Fennville’s premier festival is returning in full force this fall after organizers reevaluated operations with a scaled-back event in 2025.
The Fennville Goose Festival is set to return Oct. 9-11. The celebration was officially paused in 2025 after planners cited “unsustainable trends” despite “unprecedented success” over the previous few years, but the community still participated with rides, games and carnival food.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing (back) all the fun activities everyone has come to love and expect with the Fennville Goose Festival,” wrote Fennville City Administrator Katie Beemer.
The event’s “evolving schedule” — with dates and times subject to change — shows dozens of activities planned, including daily chalk drawing, food trucks, a carnival and a local vendor market.
Under the current schedule, there’ll be a student art show at Fennville City Hall at 5 p.m. Oct. 9, followed by an opening ceremony at the city’s new amphitheater at 6 p.m. Afterward, there’ll be a performance by the Tejano Sounds Band.
The current plan for Oct. 10 includes a car show, cornhole tournaments, art shows, a historic exhibit, a scavenger hunt, karaoke, concerts and a 5K — among other items.
The festivities will conclude Oct. 11 with an egg hunt, youth scavenger hunt, more art shows and concerts, a parade and a closing ceremony at 5 p.m.
For the full and updated schedule, visit fennvillegoosefestival.com.
The event’s return represents a partnership between community volunteers, local businesses, the Fennville Downtown Development Authority and the City of Fennville.
“We’ve got an army of volunteers and decades of experience putting this event together,” Beemer wrote.
The Goose Festival, which celebrates the geese that annually pass through the wildlife refuge at the Allegan State Game Area, was launched to encourage Amtrak to stop a train in Fennville in 1985.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: The Fennville Goose Festival is returning in full force in 2026
Reporting by Mitchell Boatman, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mitchell Boatman, Holland Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
