Michigan's Upper Peninsula Travel Blog

Munising's Fourth of July schedule of events

We’re only 8 days away from the Fourth of July and there’s no better place to be than Munising! The Fourth is a huge event for Munising and a good time to see the town swell 2- 3 times its normal population.

All the fun begins actually on July 2nd with the “Firecracker 2-Blocker” soapbox race. This event allows kids to build their own soapbox car and race it down one of Munising’s city streets. It’s a good time watching the kids compete and using their imagination to build a racer.

Then on July 3rd (Friday night) is the Community Dance and All Class Reunion. This dance is open to everyone over 21 years of age and will be featuring the band Evergreen 7. Come out and dance the night away! ALTRAN (local bus service) will be offering free rides home!

The main event is, of course, July 4th and it’s a day filled with a lot of activities for everyone in your family. Some of the events include a morning fun run, a flag raising at the veteran’s memorial, a pet parade and the firefighter’s water fight. The huge parade starts at noon and runs through downtown Munising. Much of the other action takes place at Bayshore Park, which includes games, food and entertainment. Make sure to stick around till dusk for a monster of a fireworks display, one of the best in the area! For more info just visit www.munisingjuly4th.com! It has the complete schedule of events.

Next week, I’ll tell you about the Munising Summerfest that’s happening on July 11th. Check out www.munisingsummerfest.com to learn more. It will be featuring a milk jug boat race, a family and friends BBQ rib cook-off and a ton of games for the family!

What’s your favorite part of the Munising Fourth of July? Leave us a comment!

The weather seems to be finally turning around today and it looks promising for next week as well. This is good because there are some pretty nice events happening around Munising in the coming weeks. Here’s a rundown of a few for the rest of June.

MUNISING
Munising Bay Arts Festival
Saturday, June 27, 2009 – 9am-4pm
Munising, Bayshore Park
This all day event takes place at beautiful Bayshore Park and highlights the work of area artists. Come enjoy the company of artists, listen to great music and see a demo of the new bread oven. There will also be a silent auction. The Munising Bay Arts Association hosts this event.

Pictured Rocks Road Race
“Run for the Red Cross”
Sunday, June 28, 2009 – start time 8am
City of Munising
The event actually consists of 3 different events – something for everyone!
Half-Marathon: This unique course (13.2 miles) travels in and around the hills that surround the city of Munising. The course consists of both paved and wooded trails as well as a few hill climbs to challenge the runners.
5K: This race consists of a less challenging course but it still has the beautiful Munising scenery.
Fun Run: The name says it all! Come walk all or part of the 13.2-mile course and enjoy the outdoors. Walkers may start anytime prior to 7:30am.
All racers will be finishing on the track at R.W. Nebel Memorial Field and you’re invited to come cheer them on! Visit www.picturedrocksroadrace.com for info.

GRAND MARAIS
9th Annual Splash-In-The-Bay
Friday-Sunday, June 19-21, 2009
Grand Marais harbor
Seaplanes from all over the U.S. and Canada will be descending on the area for the festival to compete in the various competitions schedule for Saturday. Come out and see the planes, talk to the pilots and watch the flying competitions.

Grand Marais Garden Tour
Saturday, June 27, 2009 – 9am-4pm
Start at Edmund T. Warren Park
We invite you to spend a relaxed and inspiring day in many beautiful private gardens that reflect the unique lifestyle of their owners. For $10, you’ll be able to attend gardens, win some great garden related door prizes. There will also be a plant sale, live music, an art fair and silent auction.

So make plans now to attend these great events in the next coming weeks. Wait till you see what’s happening in July!

With yesterday’s summer-like weather, it got me thinking about the great Lake Superior beaches in the Munising area. So listed below is a bit of information about them. All three are really picturesque and feature nice picnic areas. I would definitely recommend visiting each of them this summer.

Au Train Beach
Located 10 miles west of Munising, right on M-28, this stretch of sandy beach is a popular swimming destination. The western end of the beach has the Au Train River flowing thru it, which is a favorite swimming hole because of the river’s warmer water temperature. The eastern most parking area is right across the street from Scott Falls, a roadside waterfall definitely worth the visit! This is also a popular spot to see bald eagles flying over the water or perched in the trees.

Au Train Beach on Lake Superior

Sand Point Beach
Rated as one of the “Top Ten Beaches” by The Weather Channel, this sandy beach is located only a short distance from downtown Munising. The emerald colored water and Grand Island in the distance make for a beautiful setting. Looking for a spot for a summer sunset? This is the spot! To get there just take H58 east for a few miles and then turn left on Washington Street. Now just stay on this street (turns into Sand Point Road) and follow it to the end. While you’re traveling to the beach make sure to stop at beautiful Munising Falls! (You drive right by the parking area.)

Sand Point Beach with Grand Island in the distance

Miners Beach
To me, this is the crown jewel of beaches in the Munising area. This expansive beach features beautiful views of the Pictured Rocks cliffs and a total feeling of seclusion. There’s nothing but trees, sand and the rock cliffs. The beach also has Miners River flowing into Lake Superior, a popular spot to play in the water. On your way to the beach you can also visit Miners Castle, a beautiful rock formation, and Miners Falls, a large waterfall. To get there, take H58 east out of Munising for 5 miles and then turn left on to Miners Castle Road. Follow this road and you’ll see signs posted for the falls, castle and beach.

Miners Beach - looking towards the west

Miners Beach - looking towards the east

Have a favorite beach spot in the Munising area? Please share it with us by leaving a comment!