When the leaves begin to change, and the air is crisp and refreshing, West Michigan comes alive. The autumn air fills with excitement as the trees erupt in full technicolor, ready to view on a scenic Sunday drive. Fall is ideal for families to spend time together enjoying the great outdoors, or for couples to escape for a weekend getaway at one of West Michigan’s beautiful bed and breakfasts. Get lost in a corn maze, hike in a forest of vibrantly colored leaves, or pick your own apples. Visit a local brewery and watch the big game while sipping on a West Michigan microbrew. Finish the night off roasting marshmallows and telling scary stories around a crackling bonfire as the smoke drifts lazily into a star-filled West Michigan sky.
Scroll down for information on some of our favorite Fall activities in West Michigan to help celebrate the season.
Get up close and personal with the fastest plane ever flown! For the first time ever, the Air Zoo’s SR-71B’s cockpits will be open for public viewing October 4-6 at the SR-71 Spy-Posium! Get first-hand accounts of what makes the Blackbird tick – straight from the former pilots and crew members who know and love this epic high-flying spyplane. Join fascinating panel discussions, engage with crew and enthusiasts, and explore specially displayed Blackbird artifacts! Learn more at airzoo.org.
Join us at the Holland Civic Center Place this Fall for some great entertainment in Downtown Holland, MI.
Tickets on Sale Now!!!
October 22 @ 7:30pm – A Evening with the Iconic Kenny G
November 9 @ 8:00pm – Rodney Carrington: LIVE
December 12 @ 7:30pm – The Oak Ridge Boys Down Home Christmas
Tickets available online through Ticket Master or in person at the Holland Civic Center Place office: M-F, 10am-2pm.
Experience adventure by choice or by chance this fall in the Mt. Pleasant area. For fall fun inspiration, check out our list of 100 plus things to do; from Central Michigan University football and 5ks, to fall color hikes and a display of 1,500 jack-o-lanterns, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. As you walk or wonder through our area parks and Downtown area keep your ears open; in the distance you may hear our rally cry, “Fire Up Chips!” #MeetMtP
Ice Cream Challenge
Science has never been sweeter! Visit the Air Zoo in Portage on Saturday October 26 for a tasty Ice Cream Challenge – it’s a fun culinary competition with a little spooky science thrown in, perfect for your family’s fall adventures! Local organizations have formed teams to battle for your vote as this year’s victor. Their original recipes will be frozen on-site with liquid nitrogen for you to sample! Come ready to taste-test delicious flavors and cast your vote for the most delicious treat.
Experience a New Shade of Mackinac
Immerse yourself in the shining colors of Michigan’s Crown Jewel this season on Mackinac Island where the summer crowds have diminished, rates are more attractive, and autumn’s splendor is taking hold. Explore the island’s vibrant transformation with Mission Point’s Bed & Breakfast package, including all the staples to plan your perfect fall vacation: accommodations, daily breakfast at Round Island Bar & Grill, and round-trip ferry tickets. Plan the rest of your trip exactly the way you wish and create your own Mackinac color tour this October!
The Fenn Valley Vine Wine’d is the most unique race of the season! A scenic 10K, 5K or 1-mile tour of premium wine grape vineyards and surrounding farm. Wine’ding through vineyards, meadow, and numerous forested ecosystems, the network of trails was designed specifically to showcase the diverse beauty of the property. Held on October 5th, 2019 in Fennville, Michigan. For more information visit https://www.fennvalley.com/vine-wined/.
Save big on a fall getaway to the Petoskey Area
Get 15% off your room any night Sunday thru Thursday with our Fall Flex Packages. Plus, get discount
coupons for area restaurants, wineries, shops and other activities in an area known as a Michigan
treasure.
Click or tap here and you’re on your way to great savings on a spectacular fall getaway that you’ll
remember for years to come. Book today. Offer ends October 17, 2019.
Splash into spectacular fall color in sanctuary-like Copper Harbor, MI!! Autumn is prime time for exploring the most pristine, northernmost-tip of the Upper Peninsula, not to mention their world-class mountain bike trail system. It’s worth the trip to visit the Keweenaw Adventure Company where you can join a professionally guided mountain bike tour or take advantage of a state-of-the-art rental for self-guided discoveries in an area of rugged beauty, ancient rock shorelines and breathtaking terrain!
Visit beautiful Saugatuck this fall and stay at Serendipity Bed and Breakfast! We are right downtown, only steps away from shopping, galleries, and restaurants, a few minutes drive from gorgeous Oval Beach. Serendipity has three classic rooms, common areas and adorable Lightkeeper’s Cottage that take you back to another era of calm and relaxation.
Come to Saugatuck, a stone’s throw from pumpkin patches, apple orchards, wineries, and hard cider, where crisp, cool fall air, blue skies, and fall colors abound!
Every year we look forward to a whirl-wind season when guests visit Lewis Farms & Petting Zoo in New Era to experience a spectacular Fall Festival. People love the caramel apples, wagon rides, pumpkin patch, and the Pig Races. But we hope it’s the magical memories and treasured traditions that keep them coming back. We take great pride in our role as an outstanding family entertainment destination and we plan to continue growing and improving year after year.
Creeping just around the corner is John Ball Zoo’s annual Zoo Goes Boo! Start off this fall season right by spending your October weekends under the autumn colors of the Zoo in Grand Rapids. There will be costumes, candy, special animal encounters, and plenty of decorations to get you and your family in the Halloween spirit! Zoo Goes Boo runs for two consecutive weekends: October 19-21 and again October 26-28, from 10 am-4 pm.
Chateau Chantal Fall Wine Dinners
Join us at Chateau Chantal in Traverse City for a delicious 7-course wine dinner! Enjoy 7 delicious courses celebrating the bounty of fall harvest, each paired with your favorite Chateau Chantal wines! This Certified Local Food Event features pumpkin spice risotto, butter & mint curried Great Lakes salmon, and wild mushroom trumpet pasta; all served in our beautiful dining room featuring 360-degree views of grape-filled vines backdropped by both East & West Grand Traverse Bay.
A round of golf. A chairlift ride on Schuss Mountain. Biking at Glacial Hills. Hiking at Grass River. Kayaking on the Chain of Lakes. And day trips in all directions. There are many ways to enjoy Fall at Shanty Creek in Bellaire.
Fall lodging starts at $109. Or build a custom Stay and Play package. For more, visit shantycreek,com.
Friday, October 18 from 6:30-9:00. Free Admission.
Kick-off the Halloween festivities with the Saugatuck Center for the Arts Friday, October 18 with a party under our pavilion.
Luminescence is the first and only SCA show presenting innovative technology as part of the exhibition experience. This indoor-outdoor, light-based exhibition pushes the boundaries of motion media, demanding an equally special community unveiling. We’re amping up the opening reception with live music, local food, cash bar, and hands-on art projects for children and families.
Fall in love with Drummond Island Resort!
Enjoy one last getaway before winter hits and choose one of three fun outdoor activities with your stay at Drummond Island Resort!
- FREE second round of golf (18 holes) at The Rock
- FREE Day Pass to Turtle Ridge Off-Road Park
- FREE second line skeet/clay at The Cedars
Offer valid for the remainder of the 2019 season. This offer can sell out.
Celebrate everything you love about fall during Downtown Holland’s Annual Fall Fest on Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12! Watch the nation’s best professional pumpkin carvers (including Food Network alumni) as they craft jack-o-lanterns and 3D sculptures like you’ve never seen before! Shop for fall finds at the Holland Farmers Market and fall fashions in Downtown Holland as you enjoy pumpkin painting, hayrides, street performers and more! Fall Fest is sponsored by Crown Motors, member of West Michigan Honda.
It’s that fall color, campfire, hoodie, time of year. When the tree’s turn into artwork along the shores of West Michigan and the pace slows down a bit. Sitting around a campfire, escaping from the daily demands, with family and friends while smelling the aroma of freshly roasted marshmallows with a Kumbaya in hand, that’s Michigan. Can’t make it to the campfire? We’ve got you covered. Stop into Silver Harbor Brewing Company in St. Joseph for one of our Smoked Beers, like Kumbaya Brown Ale, with hints of vanilla and marshmallow it’s sure to taste like well, Fall.
