This one-stop guide offers everything you need to know to make the most of the National Cherry Festival's vibrant celebrations — from parade schedules and cherry-picking tips to recommendations on can't-miss events. Plus, we'll give you insider info on the best family campground to stay at near Traverse City, and share tips on enjoying the natural beauty of the area. Whether you’re here for the cherries or the cheerful atmosphere, our guide ensures your festival experience is nothing short of spectacular. Join us as we celebrate summer at its sweetest, surrounded by the backdrop of beautiful Traverse City.
National Cherry Festival: June 29-July 6
The Cherry Festival is embarking on its 98th year celebrating Traverse City as being one of the largest cherry producers in the world. The festival spans over 8 days and you can be sure to find something for the entire family each day. The festival pulls in over 500,000 people to the Cherry Capital of the World — so make sure you plan ahead! There are car shows, air shows, cherry pit spitting contests, cherry pie eating contests, concerts, and so much more! Discover all of the daily events here.
Parades & Fireworks
National Cherry Festival hosts truly great parades!
Thursday, July 4: Consumers Energy Community Royale Parade
Thursday, July 4: 4th of July Fireworks
Saturday, July 6: DTE Energy Foundation Cherry Royale Parade
Concerts
Enjoy a number of concerts at Bayside Music Stage during the 2024 National Cherry Festival.
Saturday, June 29: Stone Temple Pilots
Sunday, June 30: T.I.
Tuesday, July 2: Leanne Morgan
Wednesday, July 3: GooGoo Dolls
Thursday, July 4: Dylan Scott
Friday, July 5: Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias
Festival of Races
Enjoy the incredible views of Grand Traverse Bay as you race through Traverse City. Plus, you're handed cherries after you cross the finish line. Numerous races are taking place during the Cherry Festival on Saturday, June 6. For more information and registration, head to the Meijer Festival of Races website.
Free Family Fun
Heading to the Cherry Festival? Be sure to check out the various free family fun being held in Traverse City! There are so many events and happenings that there will never be a dull moment. Full schedule of events can be found here.
Cherries
You're in the Cherry Capital of the World during the Cherry Festival — you better bring home some cherries! From U-Pick Cherry Farms and Cherry-dedicated stores, to Cherry merch and history lessons about cherries, you can find it all here.
Leelanau Pines
Located less than 20 miles from Traverse City, MI, Leelanau Pines in Cedar, MI is the best family campground near the National Cherry Festival. A place where fun is the main attraction and memories are waiting to be made. From our luxury cabin rentals and spacious RV sites, to lakefront access and attractions, a stay at Leelanau Pines will be a vacation you'll appreciate for life!
Campsites & Cabins
Camping near Traverse City is a breeze with our
2 cabin types and
5 RV site types! Our cabins have all of the necessities of a home, and our RV sites allow you to bring your home on wheels wherever you park it. Here's a variety of the site types we offer.
Luxury Cabin Rentals
We offer three different luxury cabin types that offer similar amenities, but each have their own perks!
If you're looking for some simple camping and not planning on cooking much, our
Rice Creek Glamping Pod is a great pick! This cabin includes a mini fridge and microwave which still makes it great for storing snacks or making something easy! This cabin features a queen size bed, futon, AC/heat, a front porch with seating, and electricity.
If you need a lot of privacy or separate space for your whole family while sharing a cabin, or are looking for your own access to a kitchen and bathroom, our
White Pine Cabins are the way to go! These cabins offer two private bedrooms, making it a more spacious spot. In addition to that, the cabin features a full kitchen with an oven, a full bathroom, AC/heat, a picnic table outside, and much more.
RV Sites
If you own an RV and still want to experience all that our family campground has to offer, we offer 5
RV site types! All RV sites are equipped with electric and water hook-ups, as well as a picnic table and fire ring.
View our different accommodation types
here and choose which one is the best fit for your family!
On-Site Attractions
Not only do we have the best cabin rentals and RV sites in Michigan for your family, but we also offer endless attractions for all ages! The best part – our attractions are included in your stay! If you're looking for a Michigan campground with lake access, we've got you covered. The smaller kiddos will enjoy our playgrounds and jumping pad. The older children will have fun splashing around in the lake, playing Gaga ball, or basketball. Parents and grandparents can enjoy relaxing on the shores of Lake Leelanau, or walking our nature trail! In addition to these, we offer a boat launch and docks — because boating and sailing is fun for kids and adults alike! Click
here for a full list of our offerings.
Other Things To Do Near Traverse City
Our campground is located a mere 20 minutes from Traverse City, MI making it the perfect home base to explore the surrounding area. If you’re visiting Northern Michigan for the Cherry Festival, it would be a shame to skip seeing
Sleeping Bear Dunes. Our campground near Sleeping Bear Dunes makes it a breeze to visit their huge dunes - come see and climb up to 400 ft. dunes! If you like learning about art or history, take a trip to the
Dennos Museum Center. Need an interactive activity for your kids? Check out
Clinch Park, a two-mile stretch of land and beach with a splash pad. Lastly, if you want a great place to eat and sip wine, you have
options all around you! There's a huge benefit in camping near an iconic city to enjoy all the perks that come with it, while still maintaining a peaceful setting at our family campground near Traverse City.
We hope this guide helped you learn everything you should know about the 2024 National Cherry Festival in Traverse City. If you're interested in booking a stay with us while you're nearby, you can do so
here. We hope to see you and your family this season! Enjoy!
