The Summer 40: Your Guide To Summer 2026 In Leelanau County
Festivals, fireworks, parades, concerts, road races, and sidewalk sales: No matter what summer means to you, the arrival of June means it’ll all be happening shortly. Here are 40 ways to celebrate summer in Leelanau County, between now and mid-September.
1. The 2026 Empire Asparagus Festival: Leelanau County’s first big festival of the summer is scheduled for this Saturday, June 6. Festivities kick off at 10am with the Kick-Yer Ass-paragus 5K, and then continue all day, with highlights including food vendors, a magic show, a poetry contest, and more.
2. The Fifth Annual Cheese Fest: Leelanau Cheese’s celebration of all things cheese is also this Saturday, with activities like tastings, pairings, and cheese-making workshops.
3. National Trails Day: Saturday also marks this outdoor-centric holiday, which always makes for a busy day out on Leelanau Conservancy trails. Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes is also celebrating by highlighting its accessibility programs. The nonprofit will have a tent in front of the Visitor Center in Empire featuring its track chair, and another tent in Glen Haven where visitors can check out its wheelchair bike.
4. Paella Nights on the Patio: Black Star Farms and its Bistro Polaris restaurant are celebrating summer with this weekly dinner series, with tickets available for most Thursday evenings between now and the first week of September.
5. River paddling: One of the summer hallmarks in Leelanau is paddling down one of the county’s many rivers and streams. Crystal River Outfitters in Glen Arbor kicked off its 2026 kayaking season on May 16.
6. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s barn restoration workshop: This annual workshop teaches “restoration techniques for timber and frame structures” inviting community members of all skill levels to get involved. The 2026 workshop will focus on the repair of the horse barn at the Lyle and Sarah Schmidt farm, and will run from June 8-12, starting at 9am each day.
7. World Cup watch party: Calling all soccer fans! Jacob’s Farm will be screening “every big game live on our flat screen TVs, projectors, and surround-sound speakers whilst serving up half-price Short's Local's Light Beer” for the duration of this year’s FIFA World Cup. The tournament, which is happening in the United States this year for just the second time ever, runs June 11 to July 19.
8. Local music: There is no shortage of live music available in Leelanau County in the summer months – not just at more traditional venues like the Bay Theatre or the Old Art Building, but also at many breweries, wineries, and restaurants, from Hop Lot to Dune Bird to Northern Latitudes Distillery.
9. The M22 Challenge: The popular run/bike/paddle triathlon will return to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore next Saturday, June 13. It’s just one piece of a busy Leelanau County race calendar this summer, with other highlights including the Rock the Light 5K and 10-miler on June 6, the Friends of Fishtown 5K on July 18, and the Port Oneida Run on August 1.
10. Leland Wine & Food Festival: This popular festival made a comeback last year after a hiatus in 2024, and it’s back again on Saturday, June 13. The event runs from noon-6pm, and tickets are now available.
11. Art of the Vineyard: Coinciding with the Leland Wine & Food Festival is this “multi-media exhibition” at the Old Art Building “dedicated to the beauty, culture, and craftsmanship of the wine world.” The opening reception is Thursday, June 11 from 5-6pm, and the exhibit then runs until June 20.
12. Howie Mandel at Leelanau Sands Casino: The big event at Leelanau Sands this summer is this performance by Canadian comedian and actor Howie Mandel, known for his work in Gremlins, St. Elsewhere, and America’s Got Talent. Showtime is 8pm Saturday, June 13.
13. Farm-to-table dinners: Lively NeighborFood Market, 9 Bean Rows, and Forever Sleeping Bear (formerly Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear) are all offering farm-to-table dinner series this summer.
14. Drinks, Putts & Fire Trucks: River Club Glen Arbor will host this fundraiser for the Glen Lakes Fire Department from 4-8pm on Wednesday, June 17.
15. Electric Vehicle Car Show: Leelanau Energy is inviting the public to hear from local electric car owners, “so that they may share their experiences of driving EVs in northern Michigan.” The event runs from 10am-noon on Friday, June 19 at North Park in Suttons Bay.
16. Suttons Bay Artisan Art & Wine Walk: This summer kickoff tradition invites the public to stroll through Suttons Bay, explore local businesses, meet local artists, sample wines (and beers or ciders), enjoy live music, and win prizes. The event runs 5-8pm on Friday, June 19.
17. Music in the Park: This beloved tradition, courtesy of the Northport Performing Arts Center, brings live music to the Kent Holton Pavilion at Northport’s Marina Park from 7-9pm on summer Fridays. Concerts run weekly from June 26 to August 28.
18. “The Exuberance of Being Alive”: Northport’s community choir, the Village Voices, will present their annual summer concert – described as “a celebration of human hearts, human minds, and human voices” – at 7:30pm on Saturday, June 27.
19. Michigan Log Cabin Day: Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear invites guests to Boekeloo Cabin, one of six log cabins on the mainland in the park, from 11am-2pm on June 28. Stuart Boekeloo, a descendent of the cabin’s namesake family, “will be on-site to share history and stories of his family’s time at the cabin.”
20. Leelanau Summer Music Festival: Leelanau’s long-running classical music series returns this summer with two concerts. The first, by pianist Ralph Votapek, is scheduled for Wednesday, July 1 at the Holy Rosary Church in Cedar. The second will feature the AMiE Trio, an acclaimed string ensemble, on July 30 at the same venue.
21. Summinars: The Leland Township Public Library will continue the long-running “Summinars” series, with topics including everything from fly-fishing to wars in the Middle East. For the first time, the Summinars schedule includes a pair of partnerships with the Northwestern Michigan College International Affairs Forum. The season starts on July 2 and concludes on July 28.
22. The 100th Annual National Cherry Festival: It’s big milestone year for Traverse City’s flagship summer festival, which runs July 4-11. This year’s festival includes the traditional air show, concerts from the likes of Ludacris and Daughtry, and resurrected events like a milk carton boat regatta and a downtown bed race.
23. Independence Day 250: The Fourth of July promises to be extra festive this year, as the United States celebrates is own milestone 250th anniversary. Leelanau County celebrations typically include parades in Glen Arbor and Leland, a boat parade on Glen Lake, and fireworks in Leland, Northport, and Traverse City.
24. Artists’ Market 2026: Saturday, July 11 marks the Old Art Building’s 28th annual art fair, featuring 70 booths of original work from artists and makers from throughout the Midwest. The event runs 10am-4pm.
25. Tour de TART: This family-friendly bike ride takes cyclists from the Open Space in Traverse City to North Park in Suttons Bay, a 16-mile route situated mostly on the Leelanau Trail. Participants can “enjoy two tasty snack stops along the way,” as well as a meal and a cash bar at the finish line. The event takes place in the afternoon/evening of Friday, July 17.
26. Art Leelanau: This annual showcase of local artists is now in its 34th year at Leland’s Old Art Building. The exhibit kicks off with an opening night reception on Friday, July 24 and will then be open daily from July 25-August 2.
27. Steel Magnolias: The Glen Arbor Players will present their production of this tragicomic Robert Harling play, memorably adapted for the screen in a 1989 film starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, and Shirley MacLaine. Six performances are planned between July 24 and August 2.
28. Suttons Bay Art Festival: 100 artists will set up booths in Suttons Bay’s Marina Park for this event, which also includes food vendors, a community library book sale, and a children’s play area. The festival runs 10am-5pm on Saturday, August 1 and 10-4 the next day.
29. Leland Sidewalk Sales: This two-day event runs Thursday, August 6 and Friday, August 7 and will feature deals and discounts at participating stores in downtown Leland.
30. Suttons Bay Sidewalk Sales: Speaking of sidewalk sales, the Suttons Bay incarnation – which always occurs the week after the Suttons Bay Art Festival – will overlap with Leland’s sales, scheduled for August 7 and 8.
31. Port Oneida Fair: Also scheduled for August 7-8 is this annual Sleeping Bear Forever event, which invites attendees to “experience life as it was in the late 1800s and early 1900s.” The two-day fair showcases “the traditional skills and crafts of by-gone days at historic farms and a one-room schoolhouse.”
32. Northport Dog Parade: This annual canine parade invites dog owners to dress up their dogs for a chance to win prizes. Registration and sponsorship fees benefit “canine causes,” including the Great Lakes Humane Society, Cherryland Humane Society, The Fisher Fund, and Leelanau Christian Neighbors. This year’s 29th annual parade has a “Paw-Ty Like a Rockstar” theme and will take place on Saturday, August 8.
33. Jeff Daniels in Northport: Actor, singer/songwriter, and Michigan native Jeff Daniels will be at Northport Performing Arts Center on August 9. An afternoon performance sold out quickly, but a second show has been added for 6pm, with tickets still available.
34. Traverse City Food & Wine: This new festival will return for its second year from August 19-23. Much of the programming will spill into Leelanau County, including a “regenerative farm tour with ducks” at Dune Bird Winery in Northport, an Indian food cooking class and wine pairing at NJ’s Grocery in Lake Leelanau, and a wine dinner featuring chef Abra Berens at Mawby Vineyards.
35. “Summer’s End”: The Northport Community Band’s annual end-of-summer concert is slated for 7:30pm at the Northport Performance Arts Center on Saturday, August 27.
36. Cedar Polka Fest: The four-day festival runs August 27-30 with all its typical traditions, including live polka music, Polish food, an arts and crafts fair, a car show, a dog jumping competition, a parade, and the Run 4 the Kielbasa race.
37. Leelanau Harvest Tour: This summer-into-fall bicycling tradition marked its 40th anniversary last year, and is back again on September 12, with 18, 38, 56, and 70-mile routes available.
38. River Club Run (and Hole in One): This new event at River Club Glen Arbor challenges participants to run a race (5K or 10K distance) and then play a “specially built” mini golf hole, with hole-in-one putts netting big prizes. Runners will also get a free meal at River Club as part of their registration. The race starts at 9am on Saturday, September 12.
39. Empire Hill Climb: Race cars will once again speed up Storm Hill in Empire for the latest incarnation of this tradition that originated in 1964. This year’s hill climb runs from 10am-6pm on Saturday, September 19.
40. Leelanau UnCaged: Saturday, September 26 marks the 12th annual UnCaged. The festival, which serves as the unofficial finale for Leelanau County’s summer, will “transform the heart of Northport into dynamic, open-air stages” for music, dance, art vendors, and community.