The National Cherry Festival is Here!
Blue Angels, Wine and Fun
If you’ve never been to the National Cherry Festival, it’s certainly time you loaded up and headed this way. We fit more events, activities and experiences into this one week during the summer than most cities could in a month. The festival offers running races, airshows, firework displays, amusement rides and so much more – there’s something for everyone in the family to look forward to.
With so much to choose from, we wanted to give you a few tips for some of the best parts of the festival. We even have a way to squeeze in a wine tour during your stay!
The Blue Angels – a Must See
After the tragedy that befell a Blue Angel pilot less than a month ago, we’re so honored that the other pilots and the entire Navy chose to honor Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss by performing at the Cherry Festival in his honor. While it’s a very special occasion whenever the Angels come to town, this year’s performance will be a particularly poignant demonstration of courage in the face of adversity for the pilots.
With this taken into account, this should be the year you take the time to see the show. Rather than trying to find a spot on the beach, we recommend blending a top-notch air show with top-notch wine! The Angels perform from 1:15pm-4pm Friday, July 1st through Monday the 4th. The shows take place over West Bay, and we’ll be leading wine tour on Old Mission Peninsula each of those days. We’ll be stopping at wineries that overlook West Bay so that our guests can take in views of the show during their tour. The views from Bonobo, Bowers Harbor Vineyards, and Chateau Chantel are incredible every other day of the year, but seeing the Blue Angels fly by is something to behold!
Run for Your Wine
On July 9, one of the wineries we visit every day all summer long, Chateau Grand Traverse is sponsoring the Cherry Festival of Races Half-Marathon! The half-marathon starts right at Chateau Grand Traverse and takes runners through vineyards before letting them loose on Old Mission Peninsula. Breathtaking views of the bays will distract runners from the lactic acid in their legs, and provide them with one of the most memorable running experiences ever.
A great way to recover from a long run? Wine, of course! Finish your run, then hop onto a Join-In tour to experience Old Mission at a far more leisurely pace. We have tours running all day after the races, so whenever you finish your post race nap, we’ll be ready for you!
For a complete view of the incredible events for the National Cherry Festival, head over here. Remember, the festival runs from July 2nd through July 9th, so join in while you can!
You can find out more about wine and beer events in Traverse City by following us on Facebook, Twitter and on Instagram.
To pick the beer and wine tour for you and your crew, simply go here for descriptions of the tours we have on offer.
Questions? Just get in touch!