By West Michigan Tourist Association
From parades to parties, festivals to fireworks, there are so many ways to celebrate the Fourth of July around West Michigan.
Celebrations in the Upper Peninsula and North Region
Watch fireworks soar over the shores of Lake Superior in Marquette on July 4. Before the evening’s finale, visitors are encouraged to take in the International Food Fest, Fourth of July Parade, and Boat Parade, all taking place in Lower Mattson Park or downtown, making for a great way to enjoy Independence Day. For a full schedule please visit the Travel Marquette website.
Head to Drummond Island for the annual town parade and amazing fireworks to celebrate Independence Day. Pins Restaurant at Drummond Island Resort & Convention Center will be serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner making it a fun place to gather with family and friends before and after the festivities.
Celebrate the Fourth of July all week long with events and activities galore at Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville. There’s something for everyone to enjoy with golf scrambles, family carnival, fireworks, 4Ks, live music, chairlift rides, and more.
So many exciting things are planned for the “Best Fourth in the North” in Lake City, July 3-7, including a parade, fireworks, a boat parade, live entertainment, vendors, crafters, dinners, and much more. Visit the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau for a schedule of events.
The Cadillac Freedom Festival is held annually the first weekend in July to celebrate our nation’s freedom and independence. This year’s event takes place July 5-7 and includes a carnival, 5K run, free kids activities, fishing tournament, watermelon eating contest, live music, and more, culminating in fireworks over Lake Cadillac at 10:00 pm Sunday evening.
Head to Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire to get a jump start on celebrating Independence Day! Shanty Creek Resort kicks off the Independence Day holiday on Wednesday, July 3 with the Freedom Festival. Enjoy kids’ games and activities, bounce houses, live music, food and drinks, lawn games, disc golf, swimming, face painting, and more. The evening welcomes a bonfire with s’more kits and a fireworks show at dusk.
Come to the Village at Bay Harbor in Petoskey on July 3rd and enjoy an always amazing show by the Petoskey Steel Drum Band with an unparalleled fireworks display over Bay Harbor Lake starting at dusk. Get your seat on the lawn early, as it’s always a spectacular show in Bay Harbor for fireworks night. Enjoy the most unique parade on the Fourth of July, including gem cars, specialty and vintage vehicles, the Michigan Stiltwalker, decorated bikes, costumes, candy for the kids, and so much more starting at 11 a.m. on Main Street.
Celebrate America at Cheboygan’s annual Independence Day Parade 10 a.m. on July 4 along Main Street in downtown Cheboygan.
Fourth of July fireworks begin at dusk on Thursday, July 4, in downtown Grayling.
The July 4th Independence Day Celebration in Central Lake features a pancake breakfast, arts and crafts bazaar, parade at noon, strawberry social, library book fair, children’s events, Lions Club chicken BBQ dinner, and fireworks show at dusk. Visit the Bellaire Chamber of Commerce for full schedule of events.
There are a number of events in honor of the Fourth of July throughout Mecosta County:
- The Village of Mecosta will be hosting a day-long celebration of Fourth of July activities including a parade at 11 a.m., a free ice cream social, scavenger and geocache hunt, and a picnic dinner from 5:00 pm to 7 p.m. with a $5 donation. The celebrations will conclude with a fireworks display around 10:15 p.m.
- The Big Rapids Jaycees host the 4th of July Parade and Downtown Fireworks. The parade will begin Thursday at 6 p.m. followed by fireworks at the Mecosta County Fairgrounds at dusk. Parking is available at the Fairgrounds and Roben-Hood Airport starting at 6:30 p.m. for $5. A stage will be set-up in the Side Lot by the Fair Office building for music, entertainment, games, and more! The rain date for the fireworks is Friday, July 5.
- The Tri-Lakes Association invite you to join their annual Mecosta County Boat Parade! Participants will meet at the North end of Lake Mecosta around 3:30 p.m. for registration and pictures before proceeding across the lake at 4 p.m. for general viewing.
- The Chippewa Lake-Mecosta Lions Club are hosting “Find the Flags on the Lake” Boat Poker Run on Saturday, July 6. Sign up for the event begins at 9 a.m. and participants need to be back at Millet Park by 4 p.m. to participate. Prizes will be given out but you must be 18 years of age to participate and be able to show ID to claim your prize. The Lions will also be hosting a Bake Sale throughout the day in Millet Park until supplies are gone or until the event concludes with fireworks in the evening at 10 p.m.
You can’t help but feel patriotic in Harbor Springs! The parade is top notch and the day includes the Paul Revere Fun Run, an art show, the Red, White and Brew beer tent with entertainment, and a spectacular fireworks display. Across the bay in Petoskey, catch the annual parade through downtown, evening music at Bayfront Park, and a sparkling display of pyrotechnics. Choose the right location to sit, and you can see Petoskey and Harbor Springs’ fireworks at the same time.
Fireworks, Boat Cruises, and More in the Central Region
The Holland Independence Day Celebration Freedom & Fireworks starts at 12:30 pm July 4 in Kollen Park, with kids games, martial arts demonstrations, live music throughout the day, and fireworks at dusk over Lake Macatawa to the sounds of live, patriotic music (estimated start time 10:25 pm). There will also be food booths serving late lunch and dinner.
Muskegon Rockstock is back July 4-6 at Heritage Landing with great rock music, fireworks, raffles, face painting, food, beverages, and cold Budweiser. Tickets are available now. Active duty military and veterans get in free. Gates open at 5 p.m. each night, with an amazing fireworks finale at dusk on the 4th of July. A carnival midway has been added for this year, and takes place from July 3–7.
Friday and Saturday, July 5-6, the Lakeshore Art Festival will feature a unique blend of fine art, crafts, music, food, and fun in beautiful downtown Muskegon! Experience over 300 juried fine art and specialty craft exhibitors, children’s activities, specialty food items, street performers, multiple interactive art stations, chalk the walk, The Door Project, kayak sculptures, and more.
View the Grand Rapids Independence Day Fireworks from the Haute rooftop at New Hotel Mertens, Saturday July 6th. Space is limited, click here for reservations.
Join the Grand Rapids Public Museum for the Independence Day fundraiser, Front Row for the Fireworks, held Saturday, July 6th to coincide with the City of Grand Rapids’ fireworks show. The night includes patriotic music playing on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ, Chaffee Planetarium shows, and rides on the 1928 Spillman Carousel, as well as a unique Museum-wide scavenger hunt for the family. At dusk, visitors can head outside to the enclosed lawn seating areas or stay inside the Museum for air-conditioned comfort to have an amazing view of the fireworks as they burst over the Grand River. Tickets available here.
Celebrate all week at the Ludington Jaycees Freedom Festival, July 3-7, at Stearns Park Beach in downtown Ludington. Independence Day celebrations begin July 3 with a Children & Pet Parade, and ramp up on July 4th with the annual holiday Grand Parade and Freedom Festival Fireworks. The fun continues for the weekend with the West Shore Fine Art Fair in Rotary Park and the free concerts of Ludrock at Waterfront Park, July 6-7.
Spend some time out on Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan, enjoy a great sunset, and top it off with a great fireworks show with one of the best seats on the water aboard Aquastar Cruises. The Aquastar leaves the dock at 8:30 pm on the 4th and returns after the fireworks show. Appetizers will be served and beverages will be available for purchase.
Watch the fireworks from the water on the S.S. Badger Fourth of July Fireworks Shoreline Cruise. This special shoreline cruise aboard the S.S. Badger on Thursday, July 4th will be leaving the Ludington dock at 9:00 pm and returning after the fireworks. The ship will cruise along the Ludington shoreline until sunset and then get into position outside the breakwall to give guests a fabulous view of the waterfront fireworks display.
Enjoy the Thunder Over the Dunes fireworks in Silver Lake on the 4th of July to see this unique display from the Silver Lake Sand Dunes and around the lake. Fireworks start at 10 p.m.
Beginning at 10 a.m., the White Lake Area 4th of July Parade will travel from Whitehall City Hall to Downtown Montague. More than 100 entries are involved in this family fun and annual parade. Fireworks begin at dusk and are viewable from both Montague and Whitehall downtown areas.
Thursday, July 4, at dusk, enjoy “Fireworks on Deck” aboard the USS LST 393 Veterans Museum! It’s the “best seat in the house” for the awesome display over Muskegon Lake. The World War II landing ship is located at the Mart Dock in downtown Muskegon, just yards from the fireworks site.
JW Marriott Grand Rapids invites high rollers to prolong Independence Day celebrations with its star(s and stripes)-studded package, “Red, White and Exclusive,” July 6 to coincide with the Grand Rapids fireworks. For a cool $6,500, groups of eight or fewer will experience:
- Overnight accommodations in Founder’s Suite
- Private dining experience with personal chef
- Private fireworks viewing party on helipad
- Breakfast at six.one.six
Celebrate the 4th of July with live music, drink specials, delicious food, a great view of the river, and fireworks at six.one.six at the JW Marriott! First Tier tickets for $75 (per adult, child or military) include meal and an assigned table. Second tier tickets for $25 includes entrance only in the standing room only area.
July 6 WP Patio Fireworks Viewing Party at The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck tickets are on sale now. $50+tax+22% gives you a guaranteed spot on the patio all night. $35 Veteran price. Party is from 6:00 pm-midnight. Food from 6-10 p.m.
River Country Chamber of Commerce invites you to Freedom Fest July 6 on the CauseWay in Croton Township. Freedom Fest features live music, food and a beer tent (including non-alcoholic beverages), and street vendors.
South Region Festivals, Fireworks, and Family Fun
Enjoy carnival games, live music, family fun, and fireworks at Red White & Boom, July 6th, at the Inn at Harbor Shores in St. Joseph.
What better way to celebrate Independence Day than by a parade and then barbecue chicken to follow it up! Grab your lawn chairs and come to the historic and beautiful Brooks Fountain circle in Marshall for the Chicken Barbecue, Bike & Pet Parade and Rotary Band Concert. Parade begins at 10 am July 4, followed by lunch in the park, and performance from the Marshall Rotary Band.
Celebrate Independence Day in South Haven at the Light Up the Lake Fireworks & Fourth of July Parade! On the 3rd of July, gather around North and South Beaches for the ultimate fireworks show at dusk, then gather on Phoenix Street for the annual parade on the 4th of July. Not only is South Haven celebrating its 150th anniversary with a year-long series of events, the Fourth of July Parade will be celebrating its 170th anniversary. To honor these significant milestones, the Fourth of July committee has established the theme “South Haven: Honoring our Past, Focused on the Present, Imagining our Future.”
Enjoy South Haven’s Light Up the Lake fireworks display on July 3rd from the deck of Michigan Maritime Museum’s tall ship Friends Good Will! Light Up the Lake…while enjoying a sail on Lake Michigan for an evening you won’t soon forget! Ship sets sail at 9 p.m. Tickets are limited, so make your reservations today.
Watch the July 4th Vintage Baseball Tournament at Eden Springs Park in Benton Harbor in Southwest Michigan. Bring your chair and cheer on the teams, House of David Echoes, The Livery Brewers and the South Haven Bark Peelers, in tournament action. Only $3 admission for an afternoon of fun!
Fourth of July is a blast in Saugatuck/Douglas. The waterfront festival features live music, food, children’s activities, and more, not to mention fireworks over the Kalamazoo River!
Experience hometown festivals at their best in Coldwater Country. Kick off Independence Day in Quincy with the annual 4th of July Parade and Rotary BBQ at Quincy Park. Head back to Coldwater for fireworks over Heritage Park that evening. Make a long weekend of your getaway and stay for the Fireworks Spectacular over Coldwater Lake on July 6. There’s always something happening in south central Michigan.
The 4th of July is a great time to visit the Air Zoo in Portage! The recently opened D-Day Exhibit gives visitors an immersive view into the people, planes, and paratroopers that made the Allied invasion of Normandy a success. The Air Zoo is full of incredible American flying machines, including iconic D-Day planes like the C-47 Skytrain, CG-4A Glider, P-38 Lightning, and P-47 Thunderbolt. With rides, flight simulators, interactive exhibits, and over 100 rare and exciting aircraft, spacecraft, and artifacts, the Air Zoo is always fun for the whole family.
Don’t miss Barry County’s 37th Annual Old Fashioned 4th of July & Salute to Veterans in Historic Charlton Park, Hastings, Thursday July 4th noon-4 p.m. The event kicks off with a flag raising ceremony and salute to veterans followed by the Veterans Association Pork Bar-B-Que Buffet. The afternoon also includes games, races, a pie auction, and more.
Looking for more? Find out what other events are happening around West Michigan by checking out our events calendar!
