Things To Do In Michigan Spring 2018 – A to Z Guide

The end of another Michigan winter is in sight, so we turn our attention to spring and the events it brings. Michigan has many fun and unique festivals and events on tap for March through May this year, including family fun automobile and aviation events, festivals celebrating trout and morel mushrooms, St. Patrick’s Day and Easter events, and more. Take a look through of Things to Do in Michigan Spring 2018 – A to Z Guide and see if there’s a few things that sound like fun!

Autorama in Detroit (March 2-4) – “America’s Greatest Hot Rod Show” will visit the Motor City in early March, with more than 800 customs, trucks, and motorcycles. Special exhibits include the cars from the film Fate of the Furious, and special guests include WWE Superstars Charlotte Flair and Roman Reigns as well as former NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. For more information and tickets, head to https://autorama.com/attend/detroit/.

Butterflies are Blooming at Frederik Meijer Gardens – “The annual Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming exhibition at Meijer Gardens is the largest temporary tropical butterfly exhibition in the nation.” See more than 7,000 tropical butterflies from 50 different species starting on March 1st. This exhibit is included with your admission to Frederik Meijer Gardens; ticket info at http://www.meijergardens.org/plan/#hours-rates.

Colon’s 31 Flavors of Magic – On Saturday, April 14th the small village of Colon will host 31 Flavors of Magic, an event that transforms the “Magic Capital of the World” into a showcase for many different types of magic. “All of the restaurants, all of the bars, all of the magic shops, will be participating. Visitors can enjoy close-up magic, parlor magic, stage, mentalism, street performers, and kids’ shows simply by walking out one door and into another.” Find out more at http://magic-festival.com/.

DNR Outdoor Adventure Center Special Events – The DNR Outdoor Adventure Center in Detroit brings “a taste of the outdoors to downtown,” and there is no shortage of special events on tap this spring. On March 3rd there’s a celebration of the children’s book Paddle-to-the-Sea with a themed scavenger hunt. On March 10th you can take place in the Inaugural Lumberjack Pancake Run – a half-mile run on the Dequindre Cut. On April 14th, Upland Hills Farms takes over the OAC, and you can “meet some of our farm animal favorites right here at the Outdoor Adventure Center. Our archery range will be transformed into a barn, and you will be able to get up close to cows, pigs, chickens and more!” Head over to http://www.michigan.gov for more information on these events and a full calendar of other events!

Easter Bunny Visits at Bronner’s, Frankenmuth – The World’s Largest CHRISTmas store – Bronner’s in Frankenmuth – may be best known for a December holiday, but they will be offering a special treat for kids and families this March. You can get pictures taken with the Easter bunny from March 16 – March 31 at select times (https://www.bronners.com/topic/easter-bunny-visits.do#.WpNSC5M-cWo). Shop at this unique Michigan store and get some priceless photo memories!

Free Comic Book Day – On May 5th most of Michigan’s comic book and collectible shops will take part in the annual Free Comic Book Day. This day of celebration of the hobby is designed to bring in new fans, and families are encouraged to stop in to their local shop for free comics, sales, costumed heroes, and more! You can find a list of participating stores and more information at https://www.freecomicbookday.com/. We had a blast last year at Rookies in Lowell.

Gilmore Keyboard Festival, Kalamazoo – Every two years downtown Kalamazoo hosts what is considered America’s most prestigious piano festival. From April 25th to May 12, events like Gilmore Family Concerts, Master Classes, the Festival Film Series, and adult enrichment courses will compliment a full slate of performances. This year’s performers include Nellie McKay, Igor Levit, Paul Lewis, Michael Brown, Benjamin Grosvenor, Ingrid Fliter, and Daniil Trifonov. Tickets and a full schedule available at https://www.thegilmore.org/. Be sure to look for the keyboard crosswalks downtown, and even a special limited-run Bell’s beer made for the festival.

Hermansville Hustle 5K, in honor of Sheila Sanville – This alliteratively named April 28 race “is now the main fundraiser for the North Central Chapter of the National Honor Society”, and is now also named in honor of the teacher and adviser who helped organize the race and who lost a battle with cancer in 2015. The mostly flat course is located just south of US-2, and roughly 30 miles west of Escanaba. More information and registration info at http://hermansvillehustle.weebly.com/.

Irish Festival, Clare – Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day near the middle of the Mitten this year, as Clare hosts a five-day festival full of fun. Events include a craft show & marketplace, 5K and 10K race events, a bed race, a leprechaun contest, a euchre tournament, an Irish stew cook-off and more. For a full schedule of events head to http://clareirishfestival.com/.

Jeep the Mac 2018 – More than 670 Jeeps made the trip across the Mackinac Bridge as part of Jeep the Mac last year, and event planners are hoping for an even better turnout this year. The bridge crossing takes place on April 20th, but the fun doesn’t stop there as there is a full slate of events in St. Ignace and beyond over the rest of the weekend. Find out more at http://www.stignace.com/event/jeep-the-mac.

Kalkaska National Trout Festival – Celebrate the start of trout season in Kalkaska, where a full slate of events from April 25 through April 29th will provide fun for the whole family. A parade, carnival, road race, food, crowning of the trout king and queen, and children’s entertainment are just a few of the highlights. Check out more information on this unique Michigan event at http://www.nationaltroutfestival.com/.

Laughfest returns to Grand Rapids – A community-wide celebration of laughter in grand Rapids, Gilda’s Laughfest returns for an eighth year with performers including Ron Funches, Tiffany Haddish, Trevor Noah, Maria Bamford, Weird Al Yankovic, Anjelah Johnson, and Carmen Esposito. There’s also the Clean Comedy Showcases, a handful of improv and sketch comedy shows, the FUNderwear Run, Pajama Jam, and more. Find out everything you need to know about this festival that runs from March 8th – 18th at https://www.laughfestgr.org/.

Morel Mushroom Festival, Boyne City – This unique Michigan festival takes place May 17-20 in Boyne City. The National Morel Mushroom Festival will celebrate its 58th anniversary this year: “For a few short days, everything is all about mushrooms. Restaurants prepare exotic, morel-laden entrees, local songsters sing of the morel (click on the player to the left to listen), secret hunting places (maybe) and recipes (definitely) are shared, and everybody goes on one of the mushroom hunts. A good year can yield hundreds of the mouth-watering treats. But even when a dry spell or late spring makes morels scarce, morels can be tasted at several tasting events and the festival is always fun for everyone.” More information and a full schedule of events at http://bcmorelfestival.com/.

NCAA March Madness Basketball Tournament Action at Little Caesars Arena – The home of the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons will host March Madness actions, as it was chose as “one of the eight host sites for first- and second-round games in the 2018 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. University of Detroit Mercy will serve as the host institution with the games being played at the new Detroit arena March 16 & 18. Exact times and ticket availability for those contests will be released at a later date.” Tickets available at http://www.olympiaentertainment.com/events/detail/ncaa-tournament.

Opening Day Block Party, Lansing Lugnuts – head to Cooley Law School Stadium this spring for another season of Lansing Lugnuts baseball – “Opening Day is April 7th 2018! Celebrate the start of the Lugnuts’ 2018 All-Star Summer with a pre-game Block Party on Michigan Avenue with games, food & drink and live music! Meet the team and get autographs from your favorite Lugnuts players! First 1,000 fans will receive a scarf courtesy of Auto-Owners Insurance and stay after the game for 2018’s first LAFCU Fireworks Spectacular!” More info at http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t499.

Port City Criterium – On May 6th, “Come and check out the one of the best venues for the newest race on the Michigan Cycling Calendar.  A vibrant downtown environment provides the backdrop for this counter clockwise course with a short kicker and fast finishing stretch.” We love downtown Muskegon and everything it has to offer, and the addition of a bike race should make for a great spring weekend. Find out more at http://www.portcitycrit.com/.

Quilt Show and Exhibit 30th Anniversary, Bay City – The Bay Heritage Quilters Guild will host their 30th anniversary quilt show and exhibit on April 6th and 7th. Titled “A Sharing of Quilts XIV,” it will feature more than 100 quilts on exhibit, a raffle quilt, a judged show, prizes, and more. Find out all the details at http://www.bchsmuseum.org/id61.html.

Red Bull 400 at Copper Peak – Copper Peak, a ski flying hill in Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula, will host an event this spring that is truly unique and sounds incredibly fun. On May 12, 2018 the Red Bull 400 will be coming to Copper Peak, marking the first time a competitive event will be held at the site since 1994. Unlike the skiing competitions that have been held here before, the Red Bull 400 is a running race in which competitors will run 400 meters UP the ski jump. Red Bull describes the event: “Running 400m doesn’t sound like much of a challenge, does it? But what if you were to run those 400m at a height gain close to 140m and as a pure uphill sprint? That’s a race guaranteed to put your calves, quads and endurance to the ultimate test.” You can check out a teaser video Red Bull put together for the event at https://www.redbull.com/int-en/videos/red_bull_400_copper_peak.

Spirit of Detroit 60th Anniversary Celebration – Detroit’s iconic Marshall Fredericks sculpture The Spirit of Detroit will be celebrated on May 12th with an anniversary party across the street. This is “a fundraising event to support the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, a non-profit organization whose mission is to celebrate the artistic legacy of Marshall Fredericks through collecting, preserving, presenting, and interpreting his life’s work for the broadest possible audience. Through the Marshall Fredericks objects collection and archives, temporary exhibitions, publications, and education programs, the Museum contributes to scholarly discourse and serves diverse audiences.” More information can be found at http://marshallfredericks.org/spirit/.

Tulip Time, Holland – Michigan’s top celebration of Dutch heritage and culture runs from May 5th to May 13th this year, as family fun, flowers, street dancing, and more turn Holland into the place to be. Concerts by the Texas Tenors and Liverpool Legends, a carnival, the Tulip Time Run, multiple parades, a quilt show, art, food, and tall ship tours are some of the things to look forward to this year. See a full schedule at https://www.tuliptime.com/events#list-view.

USS Silversides 31st Annual Lost Boat Ceremony – “Sunday, May 27 at 11:00am, the USS Silversides Submarine Museum will be holding the 31st Annual Lost Boat Ceremony.  It features a tribute to the 52 submarines that were lost in World War II taking the lives of over 3,500 brave young Americans who remain on eternal patrol to this day.  The event ends with the running of the engines of the USS Silversides Submarine – 75 years old and still running with crankshafts made right here in Muskegon. Everyone is encouraged to take a small amount of their time over Memorial Weekend to participate in an unforgettable event designed to honor the very reason we have this American holiday.  There is no charge to attend this event.” You can see our photo gallery of the USS Silversides Museum for a sneak preview of a tour, and see other special event listings at https://silversidesmuseum.org/.

Vermontville Maple Syrup Festival –  “We are the home of the original Maple Syrup Festival in Michigan. Our festival starts Friday evening, continues through Saturday and Sunday and is always held during the last full weekend in April.  We have something for everyone — Mid-America rides, talent show, arts and crafts, flea market, two parades, petting zoo, princess pageant, various displays, games, free entertainment, a pancake derby, and arm wrestling. Our syrup producers are located throughout the village selling syrup, candies, crème and the ever popular maple syrup cotton candy. We invite you to join us and enjoy pancakes with real maple syrup offered by the Maple Valley Band Boosters and the American Legion.” More information on this event that runs April 27th – 29th can be found at http://www.vermontvillemaplesyrupfestival.org/.

West Michigan Whitecaps 25th Anniversary Season – Minor league baseball returns to Grand Rapids on April 5th, and this season will be one long party as the West Michigan Whitecaps celebrate 25 years. You can check out our post of 25 Can’t Miss Games for the 25th Anniversary, and snag tickets at http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t582.

West Michigan Women’s eXpo – “The West Michigan Women’s Expo is celebrating 20 years and is recognized as the best!  Your Health, Your Home, Your Style!  Over 300 Exhibits, Shopping and FUN tailored to Women and their Families. Explore a new interest, re-ignite your health, and shop for a great find with the following products and services: Health & Wellness, Beauty, Fashion, Food, Fitness, Travel, Home Decor’, Finance, Education, Pampering, Jewelry & Accessories, Hair Styling, Eyebrow Styling, Cooking, Shopping, and more!  Grab a friend and join us at the DeVos Place…March 9-11, 2018. A must see expo for women of all ages!” Find out more at http://www.kohlerexpo.com/.

Yankee Air Museum hosts the Detroit Aviation and Airline Collectibles Show – “The 3rd annual DAACS will take place on Saturday, May 5th in Hangar One of Willow Run Airport. Tickets can be purchased at the door. They are $5 per person, and children under 15 are FREE!” This is a great spot to see and purchase vintage aviation collectible like models, pins, and posters and admission to the event also includes all-day access to the museum. Find out more at http://yankeeairmuseum.org/daacs/.

Z00 Brew, Detroit Zoo – “Zoo Brew features more than 130 unique beers from select Michigan craft breweries, live music, exclusive access to the Zoo’s award-winning habitats until twilight and zookeeper talks. The event includes admission and 12 beer samples.” Find out more about this unique way to see the zoo while enjoying tasty Michigan beer at https://detroitzoo.org/events/zoo-events/zoo-brew/.