Memorial Day Weekend Events & Festivals in Southwestern Michigan

With hundreds of miles of white-sand beaches and thousands of acres of fertile fruit orchards, vineyards and farmlands, southwestern Michigan eyes Memorial Day as the year's economic harbinger. With so much riding on the tourist trade, venues work hard to offer an array of activities, events and festivals to lure visitors to the tiny towns and quaint villages beyond the beaches and sand dunes.

Here's a sampling of what goes on in southwestern during the long Memorial Day weekend:

Friday, May 26

St. Joseph - The small, quaint City of St. Joseph typically hosts the area's first of many annual Memorial Day Parades, this year on Friday, May 26, from noon to 1 p.m. This year's event is sponsored by former and long-time Mayor Frank Walsh and his wife, Shar. The patriotic "Salute to America" steps off in the heart of downtown at Broad Street and moves to the bluff overlooking the convergence of the St. Joseph River and Lake Michigan. Traditional flag-raising and veterans' honors ceremonies are held in the John Howard Band Shell. For more information, contact the merchants' association, St. Joseph Today at http://www.sjtoday.org.

New Buffalo - Friday of Memorial Day weekend is the traditional kick-off of the area's first summer festival, the decidedly small-town but big-fun St. Mary's Of The Lake Festival. Lots of food, fun, games and a carnival midway full of rides fill the weekend. This festival is hugely attended and a favorite with families! For details, visit the Harbor Country Chamber of Commerce at http://www.harborcountry.org.

Jones - Thunder Valley Speedway near Jones, Michigan is among the first to host Memorial Day fireworks, beginning as darkness falls on Friday, May 26. The event is centered at 58671 M-40 Highway, but park your vehicle anywhere along the roadside nearby and get a great show! For more information, visit thundervalleyspeedwayllc.com

Saturday, May 27

Bridgman - Weko Beach House on Lake Michigan and Lake Street is the venue for a presentation of the authentic World Trade Center flag to the city from the flag's designer, Robert Heft. Heft will be on hand to give brief remarks at 9:30 a.m. and again at 1:15 p.m. Flags, along with certificates of authenticity, will be available for purchase as long as supplies last. For information, visit the Bridgman Area Chamber of Commerce at http://www.bridgmanarea.org or Weko Beach House at http://www.wekobeachhouse.com.

Lakeside - With just six small commercial structures in its one-block downtown, tiny Lakeside steps off an annual parade at noon, joined by the New Buffalo American Legion marchers. Local youngsters, and those who only visit in summer homes for the season, are recruited from all over Chikaming Township to decorate their bicycles and join the parade as it wends toward old Lakeside Cemetery and a brief memorial service.

Baroda - take in the gorgeous countryside and relax for the weekend at the annual Wine & Art festival sponsored by the Lemon Creek Winery & Vineyard each Memorial Day weekend. In addition to lots of good food and free wine-tastings, this free event features dozens of artists, jewelry-makers, photographers and craftsmen/women on-site with offerings designed to catch your summer-time fancy. Saturday's hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Find out more at http://www.lemoncreekwinery.com.

Union Pier - Visit the Union Pier Tasting Room of the Round Barn Winery, Distillery and Brewery, 9185 Union Pier Rd in Union Pier, for day one of the annual "Spring Release." From noon until 3:30 p.m. (EDT), the vintners share - at no cost - the first taste of new vintages with visitors. It's called Spring Release because it's the first public release of the vineyard's bottled white wines. Red wines can be sampled directly from the barrel! For more information, call 269-469-6885.

New Buffalo - St. Mary's festival continues all day.

Sunday, May 28

Baroda - This little village in the heart of wine country hosts its annual Memorial Day Parade and Services every Sunday during the holiday weekend. Services to honor the war dead begin at 11 a.m. at Hinman Cemetery on Stevensville-Baroda Road, and conclude at 2 p.m. with ceremonies at Ruggles Cemetery at Snow and Hills roads. In between, the downtown parade steps off at 1 p.m.

Also in rural Baroda, the Lemon Creek Winery & Vineyard continues day two of the Wine & Art festival. Free wine-tastings, art and crafts vendors, a cash bar and lots of food - Sunday's events begin at noon and close at 6 p.m.

And yet another Baroda Sunday event is day two of the Round Barn Winery, Distillery and Brewery's annual "Spring Release" from noon until 3:30 p.m. EDT. (Saturday's event will be held at the Union Pier Tasting Room.) Here at Round Barn, visitors can catch the first release of the winery's bottled white wines, or sample new reds right out of the barrel. For more information, visit http://www.roundbarnwinery.com or call 1- 800-716-WINE (9463.)

Kalamazoo - The Ravine Road Kalamazoo Speedway (7656 Ravine Road) is the site of Memorial Day (night) fireworks, at nightfall, after the last race of the evening. For more information and for race times, phone 269-692-2423, or visit http://www.kalamazoospeedway.com.

New Buffalo - St. Mary's festival wraps up tonight.

Monday, May 29

Dowagiac - This delightfully authentic Victorian town always puts on quite a show for patriots on Memorial Day. In style and substance, it's the old-fashioned small-town celebration of old, thanks to the traditional sponsorship by the Masonic Lodge, Peninsular Lodge No. 10. Events typically include an awe-inspiring jet fly-over by the Battle Creek-based Air National Guard unit, and rousing marches performed by both the high school and middle school marching bands. Patriots of all ages meet to honor their veterans and war dead at City Hall Park near downtown, hear a pre-parade speech and then march to the Riverside Cemetery for a memorial. Festivities begin at 10:30 a.m. EDT. For information, call 269-424-5538.

Buchanan - The Buchanan Garden Club always holds its popular annual plant on Memorial Day, in Gazebo Park downtown at the corner of Oak and Front streets. Catch the sale early; it runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon EDT, then step across Oak Street to the Common and watch the annual seasonal opening of the historic Pears Mill, the oldest operating mill and waterwheel in Michigan.

Stevensville - Monday's the traditional day for this little village's Memorial Day Parade. The downtown parade begins at 11 a.m. EDT and proceeds through the blinker, down St. Joseph Avenue to the Lincoln Township Cemetery, where a brief memorial service will honor veterans and war dead.