National Cherry Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids National Cherry Festival |
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National Cherry Festival parade on East Front Street in 2012
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| Begins | July 4, 2026 |
| Ends | July 11, 2026 |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Venue | Open Space Park Downtown Traverse City |
| Location(s) | Traverse City, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 44°45′56″N 85°37′25″W / 44.76556°N 85.62361°W |
| Country |  United States |
| Years active | 1925–1941, 1948–2019, 2021–present |
| Inaugurated | May 22, 1925 |
| Attendance | >500,000 |
The National Cherry Festival is a super fun event held every year in Traverse City, Michigan, Michigan, United States. This eight-day festival celebrates all things about cherries! It takes place in the Grand Traverse Bay area around Traverse City. This city is even called the "Cherry Capital of the World" because so many cherries are grown there.
The festival first started in 1925. Back then, it was called the "Blessing of the Blossoms Festival." In 1931, the Michigan government officially changed its name to the National Cherry Festival. The festival has happened almost every year since then. It was paused for a few years during World War II (1942-1947) and also in 2020 due to a global health concern.
The festival has a special marching band called the "Second Time Arounders." Anyone who knows how to play a marching band instrument can join! The band practices a few times and then performs during the festival. There are also many concerts at Open Space Park during the festival.
The National Cherry Festival offers lots of exciting activities. One of the biggest attractions is the amazing air show. You can watch incredible planes fly for free! The show often includes the United States Navy Blue Angels, the A-10C Thunderbolt II Demo Team, and planes from the US Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City. You can even meet the pilots and see their aircraft up close. You can listen to the air show live on 107.5 WCCW radio.
The festival also gives out special "Very Cherry Awards." These awards celebrate people who have done great things for the cherry industry. For example, the Cherry Industry Person/Couple Award honors leaders in the cherry world. The Lifetime Achievement Award goes to people who have worked with cherries for many years. The Very Cherry Promotion Award recognizes businesses and individuals who help tell everyone how great cherries are!
Contents
History of the Cherry Festival
How Cherries Came to Traverse City
In 1839, a missionary named Reverend Peter Dougherty started a Native American mission. This was near what is now Old Mission, at the very tip of the Old Mission Peninsula. In 1852, Reverend Dougherty planted the first cherry trees there. Everyone was surprised when the trees grew really well! Soon, other people started planting their own cherry trees.
The first farm that grew cherries to sell was started in 1893. By the early 1900s, the area around Traverse City, especially near Lake Michigan, became a very important place for growing cherries.
Festival Milestones
The very first festival happened in May 1925. It was called the Blessing of the Blossoms. The first "cherry queen" was Gertrude Brown. In 1931, the Michigan government officially renamed it the National Cherry Festival and moved it to July.
The festival was paused from 1942 to 1946 because of World War II. It was also paused in 1947 because Traverse City was celebrating its 100th birthday instead. In 1964, the festival grew from three days to five days. Then, in 1968, it became an eight-day event. In 1975, President Gerald Ford, who was from Michigan, visited the festival. He even led the Cherry Royale Parade as the Grand Marshal!
On July 25, 1987, people at the Cherry Festival made history! They baked the world's largest cherry pie and got into the Guinness Book of World Records. This giant pie was about 17 feet 6 inches across and weighed 28,350 pounds! This pie was even bigger than a record-holding pie baked nine years earlier in Charlevoix, Michigan. However, this record was broken on July 14, 1990. A new pie, weighing 37,740 pounds and 20 feet across, was baked in Oliver, British Columbia. About 1500 people got to eat that one!
In 2021, the festival got a lot of attention. On July 8, a ride at the festival's carnival area had a problem. It started to lean and sway. People nearby quickly rushed to help. They held the ride down until it stopped safely. No one was seriously hurt, and the ride was taken apart soon after.
Festival Postponement in 2020
In 2020, the festival officials announced on April 16 that the 90th National Cherry Festival would be postponed. This decision was made because of a global health concern at the time. The festival started up again in 2021.
See also
- Cherry production in Michigan
- Cherry production in the United States
- Food festival
- Michigan wine
