14-03-2025
Where are Michigan's spring festivals? Where to enjoy blooms, music, outdoors
Spring is nearly here in Michigan and with it, a lineup of festivals to welcome in the season.
Spring officially starts on March 20. This season, from Native American heritage to blooming Tulips to trout fishing and beyond, festivals will offer a chance to get outdoors and celebrate spring's warming weather.
Here's what to know.
Welcome west Michigan's blooming tulip season with a twist of Dutch heritage in Holland this spring.
The Tulip Time Festival is May 2-11, with events and activities throughout the downtown Holland area. The annual festival includes guided tours, Dutch dance lessons, art exhibitions, performances, food and drinks, and more. Information about tickets for individual events can be found online.
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Spend Memorial Day weekend in the birthplace of techno to enjoy electronic music and dancing. Movement, recently ranked the nation's sixth-best music festival, will run May 24-26 at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit.
The three-day festival will feature more than 115 acts performing on six stages, including internationally renowned DJs, live acts and up-and-coming artists. There will be food and drink vendors, colorful lights, and an artist in residence program with art installations and murals.
Three-day passes are $319 general admission, $449 VIP. Single-day tickets are $169 general admission, $219 VIP. Tickets can be purchased online.
Bird enthusiasts, the Michigan Bluebird Society will soon offer a chance to learn all about bluebirds in Grand Rapids.
The 2025 Spring Bluebird Festival is from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Saturday at the Prince Conference Center at Calvin University. The annual event will feature an expert panel, prize drawings, a bluebird/nature expo, bluebird and other native birds informative programs, and more. The festival is free to attend.
Cross the Mackinac Bridge into the Upper Peninsula to honor the state's Indigenous roots.
The Native American Festival is May 24 at the Museum of Ojibwa Culture. The annual festival recognizes the culture and contributions of local Anishinaabe people, per the event website. The festival will feature Indigenous apparel, dancing and drumming, medicines, and more.
Head to northern Michigan to celebrate the opening of trout season in Kalkaska this spring.
The National Trout Festival is April 23-27. The 88th annual festival will include fishing, a classic car show, parades, contests, and more. The festival will mainly be in downtown at Railroad Square and at the Kalkaska County Fairgrounds.
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If you can't make it to those festivals this spring, here are more to check out across the state:
Upper Peninsula Dark Sky Festival: The festival is during International Dark Sky Week. The third annual festival will run April 24-26 at Keweenaw Mountain Lodge just outside Copper Harbor at the Keweenaw Dark Sky Park. There will be a lineup of speakers, informative presentations, two lunches and more.
Fairy Festival in Jackson: The annual Fairy Festival is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 12 in downtown. The event will include crafts, activities, snacks, costumes, a performance, bounce house and more.
Saginaw on Stage: The music festival fundraiser will be from 5-10 p.m. April 5 at the Saginaw Club. The 2025 event, hosted by the Rotary Club of Saginaw, will benefit the Saginaw Community Foundation's Crayola Park Improvement Fund. The festival will feature a variety of musical performances, along with a buffet meal.
Freeland Walleye Festival: The 39th annual festival will run April 24-27. The festival will include tournaments, carnival rides, a parade, Bingo, run and walk, and more.
Renaissance Faire in Marshall: The festival is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 10-11. The fair is based around historical re-enactment inspired by medieval Europe, complete with costumes, activities, performances and more.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tulips, music, fly fishing: Michigan festivals announce spring
