5 Fall Events You Can't Miss Around the Petoskey Area
At a Glance:
Fall in the Petoskey area brings a lineup of harvest festivals within a short drive of Bay Harbor, Michigan. Highlights include the Charlevoix Apple Fest (October 9–11, 2026), Boyne City Harvest Festival (September 26, 2026), The Highlands Harvest Fest in Harbor Springs (October 17, 2026), Gypsy Distillery's Fall Fest in Petoskey (October 18, 2026), and Pond Hill Farm's Fall Fest Weekends running Saturdays and Sundays from late September through late October.
There's a reason so many people plan their Northern Michigan trip around fall colors. The turn of the leaves, the orchards heavy with apples, and nearly every town within a short drive of Bay Harbor celebrates with some kind of nod to the harvest season. If you're staying with us this September or October, here are five fall festivals worth building your weekend around.
1. Boyne City Harvest Festival
When: Saturday, September 26, 2026 | 9am–3pm
Where: Downtown Boyne City (Water & Lake Streets)
This is the festival that closes out Boyne City's summer Farmers Market season, and it does it in style. The full market relocates downtown and expands with more than 30 local arts and craft vendors, live music, and kids' activities. Look for free cider and donuts, free pumpkins for the kids, and fall produce like apples, squash, and apple butter from area growers. It's a smaller, more community-feel event than some of the bigger festivals on this list — a nice pick if you want fall charm without the crowds.
2. Skitoberfest
When: October 2, 2026 | noon-midnight
Where: Boyne Mountain Resort, 1 Boyne Mountain Road, Boyne Falls, MI
Head about 25 minutes south to our sister resort, Boyne Mountain, for its 17th annual Skitoberfest. Think Oktoberfest with a mountain accent: a keg trailer and Bavarian food tent, live music running from Friday evening through Saturday's last call, and a full slate of competitions that only make sense on a ski hill in the fall — stein hoisting, keg throwing, a pie-eating contest, and the crowd-favorite spouse-carrying race. Kids get their own zone with face painting, pumpkin smashing, and a balloon artist. The weekend closes out with the Pray for Snow Bonfire on the Mountain Grand Lodge lawn — Boyne Mountain's long-running ritual for asking the universe for a deep winter. If you want the best view of the season's first color change, experience SkyBridge Michigan while you're there — it's billed as the best vantage point on the mountain for fall foliage.
3. Charlevoix Apple Fest
When: October 9–11, 2026
Where: Downtown Charlevoix, MI
Charlevoix's Apple Fest is one of the largest and longest-running fall events in the region, and it takes over the entire downtown for a weekend. Expect a farmers market loaded with pumpkins, mums, squash, cider, honey, and of course apples from local orchards; a juried arts and crafts show; food booths run by local nonprofits serving up chili, kielbasa, apple flappen, and hot cider; and live music throughout the weekend. Hours typically run Friday and Saturday from 10am to 6pm and Sunday from 10am to 4pm. It's about a 20-minute drive south from Bay Harbor along the water — an easy add-on to a color tour day.
4. The Highlands Harvest Fest
When: Saturday, October 17 | noon-4pm
Where: The Highlands Resort, 600 Highland Rd, Harbor Springs, MI
Set against the resort's autumn hillside views, The Highlands Harvest Fest leans into both family fun and adult indulgence. Kids can enjoy face painting, cookie decorating, burlap sack racing, pumpkin ring toss, and a Halloween costume contest, while adults can look forward to a bourbon or spirits tasting tent and the crowd-favorite Stein Hoisting competition. There's usually live music, a food tent, and — as always up here — plenty of cider and donuts.
5. Gypsy Distillery Fall Fest
When: Sunday, October 18 | noon-6pm
Where: Gypsy Distillery, 5251 Charlevoix Avenue, Petoskey, MI
For a fall festival with a little more nightlife energy, Gypsy Distillery's Fall Fest is the pick. The Petoskey distillery — set in a beautifully renovated former equestrian center — turns out a full day (and night) of programming: live music, a pie-eating contest, a bounce castle for the kids, fall-inspired cocktails featuring seasonal spirit releases, and line dancing lessons that typically kick off in the evening. It's a great option if you want your fall festival to run into the evening rather than wrap up by mid-afternoon.
Honorable Mention: More Fall Activities
Fall Color Boat Tours aboard the Harbor Princess | September 26 – October 12 | 2 – 3:45pm
Fall Fest Weekends at Pond Hill Farm | Saturdays & Sundays, September 20 - October 26, 2026
Colors by the Lake Art Show | October 3-4, 2026
Planning Your Fall Stay at Bay Harbor
With five festivals happening across just a few weeks and a short drive of each other, fall is one of the easiest seasons to fill a Petoskey-area itinerary. Pair them with a color tour along the Tunnel of Trees, or wine tasting in the Petoskey Wine Region, and your autumn lake time is ready to enjoy.