First Week Of August Happenings In The Blue Water Area

August is almost upon us. Don’t worry though, there’s still plenty of summer left and the Blue Water Area has a lot of events going on.

Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state. This weekend, the 4th annual Michigan Lighthouse Festival will be celebrating those in the ThumbCoast. Things kick off this Friday at the Fort Gratiot Light Station in Port Huronwith barbecue buffet dinner, entertainment from Empty Canvas and more. Over the weekend, lighthouse aficionados will be taking tours of the lighthouses in Harbor Beach, Pointe Aux Barques and Port Austin. Visit the Michigan Lighthouse Festival website for all the details.

The boogie is going to be full effect this weekend along the lakeshore. The Port Sanilac Blues Festival kicks off at 2pm on Friday with food vendors and a beer tent and runs through Saturday evening. 

It's a battle of the Blue and the Grey in Port Sanilac this weekend too. Check out Civil War Days at the Sanilac County Historical Museum and Village on Saturday & Sunday for battles and skirmishes, an artillery demonstration, fashion show and more.

Promising a fantastic atmosphere with a wide variety of two dimensional and 3-D professional artists, the Lexington Fine Arts Street Fair will provide spectacular music, tasty food vendors and raffles. It runs this Saturday and Sunday.

Starting on Friday and running through Sunday, Marine City's Maritime Days features live music, a lighted boat parade, a sidewalk chart art contest food and a whole lot more! It starts on Friday and runs through Sunday. Find out more at www.maritimedays.net.

Other events this week include Rockin' The Rivers at Port Huron's Keifer Park on Thursday. Saturday finds St. Clair having a Mardi Gras Party and the Bi-Yak-A-Thon in going on in Harbor Beach.

Looking towards next weekend, the Yard Sale Trail is happening.

Find many things to do and see around the Blue Water Area at our events page.

Relaxing Adventures For Labor Day Weekend

Though we most likely have quite a few warm weather days ahead of us still, Labor Day weekend traditionally marks the end of summer for many. There are many events happening over the long weekend to say farewell to the season.

Now in its 15th year, it is safe to say that Thumbfest has become a tradition in Lexington, Michigan. Featuring multiple stages, workshops, jam sites, children’s stage area, dance, craft/food vendors and a hootenanny at the end of the night, Thumbfest 2018 will be held in the village’s Tierney Park on
Saturday. It starts at 11 am and will have a wide variety of music ranging from Celtic,
blues, bluegrass and gypsy to New Orleans brass, Americana, roots and folk. Bring your lawn chair or blanket, your friends and family and voice and join in on the fun. Find the full schedule at the
Thumbfest website.

What started as a backyard party at a home in Fort Gratiot Township has now grown into a
celebration at St. Clair County’s largest public park. The annual BlueChiliGrass Festival is at
Goodells County Park on Sunday and Monday and will feature continuous music on 2 stages and a chili cook-off.

Before heading to BlueChiliGrass on Monday, why not Trek The Trestle? This five mile Labor Day
event has been held annually since 2007. The walk starts at 9 am at the at the Avoca Road Trailhead
in Downtown Avoca and crosses the 640ft. Mill Creek trestle, the longest bridge of its kind in the
state of Michigan. The Trestle Trek is one of the Labor Day Community Walks that are held
throughout the state in conjunction with the Mackinac Bridge Labor Day Walk. Community Walks help provide a similar experience to residents unable to participate in the annual walk across the Mighty Mac.

When you dip a chip do you like it mild? Or perhaps spicy is your thing.No matter your flavor preference this Saturday's Salsa Tasting in Harbor Beach has something to tantalize your taste buds from 11 in the morning to 2 pm. Your tour begins at the Harbor Beach Visitor’s Center where you purchase a button and ballot for $2. Then stroll downtown following your map to be sure to stop at all salsa tasting locations. After you are done vote for your favorite.

Don't wait til noon to start your adventure in Harbor Beach this Saturday though. Hop on the boat taxi and take a ride out to tour the Harbor Beach Lighthouse. The taxi leaves the Harbor Beach Marina starting at 9:20 am and then about every 20 minutes until 40 minutes before closing time. Tickets are $20 each and also include admission to the Harbor Beach Grice House Museum, which houses the original Fresnel Lens from the lighthouse.  Find out more about the Harbor Beach Lighthouse at their website.

If browsing some art is your thing, the Blue Water Area has a couple shows that are just the thing for Labor Day weekend too.

Port Austin's Art In The Park will have many original artworks to look at and for sale for sale this Saturday and Sunday. With a wide array of mediums including everything from watercolor, oil, acrylic and photography to decorative iron work, stained and fused glass, gourd art, hand carved ice fishing decoys, and wearable art, there is sure to be something to catch your eye. Art In The Park is presented by the Thumb Arts Guild.

From one end of the Blue Water Area to the other the city of Algonac is holding its Annual Art Fair this Saturday and Sunday too. With the St. Clair River serving as a picturesque backdrop, the fair was started in 1972 and has continued ever since. With around 100 artists as well as entertainment for all ages this fair is a fine way to spend the day in the river flats region of the Blue Water Area. Find out more about the Algonac Art Fair at their website.

Just a quick ferry ride over from Algonac is Harsens Island. This weekend they'll be having days filled with family fun! The Harsens Island Lions Club Turkey Shoot happening includes parades, food and beer tent, live music, dancing, 50/50 drawings and daily raffles along with kids, teens and young adults games and activities. Find out more by visiting the Harsens Island Lions Club on Facebook.

Discover all the happenings around the Blue this month at our events page.

Snazzy Boats and Jazzy Music: What's happening this week in the Blue Water Area

From Sanilac County to St. Clair and points beyond, the Blue Water Area has quite a few things to see and do this weekend.

This Friday & Saturday, August 17th & 18th take a stroll back in time at the Antique Boat and Vintage Show in Port Sanilac. The annual festival features a wide array of antique and classic boats and these beautiful wood vessels are a must see if you appreciate craftsmanship. Tin Can Tourists will also be setting up their unique campers in the Harbor Park, adjacent to the Port Sanilac marina.

If you are going to be checking out the show on Friday, you have the rare opportunity of taking a tour of the Port Sanilac Lighthouse between 11AM and 3PM too.

Speaking of lighthouse tours. On Saturdays, hop on the boat taxi and take a tour of the Harbor Beach light. Tours run from 9AM to Noon through September 22nd (weather permitting of course.)

The Fort Gratiot Light Station in Port Huron is also open for tours each day through September 3rd from 10AM to 5pm.

The sounds of jazz fill the air this Saturday at St. Clair's Palmer Park.

The 3rd Annual St. Clair Jazz Festival features the music of Detroit based and world-renowned flutist Alexzander Zonjic, jazz/funk guitarist Jeff Lorber and many more. This free festival starts at 1PM and runs to 9pm.

Events in the weeks to come include Hot Wheels Weekend in Marysville, St. Clair County Farm Museum Harvest Festival in Goodells and Lexington's Maragarita Fest. Find out about them and plenty more at our events page.

Lights That Shine Michigan's Eastern Shores

The #lighthouse in #PortSanilac is celebrating its 130 birthday this weekend. For only the 2nd time in its history it will be open for tours this Saturday, Sept. 10th, from 10am til 6pm. #puremichigan #discovertheblue #mittenlove

A photo posted by Discover The Blue (@discoverthebluewaterarea) on Sep 7, 2016 at 5:43am PDT

Before GPS and all the other navigational available at a watercraft's reach these days, lighthouses played an integral role in guiding the way along the coast. While many lighthouses now have private owners, they still operate as beacons along the shores as well as functional historical sites overseen by the US Coast Guard. One of those is the Port Sanilac Lighthouse. The octagonal shaped structure, built in 1886, stands 59 feet tall and has been opened for tours only once. Until this Saturday, September 10th, that is because the public is invited to the Port Sanilac Lighthouse Open House and Tour to celebrate it's 130th birthday from 10am-6pm. This rare opportunity gives visitors a chance the original 1886 classical lighthouse Fresnel Lens that has sat on top of the tower one last time as the the US Coast Guard will be replacing it with a new LED light in the following weeks.

If you'd like to visit more than one lighthouse this weekend, you can also take the boat taxi ride in to take the Harbor Beach lighthouse tour from 10am-1pm on Saturday or climb the 94 steps to the top of the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse in Port Huron Friday through Sunday between 11am and 5pm.

Other Blue Water Area events this weekend include The Port Huron Hobo Fest on Friday and Saturday, The Fall Craft Show in St Clair, Algonac's Annual Car Show and the Great Lakes Tattoo Expo at the Blue Water Convention Center in Port Huron.

Find out more about the many things happening around the area at our events page.