Benzie & Sleeping Bear · Small town
Glen Arbor
Your base for northern Sleeping Bear Dunes: a small town between Lake Michigan and Glen Lake, about 4 miles from the Dune Climb by trail.
Holiday · Parade · Family · Glen Arbor
Glen Arbor Fourth of July Parade
A free-for-all Fourth of July parade from Glen Haven into Glen Arbor that anyone can join, plus an afternoon boat parade on Glen Lake.
Glen Arbor’s Fourth is a homegrown parade, not a produced show. Jo Brubaker brought the tradition to Glen Haven after her family bought a cottage there in 1963, and it grew from kids on bikes into a big community event that has run for about six decades.
Anyone can march without registering, and families come early to claim spots along Western Avenue and downtown. Later in the day the celebration moves onto Glen Lake for the boat parade, and the morning after, the Glen Lake Fire and Rescue Association has served a pancake breakfast at the township hall. Check the year’s schedule before you plan around a time.
What to expect
Vehicles gather in Glen Haven in the morning and the parade rolls toward Glen Arbor around midday; walkers fall in behind the last vehicle, and no sign-up is needed. In the afternoon, boaters meet on the water in front of the Glen Lake Yacht Club and parade under the bridge at the Narrows, with decorations encouraged. Times are set each year, so check the township announcement.
Location
Where Glen Arbor Fourth of July Parade happens
4 places on an OpenStreetMap map
The pin marks the town; check the organizer for exact venues.
About Glen Arbor
Nearby attractions
Straight-line distances, not driving distances.
Attraction
Glen Arbor Arts Center
Glen Arbor's community arts center on Lake Street, with free gallery exhibits, classes for adults and kids, and Plein Air Weekend in August.
Under a mile away (straight line)
Beach
Glen Haven Beach
A Lake Michigan beach on Sleeping Bear Bay at Glen Haven Historic Village, with seasonal restrooms, picnic areas, the Cannery Boat Museum and loaner sand wheelchairs.
About 2 miles away (straight line)
Museum
Maritime Museum at Sleeping Bear Point Life-Saving Station
A National Park Service museum in the 1901 Sleeping Bear Point Life-Saving Station at Glen Haven, on lifesaving, the Coast Guard and Great Lakes shipping.
About 2 miles away (straight line)
Places to stay nearby
Inn
The Sylvan Inn
On Western Avenue in the village of Glen Arbor
An 1885 inn in the village of Glen Arbor with 14 guest rooms, a short walk from shops and on the route of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail.
Resort · Upscale
The Homestead
On Lake Michigan in Glen Arbor
A four-season resort in Glen Arbor on about a mile of Lake Michigan shoreline, surrounded by Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
More events in and around Glen Arbor
- Glen Arbor Holiday MarketA Thanksgiving weekend artisan market at Glen Arbor Town Hall, opened by a Friday evening tree lighting and caroling outside the hall.
- Glen Lake Woman's Club Art FairA one-day July arts and crafts fair at the Glen Arbor Township Hall that raises scholarship money for Glen Lake students.
- Beulah Art FairA one-day July art fair in Beulah Park, steps from Crystal Lake, held the first Saturday after the Fourth of July.
- Empire Anchor DaysEmpire's mid-July weekend built around a ship's anchor found off the shore in 1977, with an open parade, a chicken dinner, a bonfire and a street dance.
- Frankfort Fourth of JulyFrankfort's Fourth of July week, with a daily medallion hunt, a morning parade, Art in the Park, a sandcastle contest and fireworks over Frankfort Beach.
- Leland Fourth of JulyLeland spreads the Fourth over two days: fireworks at Hancock Field Park around dusk on July 3, then an afternoon parade through downtown on the Fourth.