Summer Festivals in West Michigan
There are so many fun Summer Festivals to enjoy and attend in West Michigan! Everything from art festivals to music festivals and more. There are festivals right on the beach, in the small towns, and in the big city of Grand Rapids! This list shares all the best festivals in West Michigan by month – don’t miss out on any of them by saving this post or sharing with a fellow festival lover!
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May Summer Festivals
Tulip Time Festival– Holland- May
One of the most popular summer festivals in West Michigan, Tulip Time celebrates the region’s unique Dutch heritage during the first weeks of May. At this festival, you can visit Holland to see thousands of Tulip blooms on every street corner, within local parks, and at the famous Windmill Island. Visitors can also take part in children’s activities, a Dutch artisan market, photo classes, tours, a carnival, and other special events throughout the week!
Other West Michigan Festivals in May:
Old Fashioned Days Midway Carnival and Parade– Fruitport -May 25-30
Kite Festival– Grand Haven- May 21 & 22
Cider Week–Grand Rapids-TBD 2022
June Summer Festivals
Asian Pacific Festival – Grand Rapids
June 9 -11 Calder Plaza
Located downtown Grand Rapids in Calder Plaza, the Asian Pacific Festival takes place each June to highlight the unique culture of this area of the world. Organized by the Grand Rapids Asian Pacific Foundation, this event features food vendors, craft vendors, children’s activities, live cultural performances and so much more!
Start to Summer Festival– Rockford- June 8-11
Another great West Michigan summer festival is the Start to Summer Festival in downtown Rockford! This event has tons of fun things to do for the entire family. These include a children’s activity tent with tons of free crafts, live entertainment, a beer tent, carnival, parade, ducks race, fireworks and so much more!
Want to spend more time in Rockford? Learn how to spend A Day in Rockford with this post!
Other West Michigan Festivals in June:
- “Remember When” Vintage Car Show & Cruise – Holland – June 2
- Plein Air by Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts – Grand Rapids– June 2-4 (2024 Dates Announced: June 7-9)
- Muskegon Pride Festival – Muskegon – June 4
- Taste of Muskegon– Muskegon – June 10-11
- Heritage Festival– Spring Lake – June 13-18
- **Merchants and Makers at John Ball Zoo** – Grand Rapids – June 17
- Juneteenth Festival– Holland – June 17
- Hudsonville Balloon Festival – Hudsonville– June 16-18
- Pride Festival- Grand Rapids – June 17
- Montcalm County Fair– Greenville – June 18-24
- Arts Festival- Grand Haven – June 23-25
- Holland PRIDE Festival– Holland – June 24
- Lakeshore Art Festival- Muskegon – June 24-25
July Summer Festivals
Coast Guard Festival– Grand Haven- July 28-Aug. 6
This week-long celebration takes place on the West Michigan lakeshore in the town of Grand Haven. The Coast Guard Festival honors the men and women of the United States Coast Guard and provides family fun for all those who attend. The festival features fun things to do like ship tours, live music, a carnival, car show, kids day, community picnic, parade, and a massive fireworks show in sync with the Grand Haven Musical Fountain.
Ionia Free Fair– Ionia Fairgrounds- July 13-22
The Ionia Free Fair is a classic West Michigan festival to take the entire family to! The event takes place at the Ionia fairgrounds and features a carnival, live music, parade, monster truck events, kids talent show, derby, rodeo, livestock auction, tractor pull, 80s night and so much more. Find all the events-here!
Other West Michigan Festivals in July:
- Berlin Youth Fair– Marne– July 3-8
- Lowell Riverwalk Festival – Lowell– July 6-8
- Egelston/Wolf Lake Festival- Muskegon– CANCELED
- Sparta Town and Country Days– Sparta– July 21-22
- Muskegon Bike Time – Muskegon – July 20-23
- Upheaval Festival – Grand Rapids – July 14-15
- Fresh Coast Fitness Festival – Muskegon – July 15-16
- Ottawa County Fair– Holland– July 25-29
- Summer Wine Up Festival- Muskegon– July 30 (2023 Dates TBA)
August Summer Festivals
Burning Foot Beer Festival– Muskegon-Aug. 26
This amazing beer and music festival known as Burning Foot Beer Festival offers a fantastic line-up of live entertainment and tons of beer to try right on the shores of Lake Michigan. Located at Pere Marquette beach in Muskegon, this festival brings in over 80 beer vendors and lots of great food options. Tickets are on sale now, get them-here!
Danish Festival– Greenville- Aug 18-20
Taking place in the city of Greenville, the Danish Festival has been celebrating Danish history and heritage since 1965. At the festival, visitors can enjoy an artisan craft fair, food vendors, a parade, live entertainment, and the Miss Danish Festival pageant.
Other West Michigan Festivals in August:
- The White Lake Chamber Music Festival– Muskegon- Aug 5-13
- Restaurant Week- Grand Rapids- MOVED TO NOV 3-11
- Grand Rapids Hispanic Festival- Grand Rapids- Aug 4-6
- Kent County Youth Fair– Lowell- July 31-Aug. 5
- Unity Christian Music Festival– Muskegon- Aug. 9-12
- Sparta Celtic Festival- Sparta- Aug. 11-12
- Coopersville Summerfest and Car Show– Coopersville- Aug. 11-12
- Great Lakes Surf Festival- Muskegon- Aug. 12
- Sand Sculpture Contest- Grand Haven- Aug. 12
- Macatawa Water Festival– Holland-August 12
- A Glimpse of Africa- Grand Rapids- Aug. 12-13
- Grand Rapids Yassou! Greek Cultural Festival– Aug 18-19
- Hudsonville Community Fair- Hudsonville- Aug. 21-26
- 28th Street Metro Cruise- Grand Rapids- Aug. 25-26
- Polish Festival– Grand Rapids- Aug. 25-27
September Summer Festivals
ArtPrize- Grand Rapids- Sept. 14-Oct. 1
One of the most popular art festivals globally, ArtPrize is an 18-day event starting in 2009. This event alone draws over a quarter of a million people each year bringing art lovers from around the world to the Grand Rapids area. Professional and amateur artists alike submit their best work to compete for the $450,000 public and juried prize. More than 1,000 works of art are on display each year at various locations across the city. The event takes place in some form each year from late September to early October. The dates for 2023 are September 14- October 1.
One of the most unique things about ArtPrize is the fact that the public gets to vote on some of the winners. Simply download the ArtPrize app and vote for your favorite pieces. The rest of the prize money is awarded by a panel of esteemed art professionals from around the world.
You can find artwork throughout the city at various venues that chose to host artwork. See the full list of venues-here!
Find other Artsy things to do in Grand Rapids-here!
Fallasburg Art Festival– Lowell- Sept. 16-17
The Fallasburg Art Festival presented by LowellArts takes place each September in Fallasburg park. The event features over 100 unique fine art and craft booths, food booths, a children’s craft area, craft demonstrations and so much more! The event is totally free to attend!
Other West Michigan Festivals in September:
- Polish Festival – Muskegon – September 1-2
- Grand Valley American Indian Lodge Pow Wow- Grand Rapids- TBD 2023 (last year was Sept. 10-11)
- Allegan County Fair- Allegan- September 8-16
- Michigan Irish Music Festival – Muskegon – September 14-17
- Mexican Heritage Association Fiesta Mexicana– Grand Rapids- TBD 2023 (last year was Sept. 10-12)
- MSU Grand Fondo– Grand Rapids- will return in 2023
- Tulipanes Latino Art & Film Festival– Holland- TBD 2022 (last year was Sept. 19-22)
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Sara Moore
Sara is a mom, wife, and Grad student living in Coopersville Michigan! She is a lifelong lover of all things West Michigan. She loves writing and sharing all the wonderful things to do in the West Michigan area especially Grand Rapids and the lakeshore!
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