15May 15–16
Tawas Point Bird Migration Days
Spring migration weekend at Tawas Point — one of the best birding spots in the Midwest. Warblers and shorebirds funnel along Lake Huron.
2026 Calendar · Tawas City & East Tawas
Updated May 23, 2026
A year in Tawas.
From bird migration days in May through Perchville on the ice in February — the festivals, fishing tournaments, street dances, and lighthouse open houses that fill the Tawas calendar.
★ Featured event
Tawas SummerFest.
Tawas SummerFest runs July 10–12, 2026 across Tawas City and East Tawas. Three days of small-town summer: a Friday kick-off party at Shoreline Park, a Saturday 5K/10K out of The Collective, and a Sunday with a Newman Street car show and a fly-in breakfast at Iosco County Airport.
2026 calendar
Spring 2026
May 2026
Spring opens with the Tawas Point Bird Migration Days, May 15–16, when warblers funnel through the point. The same weekend brings Spring Into Art at the Tawas Bay Art Gallery and the Friends of Tawas Point native plant sale. Memorial Day weekend, May 23–24, is the 33rd Annual Arts & Crafts Show downtown.
16May
Spring Into Art
Season-opening exhibition at the Tawas Bay Art Gallery — new work from regional artists.
16May
Friends of Tawas Point Native Plant Sale
Native perennials, grasses, and shoreline plants for sale to benefit Tawas Point Lighthouse.
23May 23–24
33rd Annual Memorial Day Arts & Crafts Show
Hosted by the Tawas Area Chamber of Commerce — juried Memorial Day weekend market with crafters and food.
29May 29–31
The Thirty-Three Little Pigs
WE Players youth theater production. Three performances over the holiday weekend.
Summer 2026
June 2026
June brings community-driven events: the Tawas Wellness Warriors Founders Day Celebration at The Collective and the MyMichigan Health Golf Outing at Red Hawk Golf Club both kick off the month on June 1. Newman Street fills up for Back to the Bricks on June 9, and Oscoda hosts the regional Nor-East/Art festival June 12–14.
01Jun
Tawas Wellness Warriors Founders Day
Annual founders day celebration for the Wellness Warriors community, held at The Collective.
01Jun
MyMichigan Health Golf Outing
Fundraising golf outing benefiting MyMichigan Health programs.
09Jun
Back to the Bricks Promo Car Show
Newman Street fills with classic and custom cars on a roving promo stop for the Flint-area show.
11Jun
Develop Iosco Community Meeting
Monthly public meeting of the Develop Iosco economic development group.
12Jun 12–14
Nor-East/Art
Regional art festival at the Oscoda County Fair Grounds — sister-town event drawing the Tawas crowd.
July 2026
July is the busiest month in Tawas. Independence Day, July 4, brings a parade at 11 a.m. and the Light Up the Bay fireworks at dusk from Shoreline Park. Tawas SummerFest runs July 10–12 with a kick-off party, a 5K/10K, a Newman Street car show, and a fly-in breakfast at Iosco County Airport.
04Jul
Independence Day Parade & Light Up the Bay Fireworks
Parade at 11 a.m. through Tawas City, followed by the Light Up the Bay fireworks show at dusk over Tawas Bay.
10Jul
SummerFest Kick-Off Party
Friday-night opening of Tawas SummerFest with music and food at the bay.
11Jul
SummerFest 5K/10K
Saturday morning road race out of The Collective — one of the most popular runs on the coast.
12Jul
SummerFest Car Show
Sunday classic-car show down Newman Street, finishing the SummerFest weekend.
12Jul
SummerFest Fly-In Breakfast
Pilots fly in, locals drive over — pancakes on the tarmac at Iosco County Airport.
10Jul 10–26
Tawas Bay Players: Decades of Delight
Mainstage musical revue at the Tawas Bay Playhouse. July 10, 11, 12, 23, 24, 25, 26 at 7 p.m.
17Jul 17–18
Dueling Pianos
Two nights of dueling-pianos cabaret at American Legion Post 211, presented by Tawas Bay Players.
August 2026
Tawas Uncork'd opens August on August 1 at Harbor Park with wine, ale, and food on the bay. The National Lighthouse Day event at Tawas Point follows on August 7, sidewalk sales fill downtown August 13–15, and the month closes with Blues by the Bay, August 28–30, at Harbor Park.
01Aug
Tawas Uncork'd — Wine, Ale & Food Festival
Lakeside wine, craft beer, and food festival on Tawas Bay.
07Aug
National Lighthouse Day Event
Annual lighthouse day at Tawas Point State Park, hosted by Friends of Tawas Point Lighthouse.
07Aug 7–9
Shakespeare in the Park
WE Players youth theater outdoor production at Dewey Durant Memorial Park.
13Aug 13–15
Sidewalk Sales
Three days of sidewalk sales the length of downtown East Tawas — end-of-summer retail weekend.
28Aug 28–30
Blues by the Bay
Weekend of blues music on the bay — three days of national and regional acts at Harbor Park.
Fall 2026
September 2026
Labor Day weekend, September 5–6, brings the 35th Annual Arts & Crafts Show downtown — Tawas's biggest end-of-summer market. Develop Iosco's monthly community meeting follows on September 10.
05Sep 5–6
35th Annual Labor Day Arts & Crafts Show
Hosted by the Tawas Area Chamber of Commerce — the biggest art and craft market of the year.
10Sep
Develop Iosco Community Meeting
Monthly public meeting of Develop Iosco.
October 2026
October is a packed month — Customer Appreciation Days downtown October 2–4, Fall Into Art at the gallery, the Tawas Point Harvest Festival at the lighthouse October 9–10, Cider in the City on the 17th, a pumpkin carving event downtown the 24th, and Halloween parade and trick-or-treating on the 31st.
02Oct 2–4
Customer Appreciation Days
Three days of sales, giveaways, and specials at downtown East Tawas merchants.
03Oct
Fall Into Art
Autumn exhibition opening at the Tawas Bay Art Gallery.
09Oct 9–10
Tawas Point Harvest Festival
Autumn family weekend at the lighthouse — Friends of Tawas Point host harvest crafts and hayrides.
09Oct 9–18
Tawas Bay Players: Camp-O-Chem-Mo
Fall mainstage at the Tawas Bay Playhouse. October 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 at 7 p.m. and October 11, 18 at 2 p.m.
17Oct
Cider in the City
Autumn cider event downtown — hot cider, doughnuts, and live music in the square.
24Oct
Pumpkin Carving Event
Free downtown pumpkin carving — bring the kids, take home a jack-o-lantern.
31Oct
Halloween Parade & Downtown Trick-or-Treating
Costume parade and storefront trick-or-treating up and down Newman Street.
November 2026
The holiday run starts in November — Tawas Band Bazaar on the 7th, a Holiday Open House at the Art Gallery November 21–22, then a triple-header on November 26 (Turkey Trot + Free Community Thanksgiving Dinner) and on the 28th the Tree Lighting and Christmas Parade downtown.
07Nov
Tawas Band Bazaar
Holiday craft and gift bazaar benefiting the Tawas Area High School band program.
21Nov 21–22
Holiday Open House
Two-day holiday open house with featured artists at the gallery.
26Nov
Turkey Trot
Thanksgiving morning run hosted by The Collective.
26Nov
Free Community Thanksgiving Dinner
A full Thanksgiving dinner served free to the community at The Collective.
28Nov
Annual Tree Lighting & Christmas Parade
Tree lighting ceremony followed by the Christmas parade down Newman Street.
28Nov
Develop Iosco Annual Meeting
Annual meeting of the Develop Iosco economic development group.
December 2026
December brings Christmas at the Lighthouse at Tawas Point and a downtown shopping night on December 3, then a kids-and-pancakes Santa Breakfast at The Collective on December 12.
03Dec
Christmas at the Lighthouse
Holiday open house at Tawas Point Lighthouse, hosted by Friends of Tawas Point Lighthouse.
03Dec
Downtown Shopping Night
Evening of extended hours, hot cocoa, and storefront specials in downtown East Tawas.
12Dec
Santa Breakfast
Breakfast with Santa for the kids at The Collective — pancakes, photos, holiday crafts.
Winter 2027
February 2027
Perchville 2027 runs February 4–7, 2027 on Tawas Bay — Tawas's winter festival on the ice, with a perch fishing contest, polar plunge, parade, and outhouse races on the frozen bay.
04Feb 4–7
Perchville 2027
Tawas Bay's winter festival on the ice — perch fishing contest, polar plunge, parade, and the famous outhouse races. Four days that anchor the whole winter calendar.
All summer long.
Weekly events run from spring through fall — concerts, street dances, lighthouse tours, and farm markets that fill the calendar between the festival weekends.
Mondays
Community Band Concerts
Free Monday-night concerts by community bands in East Tawas City Park, all summer.
East Tawas City Park
Tuesday nights · Jun 16–Aug 11
Live Street Dances
Newman Street closes down for live music and dancing on Tuesday nights through the summer.
Newman Street
Tuesdays · Noon–4 p.m.
Tuesdays at the Lighthouse
Free tours of Tawas Point Lighthouse every Tuesday afternoon.
Tawas Point State Park
Wednesdays · 8 a.m.–1 p.m. · May–Oct
NE Michigan Regional Farm Market
Wednesday-morning farmers' market in Oscoda/AuSable.
Oscoda / AuSable
Fridays · July & August
Shoreline Summer Series
Free Friday-night concerts in Town Square, Tawas City.
Town Square, Tawas City
Saturdays · 8 a.m.–1 p.m. · May–Oct
NE Michigan Regional Farm Market
Saturday-morning farmers' market at Gateway Park.
Gateway Park
Second Saturdays · May–Sept
Vintage Markets
Vintage and antique market the second Saturday of each summer month at Brugger's Plaza.
Brugger's Plaza
First Monday · Year-round
Community Supper
Free community supper the first Monday of every month at The Collective.
The Collective
On stage, all year.
Two community theater companies anchor the year-round Tawas calendar — the Tawas Bay Players at the Tawas Bay Playhouse on Newman Street, and the WE Players youth theater. Mainstage musicals, summer cabaret, and outdoor Shakespeare.
Tawas Bay Players
2026 Mainstage Season
Tawas Bay Playhouse · 401 Newman St., East Tawas · tawasbayplayers.com
Moonglow
May 8, 9, 14, 15, 16 — 7 p.m.
May 10, 17 — 2 p.m. matinée
May 10, 17 — 2 p.m. matinée
Mainstage
Decades of Delight
July 10, 11, 12, 23, 24, 25, 26 — 7 p.m.
Mainstage
Dueling Pianos
July 17, 18 — 7 p.m.
American Legion Post 211
Camp-O-Chem-Mo
Oct 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 — 7 p.m.
Oct 11, 18 — 2 p.m. matinée
Oct 11, 18 — 2 p.m. matinée
Mainstage
WE Players · Youth Theater
2026 Productions
weplayers.ludus.com
The Thirty-Three Little Pigs
May 29, 30, 31
Tawas Bay Playhouse
Shakespeare in the Park
August 7, 8, 9
Dewey Durant Memorial Park
Visit the Tawas Area Chamber of Commerce website or call the Chamber for the most current information about events. Dates subject to change.