Charlevoix & Petoskey
Charlevoix
For boaters, beachgoers and first-timers: a harbor town where three lakes meet, with a summer drawbridge, a pier lighthouse and Earl Young's stone houses.
Arts · Market · Charlevoix
Charlevoix Waterfront Art Fair
A juried one-day art fair in East Park on the second Saturday in August, running since 1958 and one of the oldest in Michigan.
A group of Charlevoix residents started the Waterfront Art Fair in 1958, and it bills itself as the second oldest juried art fair in Michigan. It is one long Saturday in East Park, with the marina and Round Lake as the backdrop.
With 25,000-plus visitors in a single day, expect crowds. Come early, or walk or bike in if you are staying in town.
What to expect
Artists chosen from hundreds of applicants show in East Park beside the Round Lake marina, rain or shine. The fair draws more than 25,000 people; Visit Charlevoix lists hours of 9 am to 6 pm.
Location
Where Charlevoix Waterfront Art Fair happens
4 places on an OpenStreetMap map
The pin marks the town; check the organizer for exact venues.
About Charlevoix
Nearby attractions
Straight-line distances, not driving distances.
Attraction
Earl Young Mushroom Houses
Charlevoix's curving stone homes by self-taught builder Earl Young. They are private, so you see them from the street on a self-guided tour.
Under a mile away (straight line)
Lighthouse
Charlevoix South Pier Lighthouse
A red steel pierhead light where Charlevoix's Pine River Channel meets Lake Michigan, beside Michigan Beach and a favorite place to watch the sunset.
Under a mile away (straight line)
Beach
Ferry Beach
Charlevoix's family beach on Lake Charlevoix: a sandy swim area that deepens gradually, a playground, restrooms, a concession stand and three city pavilions.
About 1 miles away (straight line)
Places to stay nearby
Bed and breakfast
The Belvedere Bed and Breakfast
On Belvedere Avenue near Round Lake, Charlevoix
A Charlevoix bed and breakfast in a house built in 1887, formerly the Inn at Grey Gables, a walk from downtown, the lakes and the beaches.
Bed and breakfast
Bridge Street Inn
On Michigan Avenue, just north of the drawbridge in Charlevoix
A bed and breakfast in an 1895 Colonial Revival house that began as an overflow cottage for Charlevoix's Beach Hotel, a short walk from Lake Michigan.
Hotel · Mid-range
The Earl
On Michigan Avenue in downtown Charlevoix, a block from Round Lake
A redesigned boutique hotel in downtown Charlevoix with 56 rooms and suites, a lobby bar and a rooftop bar looking over Round Lake.
Inn · Budget
Weathervane Terrace Inn and Suites
On Pine River Lane in downtown Charlevoix
A downtown Charlevoix hotel designed by stone builder Earl Young, with stone turrets, a boulder fireplace and lake-view suites.
More events in and around Charlevoix
- Charlevoix Apple FestA free October weekend in downtown Charlevoix with orchard stands, a farmers market, an art and craft show, kids' activities and an apple pie eating contest.
- Charlevoix Venetian FestivalA July festival in Charlevoix built around an evening boat parade, a street parade and fireworks over the harbor.
- Bay View Music FestivalA summer music festival in Bay View, billed as the longest continuously operating chamber music festival in the country, with Sunday vesper concerts.
- Odawa Homecoming Pow WowAn August pow wow near Harbor Springs that is free and open to the public, with dance and drum contests and food.
- Portside Art FairA juried weekend art fair at Elm Pointe on Lake Charlevoix, held the first full weekend of August with live music and the historical museum open.