October is here, and with it comes a slew of frightful, fun and festive events all across Northern Michigan.
Here’s what we recommend this weekend:
Experience Fort Fright in Mackinaw City
Colonial Michilimackinac will transform into Fort Fright in the evenings of Friday, Oct. 3 and Saturday, Oct. 4, with monsters, ghost tales and cozy campfires waiting for guests inside.
Fort Fright will be open from 6:30-9:30 p.m., with the last admission at 8:30 p.m. Guests will encounter skeletal soldiers, French fur traders and voyageurs waiting to tell spooky stories, scary encounters on the Demon Walk and the Werewolf Walk, and other fun activities. The evenings are inspired by the oral tradition of French-Canadian tales. Stories of lutins and the Le Dame Blanche, for example, are drawn from a book called “Were-Wolves and Will-o-the-Wisps: French Tales of Mackinac Retold” by Dirk Gringhuis.
Admission to Fort Fright is $15 per adult, $10 for children ages 5-12, and free for children age 4 and under as well as Mackinac Associates members. Tickets can be bought online or in the Colonial Michilimackinac Visitor’s Center. For more information, visit mackinacparks.com/fort-fright.
Set the pace at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Half Marathon and 5K
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Paradise is hosting the Great Lakes Shipwreck Half Marathon and 5K on Saturday, Oct. 4.
Both races start at 8 a.m. at the museum, 18335 N. Whitefish Point Road. All participants will receive a medal and discounted entrance to the museum. There will be overall and age group awards following the race.
A portion of the proceeds and will go towards the restoration of the museum’s lighthouse.
Check out more about the museum at shipwreckmuseum.com.
Enjoy chili and crafts in Walloon Lake
The 6th annual Colors by the Lake Art & Craft show is back at the Village Green in Walloon Lake this weekend.
The craft show will take place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. In addition to the craft show, the 5th Annual Walloon Lake Chili Cook-Off will take place at noon on Sunday, Oct. 5. The proceeds benefit the Manna Food Project.
Find out more at facebook.com/events.
Join Camp Petosega’s Haunted Halloween Weekend
Emmet County Parks and Recreation are hosting two Haunted Halloween Weekends this month at Camp Petosega. The first is on Saturday, Oct. 4.
There will be an award for the Best Decorated Campsite and trick-or-treating is set for 5-7 p.m. There will also be free hot dogs, chips and drinks near the campground office followed by a free Haunted Trail from 7:30-8:30 p.m.
This event is weather dependent. The general public is welcome to join the fun!
If you miss this first weekend, the next will be on Saturday, Oct. 11. Find more information at emmetcounty.org/experiences/camp_petosega.
Visit Skitoberfest at Boyne Mountain
Boyne Mountain will celebrate its 16th Annual Skitoberfest Oct. 3-5 with a full schedule of fun activities.
There will be live music featuring Jelly Roll Blues Band, M119 Band, Yankee Station, Sydni K, Charlie Reager, The Pink Violin Band and Robert Yates. There will also be competitive contests such as stein hoisting, keg throwing, spouse-carrying and pie-eating. On top of that, guests can expect traditional German food like bratwurst and Bavarian pretzels, family activities like face painting and pony rides, a showcase of the latest ski equipment, and scenic vies from the SkyBridge and chairlift rides.
Check out more information about Skitoberfest and Boyne Mountain’s other upcoming October event weekends at boynemountain.com/upcoming-events.
— Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Looking for fun activities this weekend? Consider these 5 options around Northern Michigan
Reporting by Jillian Fellows, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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