The first big event of the summer is the annual downtown Flower Festival! From Friday June 5th through Sunday June 7th, you can enjoy the many beautiful floral displays throughout downtown Alpena. There will also be many floral themed activities and specials like themed beverages, a Petal Pub Crawl on Thursday evening, a floral 5k, flower trucks, live music and much more! You can find all of the information on the Flower Festival here.

If you’re looking for something fun to do downtown on the 4th of July you should definitely watch the Parading through 250 Years of America 4th of July Parade hosted by the HPC Credit Union! The parade begins at 11am at the Alpena County Fairgrounds and ends in the parking lot right before the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Anywhere downtown will be a great spot to bring the kiddos and sit and watch the parade! You can also watch the Alpena fireworks July 3rd along Lake Huron! For all of the information on the parade click here or call Ellis Hoes VP of Marketing at the credit union at 989-340-1923.

The next fun annual event is the 52nd Annual Michigan Brown Trout Festival, which goes from July 17th until July 26th. If you’re an angler, you can enjoy the different fishing tournaments they have to offer, or if fishing isn’t your thing, you can still enjoy the festival by listening to one of the many different live bands, checking out the beer tent, bringing the kids to Kid’s Day and more! To find more information on the Brown Trout Festival click here.

In August you can shop downtown at the Sidewalk Sales event on Friday August 7th and Saturday August 8th! Come to downtown Alpena and explore all of the many sales and specials local downtown businesses have to offer. Find everything from clothing, home decor, books, jewelry and more! When you’re done shopping, you can grab a drink or a bite to eat at one of our bars or restaurants. For updates on this event be sure to check our Facebook or website.

The final big event of the summer is the Thunder Bay Maritime Festival which takes place on Friday, August 21 and goes until Sunday, August 23! On Friday, you can watch the return of the Battle of the Paddles and daysails. Saturday will be the main day of the event featuring live music along the river, exhibitor area, and an evening boat parade held in partnership with the Alpena Chamber. Throughout the weekend, INLAND SEAS will offer 2 hour day sails and free deck tours. On shore, there will be a variety of family-friendly activities at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center on Saturday from 12-5:30 pm. Sunday will be dedicated exclusively to day sails. Be sure to check NOAA’s Facebook page for more updates about the event!

These are all just some of the events happening this summer and things to do downtown. So be sure to check our things to do and events page on our website for a full list of what’s going on this summer in downtown Alpena!