National Cherry Festival is coming!

Event takes energy

June 18, 2025

Known for hiking trails, sandy beaches, wineries, eateries, and shops, Traverse City offers enough to beckon most people, especially in the summer.

At the end of June, though, more than 500,000 visitors are expected to flock to Traverse City when it hosts the annual National Cherry Festival from June 28 through July 5.

What began in approximately 1910 with cherry growers in the area doing a “blessing of the blossoms” now has grown into an eight-day festival.

Cheery cherry notes

The U.S. has approximately 55,000 acres of tart cherry trees, 36,000 acres of which are in Michigan. Other cherry facts:

• Michigan annually produces approximately 70 percent of the tart cherry crop in the U.S., 50 percent of which comes from Traverse City.
• Traverse City in 1987 set the record at the time for baking the world’s largest cherry pie—17 feet, six inches in diameter and weighing 28,350 pounds.

 

“This annual event is another of Michigan’s treasured summertime activities. It really brings people together.”

—Lauren Brown, Enbridge’s community engagement manager in northern Michigan

Energy plays an important role in growth and delivery

“Along with the hard work of the growers, Michigan’s cherry crop is dependent upon weather and many other factors,” said Lauren Brown, Enbridge’s community engagement advisor in Michigan.

“Specifically, the light crude oil and national gas liquids transported through Enbridge’s Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac are essential to producing crop fertilizers and fuel for farming machinery and transportation that helps gets the cherries to market.”

With the first blossoms typically occurring in May, Michigan’s annual yield of tart cherries ranges between 100 million to 250 million pounds.

Known as Montmorency, the cherries most often are used in jellies, juice and pies, or canned, with July and August the prime picking season.

“It is a fantastic experience for cherry lovers or anyone who enjoys good food, fun and music,” said Brown.

Find out more about the festival.