Ludington & Manistee · Small town
Onekama
A small summer village on Portage Lake, joined to Lake Michigan by an 1871 channel. Swim at the village park or the big-lake beach, and boat between the two.
Festival · Family · Parade · Onekama
Onekama Days
Onekama's multi-day midsummer festival, with a parade, car show, arts and crafts show, a 5K and fireworks over Portage Lake.
Onekama Days is the village’s midsummer party, run by the Portage Lake Association, the Lions Club and a handful of local groups. It spans several days around the start of August, along M-22 and Main Street.
There is a little of everything: a parade, a car show, crafts, a 5K, a beer tent and a bump-n-run. The fireworks over Portage Lake close it out, and some people watch from the water. The schedule is finalized each summer, so check the festival page before you go.
What to expect
The program includes a parade, a car show, an arts and crafts show, a cornhole tournament, a beer tent, a concert in the park, a 5K and one-mile walk, a bump-n-run and fireworks. A pig roast benefits Onekama students. Recent festivals have leaned into kids' and family events.
Location
Where Onekama Days happens
4 places on an OpenStreetMap map
The pin marks the town; check the organizer for exact venues.
About Onekama
Nearby attractions
Straight-line distances, not driving distances.
Beach
Captain John Langland Park
Onekama Township's Lake Michigan beach at Portage Point, next to the channel's north pier, with stairs to the sand and a deck for sunsets.
About 3 miles away (straight line)
Beach
Pierport Beach
A rustic public Lake Michigan beach at the end of 13 Mile Road in Pierport, near Bear Lake. Limited parking, few amenities, an artesian well nearby.
About 5 miles away (straight line)
Beach
Hopkins Park
The Village of Bear Lake's park and campground on Bear Lake, the inland lake, with a swim area (no lifeguard), playground, launch and fishing pier.
About 5 miles away (straight line)
Places to stay nearby
Bed and breakfast
The Canfield House
On Portage Lake in Onekama
A bed and breakfast on Portage Lake in Onekama, in a 1900 summer home built for Manistee lumberman Charles Canfield, with its own beach.
Resort · Mid-range
Portage Point Resort
On Portage Point, on the northwest shore of Portage Lake near Onekama
A historic resort inn on Portage Lake near Onekama that first welcomed guests in 1903.
Confirm details before booking
More events in and around Onekama
- Arcadia DazeThe Arcadia Lions' late-July heritage weekend at Finch Park, with a parade, a 5K, an arts and crafts fair, a car show and a pickleball tournament.
- Bear Lake DaysBear Lake's festival weekend after the Fourth, with food trucks downtown, parades, fireworks, a pig roast, car shows and a group bike ride around the lake.
- Kaleva Heritage DaysA July weekend in the Finnish village of Kaleva with a car show, an arts and crafts show, a softball tournament, kids' games, music and a Sunday chicken dinner.
- Gold Coast Artisan FairA mid-August weekend in Ludington's Rotary Park with more than 170 arts and crafts displays, hosted by the Chamber Alliance of Mason County.
- West Shore Art FairA juried open-air fine art and craft show in Ludington's Rotary Park over the Fourth of July weekend, with a children's art tent.
- Manistee National Forest FestivalManistee's Fourth of July festival, run by the Manistee Area Chamber of Commerce, with a parade, carnival, artisan fair, lumberjack show and fireworks over Lake Michigan.