2026 Annual Mackinaw Area
Historic Festival
A FREE event on July 25, 2026
10:00am-2:00pm
Come Explore Heritage Village
Join us for a free, family-friendly day celebrating life from 1880–1917! Meet costumed docents who bring stories of yesteryear alive and wander through 43 acres of woodland trails, explore vintage buildings, stroll through the garden, and peek into the chapel.
Festival Highlights:
Working sawmill demos & lumberjack showcase
Maypole dance & children’s activities
Vintage base ball game
And much more!
Historic Base Ball Game
Mackinaw City vs Regulars BBC
1:00-3:00pm
Admission is free, and all are welcome to attend. Bring a lawn chair, gather the family, and enjoy an afternoon at the ball field.
Historic Festival
Travel back to the history and stories from 1880 to 1917 at Heritage Village, just outside of Mackinaw City. Visit a period of unparalleled changes in lighting, transportation, communication, housing, health care and nearly every aspect of Straits-area living. Forty three acres of natural beauty includes buildings that bring history alive and tell stories from the lives of our great grandparents and grandparents. Costumed docents in every building tell the stories of the families who lived there and talk about a time before electric lights, airplanes, and television.
Heritage Village includes authentic buildings. We have the sawmill that cut the logs for the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, the only Pestilence (Pest) House left in the state of Michigan, and a log farm house to name a few. There is plenty of room to enjoy nature.
Take a walk on a nature trail, see an active community and children’s garden, attend class at a one room school house and see the results of the fully renovated Chapel ready to host weddings and life events.
Always free. Donations sustain us.
Jack Pine Lumberjack Show
An exclusive, free demonstration by the lumberjacks from the Jack Pine Lumberjack Show. Entertaining and action-packed, this remains a crowd favorite every year.
As Seen on 9&10 News’ Good Day Northern Michigan
In 2025, the Mackinaw Area Historical Society (MAHS) was thrilled to appear on Good Day Northern Michigan on 9&10 News on Tuesday, July 22. Board members Angie Morthland, President of MAHS, and fellow board member Mark Scholten joined the program in-studio to share details about two of the organization’s most cherished summer events: the Pet Parade and the Historic Festival at Heritage Village.
Explore Visitor Favorite Areas
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![Silhouette of a woman with braided hair, a bird flying in the sky, and another bird perched in a bush on the side of a white building with outdoor art silhouettes, under a bright blue sky.]()
Anishinaabe Settlement
HERITAGE VILLAGE
Learn about the earliest occupants of the Mackinaw Area, known as the Anishinaabe (or first people).
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![Looking up at tall trees in a forest with green leaves and some brown leaves, and a partly cloudy sky visible through the canopy.]()
BINGO TRAIL
MAY WOODS
Begin your adventure by picking up a complimentary BINGO card at the Nature Center, located near the trailhead. As you explore the path, keep an eye out for various seasonal items depicted on your card. -
![Heritage Chapel a white building with a cross on top, surrounded by green grass and bushes, under a partly cloudy sky.]()
Heritage Chapel
HERITAGE VILLAGE
The 1890’s Zion Evangelical Church, now gracing the grounds of Heritage Village, was located in the nearby town of Brutus for 120 years. The beautiful fully renovated historic Chapel has seating for approximately 80 and is handicap accessible. -
![A dirt hiking trail running through a dense green forest with trees and foliage on both sides, leaves scattered on the ground, and trail markers posted on trees.]()
May Woods
MAY WOODS
Stunning 100-acre expanse with 10 trails spanning over 3.5 miles, visitors can enjoy hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing throughout the year. Designed for all ages. -
![One room, white wooden building labeled "Freedom School" with a small ramp and bell outside, surrounded by green grass and trees under a clear blue sky.]()
Freedom School
HERITAGE VILLAGE
Freedom School is a one room school house, built in 1885, and was located in the town of Freedom before being moved and restored at Heritage Village.
