No one wants to travel alone so make sure the whole family is in tow when you make your next trek to Traverse City. One of our favorite times of the year to enjoy a family vacation to the area is over the 4th of July holiday weekend. Traverse City is a bustling hub of entertainment as the National Cherry Festival is in full swing and 4th of July activities will be held as well. Take a look at some family friendly 4th of July activities in Traverse City.
Each year you will find that countless vacation destinations will all put on what you want to see for the 4th of July: a massive fireworks show! Traverse City hosts our very own 4th of July Fireworks display here on the holiday so you can enjoy an incredible night show. The fireworks are part of the National Cherry Festival and will begin approximately at 10:30 PM when the night sky is dark. You will find that our fireworks show is one of the best and is sure to put a smile on anyone’s face in your family. Don’t miss out on this fireworks show taking place on the 4th of July.
The biggest event that Traverse City sees each year is hands down the National Cherry Festival. This is a massive event that takes place over eight days and brings in over 500,000 people each year. This is a long standing tradition that has been around for decades and continues to grow each year. This year’s festival will take place from June 28th through July 5th for over a week’s worth of family friendly fun. The majority of the events that make up the National Cherry Festival are absolutely free to attend. Most of these events can be found over at Open Space Park where you can find the classic festival grounds complete with rides, midway games, food vendors, and so much more. Your kids will love trying to win a fun prize and see all of the incredible displays. The National Cherry Festival will also have additional activities including stunning aerial flyovers, pie eating contests, orchard tours, and the Kids’ Klub where you can find activities for children of all ages to enjoy. Your family is sure to make plenty of exciting memories here at this year’s National Cherry Festival.
The 4th of July is right in the middle of our summer season so you can be sure temps will be higher than usual. Make sure you can help the whole family cool off this summer by letting them explore the Grand Traverse Bay. Traverse City is located right on the edge of Lake Michigan and the Grand Traverse Bay lets you enjoy the lake water easy enough. When you step up to the coast you will be amazed at just how big the lake is. You will feel like you are on the ocean shores with the endless water in front of you and sandy beaches all around. A great way to explore the Grand Traverse Bay with the family is by enjoying the water. Local rental shops let you pick up water craft to help you explore. All ages can explore a ride aboard a kayak or canoe with a parent while the older children enjoy a stand up paddleboard. You can explore the shoreline and see what makes the bay so special. Cool off by the water of Grand Traverse Bay!
If your family is looking to stretch their legs during your patriotic stay take them on a loop through the TART Trail. This is a 13-mile paved trail that extends all along Traverse City. The paved path makes it an excellent choice for an afternoon bike ride through the area. The trail will give you and the family some wonderful views including the waterfront, swimming beaches, state parks, and much more. If you prefer to hike, you will find that the TART Trail also connects to the Leelanau Trail along with the Boardman/Ottaway River. Explore the TART Trail is a great way for a family outing that will have you seeing quite a bit of Traverse City all in one go.
As you can see, a trip with the family over the 4th of July weekend is just what everyone needs. You are sure to find these wonderful family friendly activities and so much more close by our vacation rentals. There is no stay more comfortable than inside our vacation properties filled with luxury amenities. Explore our listing today and see what property is available for the perfect family outing in time for summer. Contact us to book your stay today.
Get ready for another exciting summer vacation especially when you get ready for a trip up North to Traverse City. Come explore our Michigan home this summer right on the edge of Lake Michigan. The summer season is a great time to visit as the kids are off school for the summer and you can take advantage of long weekends, especially ones that overlap holidays. This summer take advantage of the Fourth of July holiday taking place on a Thursday to give yourself an extended weekend getaway to Traverse City. You will find a variety of patriotic events and summer activities taking place here in the city. Take a look at how to spend the Fourth of July this summer here in Traverse City:
You cannot think of a Fourth of July celebration without thinking first and foremost about a fireworks show. Most Fourth of July celebrations all over the country come to an end with a fireworks show and Traverse City is no different. What makes a fireworks display in an area such as Traverse City so special is the light reflecting off the lake water.
Come enjoy our Fourth of July Fireworks taking place during the National Cherry Festival each year. Our fireworks demonstration is one you will not want to miss that lights up the night sky and provides a dazzling display seen nowhere else. The Fourth of July Fireworks is a full hour of fireworks fun and kicks off at 10:30 p.m.; with Traverse City being so far North our nights do not start until late in the evening!
The fireworks demonstration is free of charge and is perfect for all ages to see. The best viewing areas are anywhere along the Grand Traverse Bay where you can sit back and enjoy the show. The fireworks display is always a popular event so getting to your viewing area early is ideal. Come see why this fireworks demonstration is the best in the state of Michigan!
Since you will have an extended weekend to enjoy your stay in Traverse City you will have to participate in the largest event of the year: the National Cherry Festival! As the name suggests the festival is all about cherries and is over a week long with daily celebrations to enjoy.
Cherries have become synonymous with Traverse City, and you will see why when this festival attended by millions in the past takes place. The best place to start when enjoying the National Cherry Festival is the main festival grounds that are located at the West Grand Traverse Bay Open Space Park that are open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The festival grounds are where you can find various cherry related events taking place.
The Kids Chery Pie Eating Competition is a friendly show where your children will love indulging themselves with delicious cherry pie. There is also a fun run to make sure they can balance the sweets out with a little physical activity! Visitors will also find the Michigan State University Horticultural Research Station nearby that offers 137 acres of farmland for the cherries. The research station has plenty to see inside with educational exhibits, samples of tasty cherries and cherry products, and tours of the farm too.
Head on over to the American Farmland Trust’s Cherry Farm Market where visitors can find all the festival and cherry products they want to take home with them. The Fourth of July has plenty of events lined up at the National Cherry Festival that will make it easy to spend some time before heading to the fireworks in the evening. The Ultimate Air Dogs competition features 100 dog athletes participating in a variety of competitions. X-Golf Traverse City will be hosting a hole-in-one competition that any golf lover in your family will want to join.
Head over to Arnold’s Amusements Midway for classic amusement park rides such as a Ferris Wheel and much more. There will be plenty of midway games too where you can attempt to win cool prizes for the kids. Other activities that the adults may enjoy include the onsite beer garden complete with your favorite craft beer and a corn hole tournament. The National Cherry Festival takes place from June 28th through July 6th so you will have plenty of time to check it out during your Fourth of July stay in the area!
The Fourth of July holiday is the perfect time to finally come and see Traverse City in person. The area is known for beautiful summer fun and the holiday events make it even better. Reserve one of our properties today and come see Traverse City for yourself.
