It's no secret that Michigan is a top producer of cherries — nearly 75% of the country's tart cherries and about one-fifth of its sweet cherries are produced across the state. The moderate temperatures, prime soil, and rolling hills of Northern Michigan make the area a hotbed for cherry production. It's one of the reasons Traverse City is known as the Cherry Capital of the World.
Each year, the city hosts the National Cherry Festival, which is celebrating its centennial this summer.
In 1925, the festival started as the “Blessing of the Blossoms.” Now, half a million visitors make their way to the Cherry Festival every year.
The festival takes place July 7-11. There will be rides and other attractions, as well as festival foods.
There are over 100 events, and according to the Traverse City website, “85% of them are free.”
The events range from bingo to pie-eating contests to activities involving pets and painting murals. One particular event, celebrating the centennial, is the Horizon Bookstore, with its Centennial History Exhibit. It will be open June 27-July 11, so visitors can view it outside of just designated festival days.
The full events calendar can be found here.
Also present are Farmers Markets spanning multiple days, with local vendors selling Michigan items.
One waterfront event, the Milk-Carton Boat Regatta on July 8, brings together the community to build boats from recycled milk cartons as teams compete for durability and speed.
Another tradition is the National Cherry Queen Program, where candidates participate in interviews and public speaking events en route to the selection of the year's National Cherry Queen. Fourteen women were chosen in May and four finalists received a scholarship, festival wardrobe, and all-expenses covered participation for the festival week.
According to cherryfestival.org, the history of cherries in Michigan is a bright one. The mid-1800s is when modern-day cherry production began in Michigan. Presbyterian missionary Peter Dougherty, living in northern Michigan, planted cherry trees in 1852. The trees grew on Old Mission Peninsula, in the vicinity of Traverse City. The other farmers and Native Americans residing in the area were shocked at how Dougherty’s trees thrived, and shortly after seeing his success, other residents in the area began planting cherry trees.
As it turned out, Lake Michigan tempers Arctic winds in winter months and cools the orchards in the summer months, making the geography conducive for growing cherries.
The first commercial cherry tart orchards were then planted in 1893, near some of Doherty’s original plants. The tart cherry industry then spread to other parts of Michigan. The industry also provided jobs by surpassing other crops in popularity and production.
The Traverse City Canning Company, built just south of Traverse City, began processing cherries. Soon, the fruit could be bought in Chicago, Detroit, and Milwaukee.
The National Cherry Festival aims to bring community and cherry lovers together to celebrate, and the activities and items available for purchase reflect the mission. For general info, the Cherry Festival website has helpful links and more about the history.
