can enjoy the fall harvest at the Boyne City Farmers Market set up in Downtown Boyne City, live music, food, craft vendors, and activities for children and families.

Skitoberfest at Boyne Mountain – October

Each October, Boyne Mountain Resort hosts an Oktoberfest-style Party to ring in the fall season and get ready for cold, snow-making weather soon behind it. Things not to be missed at this event for adults and kids: keg bowling, stein hoisting, Kids’ Zone fun, pond pedaling, and more! Don’t forget to check out all of the Oktoberfest-themed food and beverages throughout the resort.