As the longest running freshwater fishing tournament in the Great Lakes, the Brown Trout Festival is a treasured tradition here in Alpena, MI. Without fail, in July every year there is a festival with an event or activity for everyone. Since 1975, this fun-filled festival has been run by volunteers and the communities of Alpena and surrounding areas, and it is still a very supported event to this day. The community has such a great time with this festival, and the festival provides great support for the Downtown Alpena area. There is always live music, dancing, and different competitions to choose from. Brown Trout Festival runs for 10 days with daily competitions such as the biggest catch and tournament competitions. There is a teen dance, live music from Michigan bands, and so much more. In addition to all of these fun events under the tent, the Art on the Bay hosted by the Thunder Bay Arts Council coincides with Brown Trout this year. Both of these events bring out so many talented community members. It is truly a festival of culture here in Downtown Alpena. This year the Brown Trout Festival kicks off on July 15th and goes until July 24th. The Art on the Bay starts on Saturday, the 16th and runs until the 17th. We can’t wait to see all the community members that come to enjoy these events.

The Brown Trout Festival is a time of family, friends, and fun at the Alpena Boat Harbor. For many years it has been noted as the perfect way to celebrate the beautiful lake that surrounds our little town. We are fortunate to be surrounded by some of the best and most beautiful natural freshwater lakes in the world, and the Brown Trout Festival is a great way to celebrate that and the abundance of fish and other benefits that we receive from the lake. People from different cities and towns gather in Alpena to compete in some of the tournaments held at Brown Trout as it is one of the best fishing tournaments in the Great Lakes region. This brings people to our humble city and shows them how spectacular this place truly is. Brown Trout is much more than a fishing tournament. What a special thing to have here in Downtown Alpena!

With all of the great history of this festival and all of the support that it has gotten, it is hard to believe that there is doubt that it will be able to continue in future years. Recently, there have been a lot of volunteer hours pledged and nobody to fill those hours. They do not know if the festival can continue if they are unable to find volunteers again next year. For a full description of this, click this link.

For more information about the events under the tents, click here.

For more information about the fishing tournaments and schedule, click here.