Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Traverse City
A bayfront city at the head of Grand Traverse Bay, with a walkable Front Street downtown, bay beaches, cherry orchards and two wine peninsulas close by.
Sports · Outdoors · Traverse City
North American Vasa Festival of Races
A two-day February festival of cross-country ski and fat bike races on the Vasa Pathway outside Traverse City, held since 1977.
The North American Vasa has been a Traverse City winter fixture since 1977. It takes over the Vasa Pathway on the second weekend of February for a weekend of cross-country ski racing, along with fat bike races.
The program is broad enough for serious racers and first-timers alike. Long-distance classic and freestyle races share the weekend with short citizen and high school races, a youth race, an adaptive skiers race and a 6K tour that is not timed. Racing is based at Timber Ridge Resort on Hammond Road.
What to expect
Races start and finish at Timber Ridge Resort and use the Vasa Pathway. Both days offer classic and freestyle ski races at several distances, from 27K events to 6K citizen and high school races, plus a Jr Vasa, an adaptive skiers race and an untimed 6K tour.
Location
Where North American Vasa Festival of Races happens
4 places on an OpenStreetMap map
About Traverse City
Nearby attractions
Straight-line distances, not driving distances.
Ski area
Mt. Holiday
A small community nonprofit ski hill in East Bay Township, east of Traverse City, with snow tubing in winter and zipline tours and trails in the warmer months.
About 2 miles away (straight line)
Trail
Vasa Pathway
Traverse City's big woods trail for cross-country skiing, with loops from 3K to 25K, snowshoe loops, and singletrack for mountain and fat bikes.
About 3 miles away (straight line)
Beach
East Bay Park Beach
A small city park on East Grand Traverse Bay with shallow water at the edge for little swimmers, a playground, restrooms and lifeguards listed in peak season.
About 5 miles away (straight line)
Places to stay nearby
Hotel · Budget
Cherry Tree Inn & Suites
On US-31 North along East Grand Traverse Bay in Traverse City
A beachfront hotel on East Grand Traverse Bay with studios and suites, many with kitchenettes or full kitchens, plus indoor and outdoor pools.
Resort · Upscale
Delamar Traverse City
On East Front Street, on Grand Traverse Bay near downtown Traverse City
A waterfront resort hotel on Grand Traverse Bay at the edge of downtown Traverse City, with heated pools it lists as open year-round and a bayside restaurant.
Resort
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa
In Acme, northeast of Traverse City
A year-round resort in Acme owned by the Grand Traverse Band, with three golf courses, a spa, a tower overlooking the bay and a private beach.
Inn
Old Mission Inn
On Mission Road in Old Mission, on the Old Mission Peninsula
An inn on the Old Mission Peninsula that dates to 1869 and is described as Michigan's oldest historic hotel, with rooms facing East Grand Traverse Bay.
Listed as open seasonally, May 1 through October 31.
Hotel · Mid-range
Park Place Hotel
On East State Street in downtown Traverse City
A downtown Traverse City hotel whose history goes back to 1873, whose 10-story tower became the tallest building in the city when it was finished in 1930.
Bed and breakfast
Antiquities' Wellington Inn
On Wellington Street in downtown Traverse City
A bed and breakfast in a restored 1905 neoclassical mansion built for one of Traverse City's lumber barons, a short walk from downtown.
More events in and around Traverse City
- Bayshore MarathonA Memorial Day weekend marathon, half marathon and 10K in Traverse City on a flat out-and-back course along East Grand Traverse Bay, run by the Traverse City Track Club since 1983.
- Iceman Cometh ChallengeA point-to-point mountain bike race of about 30 miles from Kalkaska to Traverse City on the first Saturday in November, plus shorter beginner and kids races.
- 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.
- Light Up DowntownTraverse City's two-night start to the holidays, with a tree lighting at Cass and Front streets on Friday and an evening light parade down Front Street on Saturday.
- Traverse City Restaurant WeekA late-winter week when participating Traverse City restaurants offer multi-course, fixed-price menus.