Michigan Memorial Day Events 2026: Parades, Ceremonies & Weekend Fun

Last Updated: April 2026

Michigan Memorial Day events in 2026 run the full range — from the largest Memorial Day parade in the entire state (Mackinaw City, 400+ cast members, free admission) to lakefront ceremonies, family camping weekends, and neighborhood parades from metro Detroit to the Upper Peninsula. Memorial Day 2026 falls on Monday, May 25, with the full weekend running May 23–25. Here’s what’s happening across Michigan and what’s worth planning around.

A note on this guide: specific event times and details for recurring annual events are confirmed based on 2025 data and 2026 announcements where available. Always verify with the event organizer before traveling — some events adjust dates or locations year to year. Links are provided where available.

2026 Michigan Memorial Day Events

Fort Michilimackinac Historical Reenactment Pageant — Mackinaw City

Fort Michilimackinac, 106 W. Straits Ave., Mackinaw City, MI
May 22–25, 2026 | Free admission

This is the biggest Michigan Memorial Day event most people have never heard of. The Fort Michilimackinac Pageant is the longest-running free Memorial Day historical performance in the United States — more than 400 cast members in period costumes reenacting the 1763 Fort Michilimackinac battle between the French, British, and Native Americans. The Saturday Grand Parade (1pm, beginning at Conkling Heritage Park and ending at Colonial Fort Michilimackinac) is the largest Memorial Day parade in Michigan, featuring more than 100 bands, floats, and acts. Historical reenactments run at 2:30pm on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. No admission charge for any pageant events.

The same weekend, the Mackinac Island Memorial Day Observance takes place at Fort Mackinac (7127 Huron Rd., Mackinac Island) — a brief, meaningful ceremony where soldiers assemble at the fort, march to the cemetery, and perform a short ceremony with a 21-gun salute. Use our Mackinac Island Ferry guide and our Guide to Mackinac Island Hotels if you’re planning the island trip for this weekend.

Fruitport Old-Fashioned Days — Fruitport

Pomona Park, S 3rd Ave, Fruitport, MI
May 20–25, 2026

A full Memorial Day weekend tradition in West Michigan — the Fruitport Old-Fashioned Days festival runs through the entire holiday weekend with a carnival, ox roast, live music, food, and two nights of fireworks. There’s a Memorial Day parade as well. A solid family option if you’re in the Grand Rapids / Muskegon corridor.

Lights of Honor: Remembering Our Heroes — Muskegon

USS Silversides Submarine Museum, 1346 Bluff St, Muskegon, MI
Memorial Day Weekend 2026 — check silversidesmuseum.org for 2026 confirmed date

One of the most moving Memorial Day events in Michigan. The USS Silversides is a WWII Gato-class submarine with the most prolific combat record of any surviving American sub — 23 ships sunk, 12 battle stars, one Presidential Unit Citation. The Lights of Honor weekend event opens with Family Fun at the Sub (parachute activities, flag folding, ROV demonstrations, self-guided sub tours, food trucks) before transitioning into an evening Memorial Celebration Service featuring a USS Silversides engine start, music, free tours, and a luminary walk honoring more than 40,000 Michigan service members who gave their lives. Luminaries available for $5. A genuinely powerful evening.

Great Lakes National Cemetery Memorial Day Ceremony — Holly

Great Lakes National Cemetery, 4200 Belford Rd, Holly, MI
May 24, 2026, 1:00pm

Several thousand veterans, families, and members of the public gather annually at the Great Lakes National Cemetery for one of the most attended Memorial Day ceremonies in Michigan. A solemn, dignified tribute that draws people from across the state. Free and open to the public.

Tawas Memorial Day Weekend Art & Craft Show — East Tawas

228 Newman Street, East Tawas, MI 48730
Memorial Day Weekend 2026 — verify exact dates at TawasArea.com

More than 130 skilled crafters — jewelers, woodworkers, painters, potters — gather in East Tawas for one of the best art and craft shows on Lake Huron’s Sunrise Coast. A popular tradition for kicking off the summer season in northern Michigan.

Memorial Day 5K Run/Walk — Harbor Springs

Harbor Springs, MI
Memorial Day Monday 2026, 8:00am — verify at outfitterharborsprings.com

The Harbor Springs Memorial Day 5K runs before the town’s parade along a 3-mile course that traces the Lake Michigan coastline through Harbor Springs. A beautiful start to Memorial Day weekend — the M-119 Tunnel of Trees is just north and worth a scenic drive after the race.

Stormcloud Memorial Day Party — Frankfort

Stormcloud Brewing Company, 303 Main St, Frankfort, MI 49635
Memorial Day Weekend 2026 — verify at stormcloudbrewing.com/events

Stormcloud Brewing’s annual outdoor Memorial Day kickoff party in downtown Frankfort — live music, lawn games, local food trucks, and Belgian ales just blocks from Lake Michigan. One of the better low-key outdoor party options in northwest Michigan to open the summer season.

Memorial Day Family Camp at Camp Nissokone — Oscoda

Camp Nissokone, 6836 F-41, Oscoda, MI 48750
Memorial Day Weekend 2026 — verify at ymcadetroit.org/nissokone

Newsweek Top Camp in the USA, Camp Nissokone opens its Memorial Day Family Camp weekend each year — archery, ziplining, arts and crafts, guided river trips, paintball, horseback rides, and three meals a day in Oscoda on Lake Huron. A genuine northern Michigan family escape for the long weekend.

Memorial Day – Start of Summer Celebration — Benton Harbor

Coloma/St. Joseph KOA Holiday, 3527 Coloma Rd, Benton Harbor, MI
Memorial Day Weekend 2026 — verify at koa.com/campgrounds/coloma

The KOA’s annual Memorial Day weekend celebration includes a charity pancake breakfast (benefiting Care Camps) and family-friendly activities to kick off summer on Lake Michigan’s southwest shore. A good option for families camping in the Harbor Country area.

Memorial Day Weekend at Gaylord KOA — Gaylord

5101 Campfires Parkway, Gaylord, MI 49735
May 23–26, 2026 — verify at koa.com/campgrounds/gaylord

Wagon rides, crafts, food events, campfire s’mores, and games throughout the Memorial Day weekend at the Gaylord KOA. A solid northern Michigan camping option for families who want a structured weekend of activities without the tent-setup-only experience.

Lasers on the Ore Dock — Marquette

Mattson Lower Harbor Park, Marquette, MI
April 30–May 2, 2026 (pre-Memorial Day) — confirmed via exploremichigan.travel

A stunning light show illuminating the Lower Harbor Ore Dock from Mattson Lower Harbor Park. Watch from your vehicle or walk the Lake Superior shoreline as the iconic dock comes alive with color. Marquette is one of the UP’s best Memorial Day weekend destinations — the city has excellent dining, the waterfront is beautiful, and the light show is a genuinely memorable addition.

Fireworks Over Moran Bay — St. Ignace

Downtown St. Ignace, MI
Memorial Day Weekend 2026 — verify with St. Ignace Tourism

Fireworks over Moran Bay at dusk — a classic Upper Peninsula Memorial Day tradition in the gateway city to Mackinac Island. Pair with the Mackinaw City pageant for a full northern Michigan Memorial Day weekend.

Memorial Day Salute — DeTour Village

DeTour Village Veterans Park, DeTour Village, MI
May 25, 2026, 12:00–1:00pm

A small, quiet Upper Peninsula ceremony at DeTour Village Veterans Park — colors raised, National Anthem sung, Taps played, light refreshments. One of those genuinely meaningful small-town tributes that gets lost in the noise of bigger events. Everyone is welcome.

Find Your North Music Festival — Ironwood

Ironwood Theatre Center for the Arts, Ironwood, MI
Memorial Day Weekend 2026 — verify at ironwoodtheatre.net

A two-day music festival in downtown Ironwood featuring 16 bands across 4 stages — bluegrass, blues, country, and soul with regional and national artists. Past lineups have included Them Coulee Boys and Horseshoes & Hand Grenades. One of the Upper Peninsula’s better music weekends.

Michigan Memorial Day Parades 2026

Mackinaw City Grand Memorial Parade

Begins at Conkling Heritage Park, Mackinaw City, MI
Saturday, May 23, 2026, 1:00pm | Free

This is the largest Memorial Day parade in Michigan. More than 100 bands, floats, and acts — entries come from across Michigan, surrounding states, and Ontario. The parade ends at Colonial Fort Michilimackinac, followed by the historical reenactment pageant at 2:30pm. The famous Scottville Clown Band performs at 11am before the parade. No admission charge for any part of the weekend.

Plymouth Memorial Day Parade

Downtown Plymouth, MI 48170
Monday, May 25, 2026

One of the biggest Memorial Day parades in metro Detroit — local bands, veteran groups, and community organizations line the streets of charming downtown Plymouth to honor local veterans. A reliable, well-organized annual parade in one of metro Detroit’s most walkable downtowns.

Holland Memorial Day Parade

Holland, MI
Monday, May 25, 2026 — confirmed via exploremichigan.travel

Holland’s annual Memorial Day parade runs through the tulip-lined streets of downtown Holland — a particularly beautiful setting if the tulips haven’t fully faded from the Tulip Time Festival two weeks earlier. Verify route details at holland.org.

St. Joseph Memorial Day Parade

Park and Lake Streets, St. Joseph, MI 49085
Memorial Day Weekend 2026 — verify at stjoetoday.com

The St. Joe parade runs along Lake Street parallel to the Lake Michigan coastline — one of the more scenic parade routes in Michigan. Following the parade, a program at the bandshell honors fallen service members. St. Joseph is one of Michigan’s finest Lake Michigan beach towns to pair with a Memorial Day celebration.

Dexter Memorial Day Parade

7530–7576 Ann Arbor St, Dexter, MI 48130
Monday, May 25, 2026, 10:00am

Just northwest of Ann Arbor, Dexter’s Rotary Club runs a well-organized small-town Memorial Day parade that consistently punches above the town’s size. A good option for Ann Arbor-area residents looking for a local tribute.

For a complete statewide list of Michigan Memorial Day parades, see our Guide to Michigan Memorial Day Parades. And for more May events across the state, use our Michigan May Events Calendar.