Your Guide To Leelanau County's Fall 2025 Event Slate
Monday marked the first day of fall, and while the end of summer marks the end of busy season in Leelanau County, there’s still plenty going on for the next few months. From fall festivals to Halloween parties, the Leelanau Ticker has your guide to autumn in Leelanau.
September 22-28: Fall for Leelanau, the Leelanau Conservancy’s annual weeklong celebration of autumn, is in progress this week, with most events still to come. Those include Friday’s “Harvest,” described as “an evening of music, local food, and a thought-provoking discussion on the intersection of recreation and conservation.”
September 27: No milestone marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall in Leelanau County more than Northport’s Leelanau UnCaged. That beloved music, dance, and art festival marks its 11th year this Saturday.
All October: The Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail’s annual “Hunt for the Reds of October” promotion will run all month, with tickets now available.
October 1: Late Night Leland, “when shops and restaurants stay open late and the village comes alive under the stars,” will run from 4-7pm on this particular Wednesday evening. Attendees are invited to “stroll through town, discover special deals and treats, and enjoy the cozy charm of Leland after hours.”
October 3, 10, 17, 24: The Suttons Bay Bingham District Library will run an “October Wellness Series” this fall – weekly Friday morning events featuring talks from local health and wellness experts. Speakers include Mike Swinger of Leelanau Physical Therapy (October 3), Kelly Kehl of Little Beauty Kitchen (October 10), Andrea Skrocki of Total Clarity Psychiatry (October 17), and Erica O’Neal of Trailhead Physical Therapy (October 24).
October 4: Runners to their marks! Leelanau County’s biggest running event, the Sleeping Bear Marathon, kicks off at the Dune Climb at 7:30am on Saturday, October 4. The three races – a full marathon, a half, and a 5K – are all sold out this year, but those interested in spectating can find more information about the races here.
October 5: The Ruby Ellen Farm is throwing a fall social and fundraiser, featuring a pig roast, an auction, a petting zoo, and live demonstrations of cider pressing, wood-turning, and ropemaking.
October 11: Start the day with the Rock the Light Trail run in Northport, a 5K on Leelanau State Park trails.
October 11: This year marks the 10th annual Lake Leelanau Street Harvest Festival, a Saturday of music, food, arts and crafts, a marketplace featuring local businesses and artists, and a smattering of children’s activities.
October 11: Farm Club will host “Apple Days,” its annual apple pressing day. The 11am-4pm event will feature an “old-style crank cider press,” tastings of over 20 varieties of apples, hot cider and hard cider, apple cake, freshly-milled buckwheat donuts, and more.
October 11: Leelanau Sands Casino will hold its annual Harvest Wine Celebration, “an unforgettable evening of fine wines, gourmet food, and live entertainment” starting at 5pm.
October 12: The Leelanau Montessori Forever Foundation invites local runners to a “Vineyard at Sunset” 5K race and fun run at French Valley Vineyard in Cedar, with proceeds going to the foundation.
October 12: Pumpkin-carving expert (and former local resident) Lord of the Gourd will make a “Triumphant Return to Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor.”
October 17: It’s the annual Suttons Bay Fall Finale Walk, which will run from 5-8pm in downtown Suttons Bay.
October 25: One of Leelanau’s newest businesses, The Folded Leaf in downtown Cedar, is getting in on the fall event fun with its first annual “Snuggery Festival.” The 12-9pm event will include “pumpkin carving, face painting, food, beverages, live music, and a spooky movie at 7pm,” as well as “some trunk or treating through Cedar.”
October 25 is also the date for Leland Fall Frenzy, a Leland Chamber of Commerce event with sales at participating stores in downtown Leland.
October 26: Contigo Dogs is bringing its third annual Fall Fido Fest back to Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay. Local dog owners are invited to “bring your pup and enjoy an afternoon of fun with 20+ vendors including rescues, vet clinics, small businesses, agility course, lure course, and a Halloween Costume Contest.”
Halloween Events
If you’re like us, you’ve already noticed some Halloween decorations springing up around your neighborhood. While more Halloween events and programs will surely be announced over the next month, here’s a sampling of what is already on the calendar.
October 25: Check out “Spooky Saturday” at Leelanau Township Library, featuring “spooky STEAM experiments and projects. (STEAM stands for “science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.”)
October 25: The Old Art Building in Leland will hold its annual “Halloween at the OAB” party from 1-3pm, a free event featuring “Halloween activities for the whole family.”
October 25 is also “Witches’ Night Out” in Northport, with participants invited to “shop, dine, sip, and celebrate” from 5-9pm. As part of that village-wide event, Northport Arts Association (NAA) is hosting “Thrifted Ghost Painting,” where people can “come in and paint a ghost and other Halloween flourishes on an [existing] artwork to create Halloween-themed decor to enjoy for years to come.” Those interested in participating in the painting event are encouraged to bring their own artwork to paint over, though the NAA will have a limited supply of paintings available for use. Paint will be supplied. More details can be found on the NAA website.
October 25: Starting at 6pm, Northport’s Around the Corner Food & Fun will host a free outdoor double-feature film screening of the two Hocus Pocus movies. The event will also feature pumpkin carving.
October 27-November 1: Kids aged 0-12 are invited to the Suttons Bay Bingham District Library for Book-or-Treat, where each child will be allowed to “pick out a special treat… a new free book to keep! While supplies last.”
October 31: Northport Pub and Grille is throwing a Halloween party featuring music from local Grateful Dead tribute band Touch of Gray, a costume contest, special Halloween drinks, and treats for trick-or-treaters.
October 31: Most Leelanau towns and villages will offer some form of trick-or-treating, though specific details and times haven’t been released for most of them just yet. 4:30-5:30pm is the annual “Village Truck or Treat” in Suttons Bay, and other traditions to watch for include the annual Trunk or Treat in Empire and the Glen Arbor Business District trick-or-treating window.