First held in 1926, the 2021 National Cherry Festival will take place from July 3 through 10 in Traverse City, with multiple events for the community and visitors to celebrate the summer, including Ultimate Air Dogs and The Great American Duck Race, the Porch Parade and GT Pie Company’s Virtual Make & Bake, Zumba, yoga, Cherry Pie Bike Ride and the Meijer Festival of Races.

            For the health and safety of attendees and locals, some events are virtual this year. The festival will relocate some events to allow people to spread out and socially distance, such as the Arts & Crafts Show and the Old Town Car Show at the Grand Traverse Commons.

            Festival staff and volunteers have been taking the time to plan a safe cherry celebration to give everyone something to celebrate this year. Executive Director Kat Paye says, “We recognize that not everyone is ready to gather in crowds yet, so we will be hosting in- person, virtual and hybrid events to meet everyone where they are. And every in-person event will be following state and local guidelines to ensure the safety of all involved.”

Location: 521 S. Union St., Traverse City. For more information, visit CherryFestival.org