Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes · Small town
Suttons Bay
A walkable Leelanau village on Grand Traverse Bay with a public beach, a marina and a historic downtown, and the north end of the paved Leelanau Trail.
Arts · Market · Family · Suttons Bay
Suttons Bay Art Festival
A juried weekend art fair with about 100 artists at Marina Park on the Suttons Bay waterfront, held the first weekend of August.
The Suttons Bay Art Festival has been a summer fixture for decades: a weekend of artists’ booths in Marina Park by the waterfront. It runs on the first Saturday and Sunday of August.
Crooked Tree Arts Center took over management from the longtime volunteer organizers starting in 2025. The village’s sidewalk sales usually follow the next weekend, if you want a second excuse to come back.
What to expect
More than 100 artists from across the country show at Suttons Bay Marina Park, along with food, a library book sale and a children's area. In 2026 hours were 10 am to 5 pm Saturday and 10 am to 4 pm Sunday. Crooked Tree Arts Center now runs the festival.
Location
Where Suttons Bay Art Festival happens
4 places on an OpenStreetMap map
The pin marks the town; check the organizer for exact venues.
About Suttons Bay
Nearby attractions
Straight-line distances, not driving distances.
Beach
Van's Beach
Leland's public Lake Michigan beach, a short walk from downtown at the end of Cedar Street, joined to Hall Beach and Fishtown by the shore. A local sunset spot.
About 6 miles away (straight line)
Lighthouse
Mission Point Lighthouse
An 1870 lighthouse at the northern tip of the Old Mission Peninsula, with a climbable tower, a small museum, a beach and trails around it.
About 8 miles away (straight line)
Beach
South Beach (Northport)
Northport's village beach on Grand Traverse Bay, just south of the marina on Bay Street, with a sandy swim area, restrooms, picnic tables and a playground.
About 10 miles away (straight line)
Places to stay nearby
Bed and breakfast · Mid-range
The Inn at Black Star Farms
On a winery estate on East Revold Road, south of the village of Suttons Bay
An adults-only bed and breakfast on the 160-acre Black Star Farms winery estate, listed as open all year, with breakfast and wine tastings listed as part of each stay.
More events in and around Suttons Bay
- Suttons Bay Artisan Art & Wine WalkA June Friday evening when downtown Suttons Bay shops stay open late with local artists, drink tastings and live music to start the summer.
- 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.
- Interlochen Arts FestivalInterlochen's summer season of concerts and performances, from student orchestras to touring headliners at Kresge Auditorium on Green Lake.
- 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.
- 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.