12 Months of Fun Around Lake Erie

Location Icon Lake Erie Islands
Location Icon Michigan
Location Icon New York
Location Icon Ohio
Location Icon Ontario
Location Icon Pennsylvania
Category Icon Currents

Discover ways to celebrate our Great Lake during any season.

January
Get a jump on the season at the annual Cleveland Boat Show at the I-X Center in Cleveland. clevelandboatshow.com

February
Check out ice sculptures — and see them being carved — at Ice A Fair in Vermilion, Ohio. Bundle up and stay to enjoy the food and entertainment. mainstreetvermilion.org/ice

March
Head to Buffalo — where 11% of the population is Irish — to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with two parades, plenty of Irish pubs and classic foods like Beef on Weck. visitbuffaloniagara.com

April
Enjoy classics like “Saturday in the Park” when Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Chicago takes the stage April 7 at Caesars Windsor in Ontario. The next morning, enjoy a walk along the Detroit River. caesers.com

May
Take flight with Festival of the Birds (May 12-14) at Presque Isle State Park in Erie, Pennsylvania, where more than 320 species of birds have been recorded. presqueisleaudubon.org

June
Join the pirates in downtown Put-in-Bay for live entertainment, a parade, reenactments and more at the annual —and family-friendly — Pyrate Fest (June 23-25). Costumes are encouraged. pyratefest.org

July
Head to Kelleys Island in Ohio for Island Fest (July 14-16) to enjoy family entertainment, a parade, fireworks, crafters, street dances, games, great food and a beer tent.
kelleysislandchamber.com

August
Laugh at the annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival (Aug. 2-6) featuring more than 50 events and 30 artists in Ball’s hometown of Jamestown, New York. comedycenter.org

September
Celebrate the harvest at Grape Jamboree (Sept. 23-24) in Geneva, Ohio, with a grape-stomping contest, a parade, rides, great food, entertainment, grape juice and local wine. grapejamboree.com

October
Embrace fall at the Lakeside-Marblehead Lighthouse Festival (Oct. 14), where you’ll find pumpkin-decorating, a pie contest, live music, hayrides and tours of the iconic Ohio lighthouse. lakesideohio.com

November
Join hunters from all over the world to participate in the Pelee Island Pheasant Hunt, which has been happening on this 10,000-acre island in Ontario for more than 90 years. pelee.org/pheasant-hunts

December
Marvel at more than a million twinkling lights at the Toledo Zoo and Aquarium’s annual Lights Before Christmas, which has been voted best zoo lights by USA Today. toledozoo.org/lights

 

Tag:

Recommended


The State of Lake Erie

To love the lake means to take care of the lake. With that in mind, we checked in with Lake Erie Foundation president Jim Stouffer to gauge exactly how the lake is doing — and what challenges it’s facing.

The Boats Are Back

As the pandemic destroyed dozens of industries, boaters report a resurgence in those looking to spend time on the water.

Lake Erie Island Ferry Info

Get the scoop on getting to the Lake Erie Islands.

Ann Arbor Chalk Artist David Zinn and his Disappearing Art

Why Zinn — and nearly a million followers — are so into art that doesn’t last.

 

Cody Evans Captures Face in Port Stanley, Ontario, Wave

Inspired by the work of Dave Sandford, Evans took thousands of images over the course of several years to get the shot he wanted. 

Dave Sandford Captures Lake Erie's Liquid Mountains in Waves

Dave Sandford is the king of Lake Erie's "liquid mountains." Here's how he does it — and what nature photography means to him. 

Popular Tags