From National Cherry Festival events to fireworks celebrations across the region, The Ticker has your guide to enjoying Independence Day. Happy Fourth of July!

National Cherry Festival/TC Fireworks
The Fourth is Heritage Day at the National Cherry Festival, which means the return of the popular Heritage Parade – the second year in a row the event has been held following a nearly decade-long absence. Festival activities kick off first today with a Kids Pet Show at F&M Park from 10am to 12pm and a Honor and Remember Ceremony hosted by the Michigan Chapter of Honor and Remember from 10am to 11am at the Lays Cherry Blast Stage.

Hotel Indigo, the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail and the National Cherry Festival will team up for Red, White & Blue Indigo, a strolling wine and food affair at the hotel, from 11am to 5pm. Tickets are $60 per person and available for 11am, 1pm or 3pm gate times. Admission includes a souvenir wine glass and a choice of one of two wines at seven different wine stations paired with small-sized gourmet fare.

In the afternoon, the Cherry Festival celebrates the region’s heritage with a Native American Pow Wow Dance presented by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians from 12pm to 3pm at the Bayside Music Stage Area featuring colorful dancing and drumming and samples of Native American fare. The day continues with a Kids Cherry Pie Eating Contest from 1pm to 3pm at F&M Park for kids age preschool to 12 years old.

Finally, the day will conclude with a ‘90s Dance Party 2.0 concert at the Bayside Music Stage Area featuring performances by Vanilla Ice, All-4-One and C&C Music Factory from 6pm to 10:15pm. General admission is $25, reserved seating is $40 and VIP seating is $100. Overlapping the concert, the Consumers Energy Heritage Parade will take place from 7pm to 9pm in downtown Traverse City celebrating the history of the community and the cherry industry.

Fourth of July fireworks will cap off the night over West Grand Traverse Bay at dusk/10:30pm. Fireworks can be viewed along the south end of West Grand Traverse Bay, near the Festival Open Space Park, Clinch Park Marina, Bryant and West End Beaches. The Traverse City Boom Boom Club will offer fireworks VIP seating and a party near the Cherry Festival Beer Tent for $30 beginning at 8:30pm and ending at 11pm.

Elsewhere In The Region…
Fife Lake will host multiple events today to celebrate the Fourth, including a Warrior Run that starts at 8am at Fife Lake Elementary School, an all-day farmers market and arts and craft show, a strawberry social from 11am to 2pm, a buffalo BBQ starting at 11:30am, a 2pm parade, live music in the park from 7pm to 10pm, and a fireworks display at dusk. For more information, click here.

Leland will kick off a day of festivities with a concert on the lawn and bike-decorating party from 1pm to 3pm at the Old Art Building (decorations supplied). The community Fourth of July parade follows at 3pm on Main Street, followed by a free 5pm concert on the Village Green featuring GT Pipes & Drums. While Leland will not host fireworks tonight – its display was on July 3 – Northport will offer fireworks at dusk at the Village Parks and Marina.

Finally, in Benzie County, Beulah will host a day of festivities that includes a 5K Firecracker Run, a 1K Family/Walk Run, a July 4 Pancake Breakfast Buffet at the Hungry Tummy Restaurant, kids games, face painting and concessions in Beulah Park, an Independence Day parade at 1:30pm, an afternoon coin hunt and rubber duck race, music in the park from Ron Kluek at 7pm, and 10:30pm fireworks. Frankfort, meanwhile, will host a holiday parade at 9am on Main Street, as well as fireworks at the Lake Michigan beach at 10pm.