Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes · Small town
Interlochen
For music lovers who also want a beach: lakeside summer concerts at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, with a state park and old pines next door.
Music · Arts · Interlochen
Interlochen Arts Festival
Interlochen's summer season of concerts and performances, from student orchestras to touring headliners at Kresge Auditorium on Green Lake.
Summer at Interlochen means a full calendar on a lakeside campus: students from the arts camp performing through the season, plus touring acts at Kresge Auditorium, an outdoor venue on Green Lake. The touring lineup has spanned classic rock, country, pop, blues and Americana.
Lineups are announced in batches in spring, so watch Interlochen’s calendar if a particular act is your reason to go. Pair a concert with a day at Interlochen State Park next door.
What to expect
The 2026 classical season ran from early July to August 9, built around the World Youth Symphony Orchestra with guest conductors and a Detroit Symphony Orchestra visit, and closed with Les Préludes. Separately, touring popular acts play Kresge Auditorium, which seats about 3,900, through the summer. Most events are ticketed and tickets went on sale in spring.
Location
Where Interlochen Arts Festival happens
4 places on an OpenStreetMap map
The pin marks the town; check the organizer for exact venues.
About Interlochen
Nearby attractions
Straight-line distances, not driving distances.
Attraction
Interlochen Center for the Arts
The arts camp and boarding school founded in 1928 between two lakes south of Traverse City, with student and guest-artist concerts open to the public.
Under a mile away (straight line)
State park
Interlochen State Park
Michigan's first state park, between Duck and Green lakes, with old-growth pines, two campgrounds and the Interlochen arts campus next door.
About 1 miles away (straight line)
Ski area
Hickory Hills
Traverse City's own ski hill since 1952, with 16 runs, Nordic trails including a lighted loop and an FIS-certified course, and disc golf in summer.
About 10 miles away (straight line)
Places to stay nearby
Hotel · Budget
Interlochen Motel
On J. Maddy Parkway (former M-137) in Interlochen
A small motel on J. Maddy Parkway in Interlochen, listed as open year-round, close to Interlochen Center for the Arts and Interlochen State Park.
More events in and around Interlochen
- Les Préludes at InterlochenThe free concert that closes every Interlochen Arts Camp season, with all three high school orchestras and dancers in the Interlochen Bowl. 2027 is the 100th.
- Cadillac Festival of the ArtsThree days of art in downtown Cadillac each July: an art fair in the park, an artisan market, a food fair on Lake Street and free music.
- Cadillac Freedom FestivalCadillac's Fourth of July weekend: a downtown parade, a car show, a 5K by the lake, a fire-on-water military tribute and fireworks over Lake Cadillac.
- Elk Rapids Harbor DaysElk Rapids' summer festival since 1955: several days of parades, car shows, races and contests around the harbor, ending with fireworks on Saturday night.
- National Cherry FestivalA week-long July celebration of the region's cherry crop, with concerts, parades, an air show and free family events spread across Traverse City.
- Northport Dog ParadeAn August Saturday when Northport dogs and their people parade through the village in costume, with a new theme every year and prizes at the end.