Schedule has tons of family fun, new events and old favorites
By Barb Pert Templeton
The Maritime Days Festival is returning to Marine City this year but this time it’ll be a mid-June event instead of an early August affair.
In fact, organizers are excited to have the popular summer festival rolling into town from June 19 to 21, over Father’s Day weekend. Changing up the date has allowed festival volunteers to bring a small-town carnival back to the streets of the city, something that’s been sorely missed by residents and visitors for several years now.
“The midway will feature 10 rides, games, and all the classic carnival food people love,” Maritime Days President Tammi Graber said. “It will be a full carnival experience filled with family fun and great memories.”
Beyond the street carnival other new events include a “Run the River 5K” on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. and the event is for the whole family. A “Best Slice in Town” pizza competition on Saturday, a Cutest Baby Contest and several events will include a gift giveaway for dads on Father’s Day.
Favorites returning to the festival schedule include the lighted boat parade and then fireworks on Friday night, a drone show on Saturday night, the Maritime Days Parade on Sunday, plus a children’s parade, Saturday Kid’s Zone, two-days of Bingo and loads of live entertainment in the festival tent all weekend long.
This colorful flyer announces the Maritime Days Festival 2026 has moved from early August to Father’s Day Weekend, June 19-21.
Blue Water Healthy Living caught up with Graber to find out more about this year’s event.
Blue Water Healthy Living: What brought about the decision to move the festival from August to mid-June?
Maritime Days President Tammi Graber: The only reason for the move was our ability to secure a true carnival experience for the community. That’s something residents have been asking for years, and something this board has been working toward since taking over three years ago. Moving the festival to June allowed us to make that happen.
BWHL: So, will there be a return of the midway with real carnival rides and food vendors?
Graber: Yes. North American Midway Entertainment will be bringing a true small-town street carnival experience to Maritime Days this year, complete with rides, games, and classic carnival food. We’re excited to bring back those nostalgic childhood memories for families in our community.
BWHL: Is it going to be three days? Wasn’t the initial plan to have a five-day festival?
Graber: No — there was never a plan for a five-day festival. Maritime Days has always been planned as a three-day event.
BWHL: What group is in charge of the festival as it transitions into a June event?
Graber: The Marine City Maritime Days is organized by Marine City Festival, Inc. It has been our non-profits signature event since 1982.
BWHL: What are the plans for financing the event in 2026?
The 2026 Maritime Days Festival will introduce a Cutest Baby Contest for newborns to two-year-olds.
Graber: We’re incredibly fortunate to have support from more than 80 local business sponsors. Our business community continues to step up in a huge way, and we couldn’t do this without them. Please support our supporters.
BWHL: Can you share a little about what will be new on this year’s schedule?
Graber: We’re adding several exciting new events this year. One of the biggest additions is the “Run the River 5K” on Sunday morning at 9 a.m., hosted by Empowered Nutrition. Since it falls on Father’s Day weekend, we’re making it a family-friendly event, even adding a kids dash for younger participants. Another fun addition is our “Best Slice in Town” competition featuring local pizza establishments competing for bragging rights as the best pizza in town.
We’re also adding a new Cutest Baby Contest this year. Contestants will participate in the kids’ parade, and the winner will be crowned afterward. You can vote for your favorite at select businesses in town.
Since Maritime Days falls on Father’s Day weekend, we also wanted to create something special for dads this year. Fathers attending either the Pancake Brunch and Cocktail Competition or the XICW Professional Wrestling Show at 3 p.m. in the festival tent will receive a special gift as part of the celebration.
BWHL: What events will be returning to the schedule this year?
Graber: We’ll once again kick off the festival with our Country Hoedown and Pulled Pork Dinner in the festival tent. Live music from Y’all Band will be one of the highlights of opening night.
A longtime favorite, the Lighted Boat Parade hosted by Mi Rush Powersports, will travel up the river Friday night at 9:30 p.m., followed immediately by our fireworks display. This year’s fireworks are sponsored by Hintz for Hope Fundraising, St. Clair Aggregates, Eastern Michigan Bank, and the Community Foundation.
We also have a great lineup of live entertainment throughout the weekend in the festival tent. Saturday afternoon brings back Maritime Days Unplugged — “Acoustics with a Cause” — from 4-8 p.m., featuring nonstop performances by Blue Sky Riley, No Strings Attached, Julia Rose, and Glenbroke & the Wild Weeds. Local favorites The Meldrum Brothers will take the stage Saturday night.
We’re also very excited to welcome back our drone show. The show will take place Saturday night at 10 p.m. and will feature a special “Celebrate America 250” theme honoring our nation’s upcoming anniversary. We thank our Drone Show sponsors Lumberjack, Marine City Grill, Semco Energy, and Real Estate One, Westrick.
We’re expanding bingo to two days this year after seeing such strong attendance over the last couple of years. Saturday bingo will take place at 1 p.m. in the festival tent, and Sunday bingo will be hosted at 2 p.m. at the River Place Art Pavilion. We’re especially grateful to John at River Place Art Pavilion for donating the use of his space on Sunday.
Our Kids Zone with free activities returns on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day begins with the Kids Fishing Contest at 9 a.m., followed by the Princess and Superhero Kids Parade hosted by The Mariner at noon. Then we will offer an array of activities for the kids.
The festival wouldn’t be complete without our Finsterwald Arts and Crafts fair, located at 300 Broadway. This year’s fair will feature over 60 vendors offering a variety of handmade goods, art, and unique finds, making it a must-visit stop on Saturday or Sunday.
Another returning favorite is our Volleyball Tournament at Lighthouse Park, which will extend to a 2-day event this year. Infinity Volleyball Club will be hosting the events on both Saturday and Sunday. Teams are required to pre-register in advance, and we encourage everyone to sign up early to secure their spot.
A Sunday staple, our Pancake Brunch and Cocktail Competition will return again this year, taking place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the festival tent. It’s become a favorite tradition for many attendees and a great way to kick off Sunday festivities.
The Maritime Days Parade returns on Sunday at 1 p.m. with a new route. It will travel up Main Street from Bridge Street to Broadway. Community groups, businesses, and organizations are still welcome to participate, and parade registration forms are available on our website at MaritimeDays.net
BWHL: What do you see as the biggest challenge to moving the festival?
Graber: The biggest challenge has been adjusting to the new weekend and replacing some event chairpersons who are not available for the new dates. That means training new volunteers and bringing new people into leadership roles for several events.
To find out more and to view the full Maritime Days Schedule go to marinetimedays.net.
